First Shoes

Your child’s first steps are always an important mile stone. While you won’t be able to curb your child’s need to explore, you can make sure that they wear well-fitting and comfortable shoes. Children will tend to begin walking between the ages of 9 and 18 months but it all depends on the rate at which the required leg muscles develop and this will be different for all children and so don’t worry if your child isn't walking by a certain age, they are probably busy developing another part of their body.

When choosing your child’s first pair of shoes we do recommend that you bear the following in mind:

• Because children’s feet at this stage of development tend to grow at a rate of approximately three whole shoe sizes a year, it is recommended that your child’s feet are measured every six to eight weeks by a trained fitter to ensure a secure and comfortable fit.
• Our team is on hand to ensure your child's shoes find the balance between growing room and fit, whether this is in person or virtually. Shoes which allow room to grow are important however fit should not be compromised.
• We stock a wide range of shoes that are durable yet still ensure that children’s feet are allowed to bend and move naturally. Our go to brands for this stage of development is Bobux XPlorer and Step Up and Ricosta Pepino.

As your child continues to grow and they begin to run and jump their shoes will need to be more durable than their first shoes but still flexible and soft enough to protect those developing feet. Having room to grow remains important and the shape of the shoes in relation to your child’s foot shape is a factor which should be considered ahead of style and look. Leather is always a practical choice as it allows feet to breathe and is hard wearing and durable. Lightweight shoes are still a must as they are the most comfortable for active little ones. Our go to brands for this stage of development are Bobux Step Up and IWalk, Ricosta Pepino, Froddo, Camper and Ecco.