First shoes

There are only a few things to look for in a first pair of shoes, and they are all concrete. They also describe how we make our first-steps models.

Flex

Pick the shoe up and bend it from the toe. If the sole folds easily where the toes bend, it is flexible. A stiff sole that will not bend works against the child's step.

In our first-steps models the outsole is thermoplastic, chosen thin enough to bend.

Toe width

The toe needs to be wide enough for the toes to sit side by side. A narrowing toe box pushes them over each other.

Our last is wide at the toe; in the Barefoot series it is wider still.

Weight

The shoe should be light. For a child who has just started walking, every gram added to the foot is noticeable.

Materials

Natural materials are preferable for the inside surface and the lining. In our first-steps boots the lining is textile fur, in the Barefoot series it is leather; the insole is leather in every model.

Staying on

The shoe has to stay on the foot and not slip off while walking. Ankle laces, hook-and-loop straps or a higher shaft do that. If the size is right, the heel does not lift.

When shoes are needed

Indoors, on a flat and safe floor, there is nothing wrong with bare feet or grip socks. Shoes are for going out, and for ground that is hard, cold or dirty.

Safety

Do not let your child walk alone on wet, slippery or sloping surfaces. Any shoe can slip on those.