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Review of pediped Originals

I will be the first person to tell you not to waste money on baby shoes.  However, before you know it, your baby will be getting ready to take their first steps, and shoes will quickly become a necessity.

When your baby is learning to walk, barefoot is best.  Bare feet allow them to feel the ground, and use their little toes for grip and balance.  But while barefoot is great indoors, it’s not always safe or practical outside.  To protect their little feet when exploring the outdoors, you need a shoe that will give them some protection and traction, but still be lightweight and flexible to mimic the feel of bare feet.

I spent WAY too much time researching shoes for new walkers when my oldest was a baby.  I wanted something with a soft, flexible sole, that still gave him enough protection from the elements.  As an added challenge, he had the chubbiest little feet, so it was tough to find shoes that fit him at all.

Hands-down our favourite first walking shoes for babies are pediped® Originals.  We’ve used and loved them for five years, through three kids, and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a great shoe for a new walker.  Here’s why we keep going back to pedipeds.

They’re just like bare feet

Pedipeds live up to their slogan, the next best thing to bare feet.  The Originals® line is lightweight, with flexible leather soles, allowing baby’s feet to move and feel the floor.  The sole has slip resistant tread for added grip and extra protection.

In our experience, these are the perfect first outdoor shoes for new walkers.  Flexibility is one of the most important things I look for in first walking shoes.  These shoes allow their foot to move freely, while still giving them adequate protection when exploring the outdoors.  Inside, in situations where they have to wear shoes (our daycare requires indoor shoes or slippers) we prefer soft-soled shoes like Robeez, which give them as much flexibility as possible.

At this age, my kids aren’t able to tell me whether their shoes are comfortable or not.  However, they’ve never protested wearing these shoes, and will happily try to put them on themselves – which I take as a good sign!

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They fit

I had a terrible time finding shoes that fit my oldest.  He had wide, chubby feet, and even Robeez, which I’d heard were good for everyone, were too tight on him.  I was thrilled to find pedipeds.  Not only did they fit well, they were easy to put on, so I didn’t feel like I was forcing his foot into them.  

Fast forward 5 years, and I’ve now had one baby with chubby feet, one with skinny feet, and one somewhere in the middle. Surprisingly, pedipeds have worked well for all of them.

They stay on

Baby shoes that constantly fall off are the bane of my existence.  These stay on as well as any baby shoe I’ve ever tried.  Be forewarned, however, that this doesn’t mean that they can’t be taken off by little fingers!  My kids figured out the velcro strap quite quickly, and were very proud of their ability to take them off. 

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They’re made to last

Pediped shoes are on the pricier end for baby shoes, but you can tell as soon as you pull them out of the box that they’re good quality.  

Case in point, this pair (pictured above) has now been passed through three children.  They are definitely starting to look well-loved, but at this point they should!  They’ve been walked in, crawled in, and chewed on by all three of my kids.  Even still, the sole is in good shape, there’s minimal wear at the toe, and the velcro stays put.  Anything that can withstand the abuse of three kids is a winner in my book!

I did find that there was more obvious wear on the toe of my daughter’s metallic silver pair.  She preferred to crawl for a long time after taking her first steps, so it’s not overly surprising.  Because of the colour of the shoe, it’s only noticeable in certain lights, but it’s something to be aware of if you go for a darker colour.

They’re cute

This is far from the most important factor when you’re choosing baby’s first pair of walking shoes, but it is worth noting!  Pediped has a ton of cute styles.  A couple of our pairs are no longer available, but you can find the silver mary janes here, and the white sandals here.

Here are some of my current favourites for girls (click for more info about each shoe):

And for boys:

You can buy pedipeds on Amazon, or use their store locator to find a store near you.  It’s worth comparing between their website and Amazon, as the price can vary, as can the shipping/return options.  I highly recommend taking advantage of free returns, to make sure they’re a good fit for your little one.