While it’s so exciting to get your baby their first shoes, getting the right ones can be a bit challenging. They’re learning to make their first steps, so whatever you buy for them should be in favour of their progress. Well, size is the first thing you think of when you visit a shoe store, but getting perfect shoes for your toddler goes beyond this. Since you’d like your baby to be comfortable walking in the shoes, you’ll have to consider a wide range of factors before carrying a pair home.

Whether you’re needing baby shoes in Australia from a retail store or shopping online, here are a few things to look out for before making a baby shoe purchase.

•    Flexibility

Your baby grows day by day even after they begin walking and whatever shoes you get them, should give their feet an allowance for growth. Therefore, as you make the purchase, you should ensure the material of the shoe is flexible and comfortable. Shoes made of soft leather are ideal for the child as they provide good flexibility for the sole. How do you determine whether the shoe is flexible? It's simple. Bend the shoe, and if you can do this without putting so much effort, it means the shoe is flexible.

•    Non-skid soles

The thought of your child sliding and falling on the floor is awful, and that’s why you should get shoes that will hold to the surfaces firmly. Non-slip soles made of rubber, stick to the floor pretty well and your baby won’t slide on slippery surfaces. Before buying the shoes, feel the texture of the soles using your fingers to determine whether it’s rubber or plastic. The rubber feels rough on the palms, unlike plastic that’s normally smooth. However, most baby shoe manufacturers have this in mind, and they’ll always use rubber for the soles instead of plastic.

•    Comfy Fit

The shoes you get for your toddler shouldn’t be ones that you’ve got to apply some force to get your baby’s feet in. They should be easy and comfortable to wear. Getting the right shoe size for your toddler is the key to ensuring they have something comfortable for their little feet. To be sure about the size, always carry your baby along to the shoe store for a try-on and feel for toe space with your fingers. If you’re making the purchase online, you can use a tape to measure the length of your baby’s feet and use that to get the right size.

•   Stay-On Shoes With Elastic Ankle Straps

Your baby is learning to walk, and therefore, they need something that feels part of their feet. This means that whatever pair you get should be well-fitting so that the shoes won’t fall off as they walk. Shoes with elastic ankle straps are ideal as they’re easily adjustable to your baby’s size as they grow. With the straps adjusted to their ankle size, they can walk comfortably without the shoes falling off.

Get the perfect shoe for your baby to make their baby steps fun and comfortable. Even as you shop for baby’s shoes online, you can also get your little boy or girl designer clothing to match.