A guide for parents
Children's shoes: when they need them, and why secondhand is different
Almost everything a child wears is better bought secondhand. Shoes are the exception, and the reason is wear rather than age.
What's in here
- When do they actually need shoes?
- Why worn shoes are different
- Buying new without spending a fortune
- Help with the cost of children's shoes
We spend most of this site explaining why buying children's clothes new is a waste of money. Shoes are where that needs a caveat, and the caveat is more interesting than a flat rule.
When do they actually need shoes?
Not until they're properly walking outdoors. Before that shoes do nothing at all. Socks, soft pram shoes or bare feet are better, and barefoot where it's safe is actively good for them.
The urge to buy tiny shoes for a baby who can't walk is very strong, and the shoes are gorgeous. They're also decoration! And they'll be grown out of long before they're any use.
| Stage | What they need |
|---|---|
| Not yet crawling | Socks, or bare feet |
| Crawling and cruising | Soft-soled pram shoes or non-slip socks, for grip and warmth |
| Walking outdoors | First proper shoes, professionally fitted |
| From then on | Feet measured every three months, more during growth spurts |
Why worn shoes are different
The consistent advice from podiatrists, including NHS podiatry services, is to avoid worn secondhand shoes for a child who is walking. The problem is the wear rather than the fact of being secondhand, and the reasons are physical.
Shoes mould to the wearer. A few weeks of walking shapes the inside of a shoe around one particular foot and one particular gait. Putting a different foot into that shape means it's being guided by somebody else's walking rather than supported in its own.
And the heel counter goes. That's the firm cup at the back of the shoe that holds the heel steady. It stretches and loses its shape with wear, and once it has, the shoe no longer does the one job that matters most.
Children's feet are still forming, spend more than ten hours a day inside shoes, and are vulnerable to being shaped by ill-fitting footwear for years. It's not a small margin.
What is fine to pass on
Pre-walker shoes. Soft crib shoes and pram shoes for a baby who isn't yet walking. They're not providing support, because there's nothing to support yet.
Wellies and snow boots. They hold their shape, they're not moulded to a foot in the same way, and they're worn for short bursts rather than all day.
Barely-worn everyday shoes. The common case is a pair outgrown after a few weeks, which happens constantly with small children. If the heel cup is still firm, the insole is flat rather than dented, and the sole is evenly worn, the objection above doesn't really apply. It's a judgement rather than a rule.
What to avoid is any pair that has been worn hard: a squashed heel cup, an insole with a foot printed into it, or a sole worn more on one edge.
Buying new without spending a fortune
If shoes have to be new, the money goes further with a bit of planning.
Get them measured, then shop around. A proper fitting is worth the trip, and it gives you a length and a width you can use anywhere. Many shops will measure without expecting a sale.
Fit matters more than brand. The price of a pair isn't the point. What matters is a toe box wide enough for toes to spread, a snug heel that doesn't squeeze, and a fastening that actually holds the foot in place. Laces, Velcro or a T-bar rather than a slip-on.
Don't size up much. A shoe with room to grow slides, and a sliding foot makes toes curl and grip. A thumb's width at the end is the usual rule, and no more.
Two pairs beats four. A pair for every occasion sounds sensible and mostly means four pairs outgrown at once. One everyday pair and one for wet weather covers almost everything.
Buy in a sale, in the size after next. The one time buying ahead works, because you already know roughly how fast their feet are growing.
Help with the cost of children's shoes
Shoes are the item most likely to be the thing a family can't stretch to, and there's help.
Baby banks supply shoes alongside clothes and equipment. There are more than 300 across the UK, everything is free, and we have a guide to finding your nearest.
Schools often hold shoe and uniform stock quietly. Asking the office is far more common than people think, and nobody minds being asked.
And there are charities that collect and redistribute outgrown children's shoes, some working directly with UK schools. Worth searching for one local to you.
Get them measured properly, then buy wherever you like. The measuring is the bit that matters, not the shop.
🌱 Which is a reason to save everywhere else
Shoes are the item that most often needs buying new, so they're the one worth budgeting for properly. Everything else they wear is outgrown rather than worn out, and paying full price for all of it is how the shoe money gets spent before you need it.
That's what Swapaboo is for. You photograph what your children have outgrown, we check and value each piece, and that value becomes credits you spend on the next size from another family. The clothes cost nothing, and the only money that changes hands is the delivery or collection, from £1.99.
Spend the money on the shoes. Stop spending it on the sleepsuits.
We're opening in small batches and it's invitation only for now.
Common questions
When does a baby need their first shoes?
Not until they are walking independently outdoors. Before that, socks, soft pram shoes or bare feet are better, and walking barefoot where it is safe helps developing feet. Shoes bought for a baby who cannot yet walk are decoration and will usually be outgrown before they are needed.
Are secondhand shoes bad for children's feet?
Worn ones can be. Shoes mould to the previous wearer's foot and gait, and the heel counter that holds the heel steady stretches with use, so a well-worn pair may guide a foot rather than support it. A barely-worn pair outgrown after a few weeks is a different case: check that the heel cup is firm, the insole flat and the sole evenly worn.
Can babies wear secondhand shoes?
Yes, for pre-walkers. Soft crib shoes and pram shoes provide no structural support, so passing them on is fine. Wellies and snow boots are also reasonable, since they hold their shape and are worn in short bursts. For a walking child, the question is how worn the pair is rather than whether it is secondhand.
How often should children's feet be measured?
At least every three months, and more often during a growth spurt. Feet can stay the same for months and then grow suddenly, and a shoe that fitted at the last check may not now.
How much room should there be in children's shoes?
About a thumb's width at the end, and no more. A shoe with too much room lets the foot slide, which makes toes curl and grip to hold on. The heel should be snug without squeezing and the toe box wide enough for toes to spread.
Where can I get free children's shoes?
Baby banks supply shoes alongside clothes and equipment, and there are more than 300 across the UK. Schools frequently hold stock and are used to being asked. There are also charities that collect and redistribute outgrown children's shoes, some working directly with schools.