Picking the Perfect First Shoes

Help your new walker put her best foot forward by saying bye-bye to bare feet and hello to killer kicks!

By Lenora Jane Estes

Fancy Photography/Veer

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The Toddler Shoe Dilemma

Two words most of us love to hear? Shoe shopping! But it's quite a different story when you're buying footwear for your antsy 1-year-old. Most of the time you'll be hard-pressed to get her to try on a pair without wiggling out of your lap or having a kicking-and-screaming tantrum.

And even if you can get them on her feet without a fuss, it can be tricky to figure out whether they're actually the right size. "A toddler can't use words to tell you that she doesn't like the way something feels," says Ross Taubman, M.D., a podiatrist in Clarksville, Maryland. "To make matters worse, it's really important to find shoes that fit properly when she's learning to walk--otherwise, she could stumble more and take longer to develop the skill."

The good news is we have your toddler's tootsies covered. Follow these foot notes to find a pair that's a good fit for your child in every way.

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