Over the last decade or so, mothers and pediatricians have learned that hard-soled shoes are not suitable for infants as they learn to walk.  As the feet of young children are soft and pliable, pressure from the wrong type of shoe can be detrimental to the development of their feet. 

Pediatricians now recommend that children up to two years of age go barefoot (when practical and safe) or wear lightweight, flexible footwear.  Going barefoot sometimes is not practical, since you still want to protect the precious feet from obstacles or the coldness of the floor.   Just like adults wearing slippers around the house, babies need some shoes to wear both indoors and outdoors.   Soft-soled leather shoes serve this purpose.  The soft baby shoes enables children’s feet to grow naturally and to flex when they walk.  A soft-soled shoe also enables them to sense the ground beneath their feet and to grasp with their toes as they learn how to walk.