Test : soft soled baby shoes

Here you’ll find the best comments, advice and information on all of the soft shoes on test. Our panel gave the Best Buy and Best Value awards to Robeez shoes for their ‘beautifully crafted styles’, ‘versatility’ and ‘quality leather materials’ but you may find that other brands scored better in other categories.

If you use one of the products we’ve mentioned at home, don’t forget to click on the links below and add a review. Other parents can benefit from your views and you’ll also be in for a chance of winning a prize.

Our parent panel comments on the following:

Ease of fit

A shoe that fits well and slips onto your baby’s foot with ease is a
must-have. Our panel found some of the shoes on test were slightly ‘tighter
than others’ despite being the same size so look for shoes in soft, flexible
leather that will adapt to your child’s growing feet.

+Our panel found the Robeez shoes offered ‘lots
of flexibility for different foot shapes’ and ‘adapted well to all of
the babies’ feet’. They also found them ‘refreshingly fuss-free’ and ‘easy
to put on’.

+/-One of our parent panel members loved the
Pitter Patter shoes and felt they were such a good fit her daughter ‘didn’t
even seem to realise she had them on!’ However, the rest of the panel
felt that they were a ‘tad on the narrow side’ and ‘needed more space
to accommodate the width of the foot’.

+/- The Inch Blue shoes fitted ‘relatively well’
but ‘were fiddlier than the others to put on’.

+/-Our mums
loved the Daisy Roots shoe, though a couple of panel members felt that
they ‘didn’t seem to mould around the child’s foot properly’ and ‘felt
slightly loose around the heel’.

Comfort

A comfortable shoe = a happy baby so look for shoes that offer soft,
comfortable linings, stretchy side panels and supportive soles that your
little one will love slipping their feet into.

+The Inch Blue and Robeez shoes have ‘beautifully
soft suede soles that grip to the floor’ and our panel were impressed
with their soft, comfortable inner linings that baby seemed to love’.

+ If you’re a keen environmentalist, you’ll like
the Daisy Roots shoe which is made from environmentally friendly chrome-free
leather, soft suede and warm sheepskin. Overall, our panel felt they offered
a ‘good level of comfort’ and ‘kept babies feet nice and warm’.

+/-The Hippychick Shoo Shoos have ‘strong elasticated
ankles that are easy to put on and cannot be pulled off’ – ‘great for
parents but not so great for toddlers!’

Practicality

Toddlers seem to be fascinated with trying to pull off their shoes so
go for styles that offer maximum stability without compromising on comfort.
It’s also a good idea to look for shoes that can be washed as it saves
time and money and keeps them looking their best.

+Our panel agreed that the Robeez shoes offered
‘a great deal of stability for baby and showed no signs of coming off’
- ‘a godsend for when you’re out and about’.

+The Hippychick Shoo Shoos are hand washable
in cold water and our panel felt that they offered a ‘reasonably good
fit’, though one of our mini testers was ‘particularly fond of the velcro
on the boots and enjoyed pulling them off at every available opportunity!’.

+/-Our panel felt that the Inch Blue and Pitter
Patter shoes offered a ‘snug fit’ with ‘tight elastic that ensured they
didn’t slip over ankles like some of the other styles on test’. However
one panel member found that they were ‘too tight’ and ‘often left elastic
marks on the skin’.

+/-The Inch Blue and Pitter Patter shoes are
wipe clean only which ‘didn’t give the same effect as a full on wash in
the sink’.

Style

Probably not the most important factor but certainly worth considering
if you want your child to be the talk of the nursery! Soft soled baby
shoes come in a mind-boggling array of colours, styles and designs and
you’re likely to find several options that offer a perfect match for your
baby’s personality.

+Hippychick Shoo Shoos, Pitter Patter and Daisy
Roots scored tops on style for their ‘modern designs’ and ‘fresh and funky
styles’. A particular favourite was the Hippychick Booties that ‘were
commented on wherever we went’, though the babies seemed to prefer the
soft soled shoes.

+/-Robeez have over 70 designs to choose from
and our panel were surprised at the sheer variety on offer. Some agreed
the styles were fantastic but others felt, ‘there were simply too many
to choose from’ and ‘it would be almost impossible to decide which ones
to buy!’

+/-Our panel were impressed with the choice offered
by Inch Blue and adored the pink ballet shoe. However, overall they felt
that they weren’t quite as modern as some of the other brands and ‘quite
babyish for experienced walkers’.

Quality

Your baby’s first shoes are going to get battered beyond belief so quality
is essential if you want a pair that will stand the test of time. You
can often gauge the quality by the look and feel of the materials, but
a well-designed shoe is equally as important in preserving its shelf-life.

+Inch Blue and Robeez scored well on quality
and our panel were particularly fond of the soft suede and natural leather
materials.

+Our mums liked the quality of Hippychick’s Shoo
Shoos and found that they ‘stood the test of time throughout winter and
kept baby’s feet lovely and warm whilst out and about’.

+ Pitter Patter shoes are made from soft New Zealand
leather and our panel liked the suede leather inner lining. They also
liked the non-toxic dyes on the coloured shoes – ‘very reassuring for
baby and the environment’.

+/-Our panel are all keen supporters of environmentally
friendly products and liked the chrome free leather on the Daisy Roots
shoe. However they felt the quality ‘wasn’t quite as good as the other
shoes on test’ and showed ‘wear and tear quite quickly’.

Results

Where to next:

• Back to the Baby’s Soft Shoes main test page
• Become a parent panel member