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In our advice column, Ask the Strategist, we take your most burning shopping questions and survey friends, call up experts, and draw on our own personal experience to answer them.

I have an extremely busy and active 1-year-old daughter and NO shoes stay on her feet!! I’ve tried so many, bought so many, returned so many. Perhaps you’ve already done something like this, but can you help me find baby shoes that will actually stay on my toddler’s feet?

If your daughter is anything like Strategist editor Alexis Swerdloff’s enterprising toddler, who was able to remove his shoes and socks even when they were taped to his feet with masking tape, then perhaps the only solution is to try footed pants, like she did, to keep his feet warm. Otherwise, if you’re looking for shoes that don’t fall off, I’ve got a few ideas for you. They come courtesy of a (very unscientific) poll I conducted among my parent friends and the company parent group on Slack, plus a couple of personal recommendations that I swear by. There’s no guarantee that your daughter won’t be able to pull them off, though, because, as one parent notes, kids can take off any shoe if they’re determined enough.

Zutano Cozie Fleece Gripper Baby Bootie

I realized early on that socks don’t really stay on babies’ feet, in part because of their chubby ankles and the fact that they’re always fidgeting and kicking their tiny legs. Zutanos solved that problem for me. They’re fleece booties with button snaps that are virtually unopenable for little hands. While they’re more of an indoor shoe — they’re great as “house slippers” — or a replacement for socks, they can certainly be worn outdoors as long as your child won’t be doing too much walking.

Pidoli Baby Leather Moccasins With Rubber Sole

If a shoe like the Zutanos is more your speed, Melissa Young, an engineering manager at Vox Media, prefers soft-soled leather moccasins for her kids, like these from Pidoli that have a rubber sole. Not only are they flexible, but they stay on: “They are elastic at the ankles, so they definitely don’t fall off while active,” she says. As for their durability, “It’s never been an issue while playing outside.”

Pediped Grip ’n’ Go Gehrig Pink Berry

Now that we’re approaching fall, you’ll want to start looking at some non-holey shoes. Augie’s newest pair is from Pediped, which also got a couple of mentions. Like the Old Soles, these have a rounded and flexible sole and cushy padding. But I have to say, even though they look super-comfy, they’re not very “cool.” I guess you could say they’re charming in that fat grandpa-sneaker way. This particular pair (available in navy blue, berry, and other colors) has two Velcro straps, and even though Augie loves playing with them, he never actually manages to remove them.

About B.Duck

Designed by Eddie Hui in 2005, B.Duck was originally a gift for his children. B.Duck was China’s most significant domestic character IP regarding licensing revenue in 2021. With in-house solid artistic design capabilities, SEMK has developed and nurtured a proprietary portfolio of approximately 26 self-created characters created under the motto of “Be Playful”. As of December 31st 2021, B.Duck family characters had recorded more than 10.5 million subscriptions or followed by B.Duck fans on various e-commerce platforms and social networking platforms, within aggregate, over 740 million views of various types of content concerning the elements of B.Duck family characters.

B.Duck Kids Sneakers Boys Basketball Shoes Nonslip Kid Sports Shoes Girls Athletic Running Shoes(Little Kid/Big Kid)

[The head of the shoe is upturned by 15°]-Protect the baby’s little toe, which is more suitable for the baby’s habit of walking on tiptoe, and protects the baby to walk steadily without falling.
[Anti-slip groove sole] – upgrade wear-resistant grip, light and flexible sole, upgrade deep texture wear-resistant non-slip light running without slipping.
[Stable Velcro] – Soft and adjustable, suitable for fat and thin feet, not tight, easy to put on and take off.
[Anti-slip groove sole] – upgrade wear-resistant grip, light and flexible sole, upgrade deep texture wear-resistant non-slip light running without slipping.
[Breathable Mesh Upper] – Breathable mesh upper circulates perspiration to keep the inside of the shoe dry.
[Push in with one foot]Easy to put on and take off without falling off the heel, and the large opening design is convenient for small feet to wear