Any parent will tell you that there is nothing quite like watching as your child takes her first steps. When little Tom or Katie start to teeter around upright for the first time there are a few messages that should flash through your mind in order of importance. Somewhere after "please don't fall, oh please don't fall" and "hmmm… the 'out of baby reach' shelves need to be a bit higher now" should be "time to get the little one some shoes." And so the hunt for baby shoes begins. Once your baby starts taking those first steps, it is definitely shoe time. While it is perfectly acceptable (and actually quite helpful) to allow a new walker to go barefoot while learning to balance and totter around effectively, there are situations where shoes are a must due to hazardous or unsanitary conditions. A good rule of thumb is "in the house and on the carpet barefoot is ok - on tiled floors and out of doors shoes are the way." Walking barefoot helps babies learn to use their little feet and toes effectively to balance and "get their sea legs" so to speak, so it's a good idea to allow them to be sans footwear whenever feasible. On surfaces that may contain hazards, however, shoes are a must.