Your little one might not be walking or even crawling yet, but a comfortable pair of baby booties will keep their feet warm and supported.
Designed to protect little toes and soles, baby booties are soft and cosy, perfect for trips outdoors, and come in adorable designs that are super cute.
They'll also get your baby used to wearing things on their feet before they need to start wearing shoes, with less of a risk of kicking them off!
We've found the best baby booties to pick and included a guide to making your own with free patterns included.
Our pick of the best baby booties
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Best for newborns: Nursery Time Newborn Knitted Booties
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Best design: Boots Pink Bunny Rattle Socktop Booties
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Best adjustable booties for wrigglers: Ella Bonna Organic Cotton Baby Booties
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Best for softness: Miana Cozy Baby Fleece Booties
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Best cotton booties: Next 2 Pack Cotton Rich Pram Booties
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Best crochet booties: CherubscraftsCo Crochet Booties
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Best for 6-12 months: Vertbaudet Booties in Soft Leather
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Best vegan booties: Mori Baby Booties
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Best for winter: EDOTON Adjustable Winter Booties
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Best for summer: JoJo Maman Bebe Summer Garden & Swim Booties
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Best booties for gifting: Personalised Merino Sheepskin Booties
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Best first booties: GAP Baby First Favourite Print Booties
Should your baby wear socks or booties?
Baby booties are a great alternative to socks for extra stay power and comfort. They're quite similar to socks with the soft fabric and flexible soles for freedom of movement but come with adjustable straps, ties or elastic that little wrigglers will struggle to take off.
Unlike socks, you're less likely to arrive home with one missing and they're not as restrictive as shoes, making them a great choice to get your little one used to footwear or to wear for their first steps. They're more protective and slightly more structured for support, and extra cosy for colder days.
How to choose the best baby booties
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Comfort: Ultimately you want your little one to be comfortable and most booties are made from a soft fabric such as fleece, wool or cotton to make sure they don't want to take them off. These materials will also keep their tootsies nice and warm without restricting their movement. You may want to consider choosing a thicker material for winter wear, and a lighter cotton bootie for the summer.
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Fit: Baby booties are sized on age i.e. 3 months, 6 months or 12 months. You'll want to choose a pair that'll fit your little one nicely whilst still giving them wiggle room. The exact fit isn't as necessary as with their first pair of shoes for walking, but you want them to fit well for comfort. You may want to consider a bootie with an adjustable strap for easy take on and off and for securing nicely to their foot shape.
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Style: This is completely up to you! There are so many cute designs we're honestly spoilt for choice, from plain to patterned and traditional styled boots to little Mary Janes. We'd recommend considering the occasion, season and whether they'll be wearing them more indoors or outdoors to help determine what's right for them.
Description
Best for newborns
These adorable knitted booties have been made for newborns and will promise your baby soft comfort and style with the cute bow detailing. Available in blue, grey, pink and white, they'll go really well with your newborn's clothing and are easy to slip-on to wear.
Sizes: Available for newborn - 3 months
Material: 100 per cent acrylic
Related: The best baby clothes for newborns – the unisex essentials to add to your shopping list
www.boots.com
Description
Best design
These booties will not only keep your baby comfortable but will provide them with some fun too with the rattle in the bunny character. As your little one wriggles and kicks, their little bunny friend will reward them with a gentle rattling sound. They're soft, stretchy, non-slip and give great room for flexibility and growing feet.
Sizes: Available for newborn - 12 months
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Description
Best adjustable boots for wrigglers
These are our favourites as they tick all the boxes! They're super soft and comfortable, come in a range of colours and the adjustable snap closure will keep them on your little wriggler's feet. They're breathable, have a grippy cushioned sole and will give your baby a barefoot feeling so they'll stay happy too.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 24 months
Material: 100 per cent organic cotton
Description
Best for softness
Available in pink and blue with a cute bunny or elephant motif, these booties are guaranteed to be super soft and cosy for your baby with the comfy fleece and cotton lining. The grippy bottoms mean your little one can have traction if they need it and the adjustable double Velcro strap means it'll fit the chubbiest of baby feet.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 18 months
Material: Fleece and 100 per cent organic cotton
www.next.co.uk
Description
Best cotton booties
This twin-pack of booties from Next is great value for money, as well as giving you a sock top style design that your baby will be used to. They'll keep your baby's feet comfortable and warm and the soft-touch cotton enhances the breathability of the shoe, making sure their feet stay cool and don't overheat in warmer weather.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 18 months
Material: Cotton-rich fabric
www.etsy.com
Description
Best crochet booties
These cuffed and crocheted booties have been handmade by a small business in the UK that is 5 star rated by reviewers. Super cute and soft, we really like the 'Made with Love' button that adds a beautiful touch.
Sizes: Available for newborn - 12 months
Material: Grey Mineral - quality branded baby yarn
www.vertbaudet.co.uk
Description
Best for 6-12 months
Made from leather, these booties are slightly more robust whilst still being soft on your little one's feet. The comfortable material will give your baby foot flexibility and protection and the wide and elasticated opening make them easy to slip on whilst retaining good foot support. We love the cute embroidered puppy design that your baby is sure to love.
Sizes: Available for 6 - 12 months
Material: Leather
babymori.com
Description
Best vegan booties
We love this soft and subtly striped bootie design which will compliment any outfit. If you're looking to buy more eco-consciously for your baby, these booties are made of organic cotton and bamboo which make for a soft and eco-friendly choice. With elastic in the heel, getting dressed will be made simpler.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 12 months
Material: 30 per cent organic cotton and 70 per cent bamboo fabric
Description
Best for winter
Perfectly snuggly made with super soft cotton and wool, these booties have an adjustable Velcro strap, grippy soles and a range of designs to choose from. There's star prints, stripes and even leopard print to name just a few. With a higher heel and medium shoe width, your baby's feet will stay warm and well fitted with room to wriggle their toes.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 18 months
Material: Cotton and manmade wool
www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Description
Best for summer
Perfect for sitting in the garden or for any beach babies, these booties available in blue and pink are made from Polyester Neoprone to protect little feet from hot grass, hot sand, pebbles and cold water. The Velcro strap makes for easy dressing and will keep these booties firmly in place.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 24 months
Material: 100 per cent Polyester Neoprone
www.notonthehighstreet.com
Description
Best booties for gifting
Not only are these great UGG dupes at half the price, you can personalise them with your little one's name embroidered on the sole which makes for a great new arrival gift or a birthday present (especially as they are a pricier option). These super soft boots will keep their toes nice and cosy and the thicker grip of the sole will help support any baby no matter if they're walking, crawling or shuffling. And they're sure to stay on with the gentle elasticated ankles.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 24 months
Material: Fully fleeced sheepskin, leather and suede
www.gap.co.uk
Description
Best first booties
These adorable booties are available in a blue stripe or a dainty floral pattern perfect for little ones. They're made of a soft knit and are practical and pretty with a bow applique on the front and ruffled ankles that'll sit comfortable on your baby's feet.
Sizes: Available for 0 - 24 months
Material: 100 per cent cotton
How to crochet your own baby booties
If you're a whizz with knitting needles and want to try making your own, or knitting a pair as a new arrival gift, there are great video tutorials that can be found online.
This will give you the freedom to chose your own colours and designs to suit your little one's personality and make them truly unique.
This step-by-step guide from WoolyWondersCrochet is great for beginners:
Free crochet patterns
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Easy baby booties by Yarnspirations
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Warm and fluffy booties by Yarnspirations
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Simple Mary Jane booties by Jess Gets Crafty
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Baby booties with fur by YARNutopia
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Winter booties by Croby Patterns
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Intermediate happy girl booties by Yarnspirations
How to knit your own baby booties
Knitwear more your style? Try this How-to-knit beginner's guide from Crochet for Baby for booties that are super easy to make:
Free knitting patterns
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Basic booties by Love Crafts
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Fox booties by Lets Knit
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Two needle baby booties by Yarnspirations
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Baby Janes booties by Yarnspirations
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Pom-pom booties by Yarnspirations
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Intermediate bunny booties by Yarnspirations