My baby lives in a nice warm place so hasn't had to wear real shoes yet although he is 11 mths old! Now he is nearly walking alone, i wanted some real shoes for him, everything is so heavy and clumsy for a first pair of shoes, but not these! He was really keen to get them on and LOVES them. They are super soft and flexible and look great, he hasn't tried to take them off once, unlike other shoes we have tried. They are well worth the money and we will buy more on different styles.