When Did Your Baby Start Walking Unassisted?

My 10 1/2 mth old started walkin at exactly 9 months. she went from sitting up to crawling to cruising to walking all by herself within a month or so. she beat her two older sisters who walked at 9 1/2 months each. As for being kindof young.....i've learned that when babies are ready to do something they will do it regardless of their age. :)

Keep them barefoot as long as possible. It's best for their foot development.
For us: DS=17 mos and DD= 18mos

in the house barefoot is great even some outside-for going out soft soled shoes are great! You can get the pricey ones or Target carries them for $12 and they are about the same.
My girls were 14 and 12 mos when they started walking on their own, but my youngest loved to walk holding someone's fingers for months before that.

Mine was 11 months. My best friend's son was 9 months! But my son started pulling up and cruising around furniture probably about 8 months, and it still took another few months before he walked on his own.

As for shoes, I don't believe in them unless the feet need protected, from the ground or the cold. :) I didn't buy my son a pair of shoes until he was actually walking and I knew he would need them in public now. And we only wear shoes outside. I'd just much rather be barefoot. :)

My daughter started walking early , it was 2 days before she turned 9 months old. She never had a teetering phase she stood up, walked across the room, bent over to pick something up and kept going. My son walked at about a year. Neither one of mine wore shoes unless we were going out and they might be walking. Even then it being summer they wore sandals. They never really wore " walking shoes" .

With mine it was around 11 months, 18 months, 13 months, and 12 months. There is a wide range of normal. I only ever put shoes on them to go out. It's still that way. If they had flat feet like I do, I would have them in shoes more. At first it was soft shoes, then when they started walking I got them supportive ones.

If that's what he wants, he'll do it. My daughter was walking by 9 months. She was commando crawling at 4 1/2. Her attitude has always been head strong. Her first words were even "I do". Right now at 3, she makes me crazy (LOL), but I know that this determination will be a good thing for her later in life. Encourage him as much as you can, but don't push it.
Good luck. It is lots of fun to watch them learn new things & see that they are so proud of themselves.

ETA: I missed the question about shoes. Unless they are walking alot outside, babies & toddlers don't need shoes. Barefoot is much better for them. My daughter was born in Nov., so by the time she insisted on walking outside, I could find soft sandles for her. And, unless we were actually going somewhere, she still went barefoot as much as possible-even in the backyard.

Hi Katri
My oldest walked the latest at 14 months when we moved from tiny apartment to big empty house. The younger son walked at 7 months, climbed out of the crib about 5 months. We saw him the day he turned 6 months, but we had been accusing the older boy (4yrs) of getting the baby out of the crib. Oooops!! The girls walked in between.
Since we have friends that own a shoe store, I learned early that walking shoes were only necessary to protect their feet, unless of course there was a problem. Our youngest had weak ankles so she wore high tops much longer than her sister. Our boys wore high tops because they were accepted as necessary back then.
Prewalkers are for warmth, and style.
Bare feet are AOK for all stages of walking as long as there is no danger of being hurt.
I suggest that you try to crawl with your son even if you have to make it a game to get him to do it because crawling builds brain connections that are used as reading skills. Don't ask how I have no idea but it is something I learned, just like puzzles build math skills.
Does he know his name so he comes back if you call to him? That was my biggest problem, mine didn't understand and could not possibly know at 7 mo the dangers and consequences so it was hard to keep him safe.
God bless you

My son was an early walker - he walked (well ran) at 10 months solid and was cruising furniture at 7 months. I only put shoes on him when we went out somewhere in public, but I left him barefooted all other times.

If he's doing it and ready, then he's not too young. Let him tell you when he's ready. I sometimes think us mamas get a little too worried about development not being exactly what all the "experts" say it should be. I think some harm can be done by a mom that is trying to push their baby faster, or hold them back. I've caught myself worrying about this stuff way more often than was warranted. Let him pick his own pace and he'll develop beautifully.

To answer your question, my oldest was walking at 8 1/2 months and my youngest at 9 months. Neither of them liked crawling either. And let your son have a good two months, at least, of walking bare-foot once he finally starts walking before trying out shoes with him. It's shouldn't be hard right now since it's almost Summer. Try the shoes but if he doesn't like them, or if they are too difficult for him to walk in then wait a little longer. The important thing is to build confidence.

My daughter was born on 11/4/06 and started walking unassisted on 9/28/07. I will never forget that date, and neither will you forget that first time. Don't forget to have the video camera handy.

at 11 months my kids were always barefoot or in socks,some kids starts walking unassisted at 8 months

My guy started cruising just before 12 months, and was able to toddle around unassisted at 13 months. I started walking shoes shortly after that. I kept him barefoot indoores and in Robeez-type shoes outdoors so that he would get used to just feeling the ground as he walked. When he seemed pretty stable, i switched him over to sturdier walking shoes (probably about a month after at 14+ months)

I didn't put walking shoes on my son until he started walking. He started walking 2 weeks after his 1st birthday.

My son started walking about 2 weeks after he turned 1. I started putting shoes on him when he was about 10 months old when we would go outside since he would walk around holding onto things.

Our son started walking unassisted right around his first birthday. I kept him in bare feet for quite a while (obviously I put shoes on him if we were out in public). Our dr told us that bare/socked feet are best in the beginning so they can use their toes for balance. We did not do "walking shoes" our dr said they were a waste of money. To just go and get some regular sneakers.

My first started walking about 10 months. My second was walking by himself at 8. And my third was about 10 months. Some babies cruise (holding on to stuff) for a really long time, some just get bold and go for it. Some stay 4-on-the-floor forever, others practically skip the crawl.

I never used prewalkers or "walkers" shoes. Barefoot is best, it helps the muscles in their arch develop properly. When it's too cold or your going to be somewhere it just isn't safe to be barefoot (outside or other), the shoes should fit comfortably, be soft enough for his feet to move, and not too high. The idea that babies need special shoes to help them learn to walk is outdated.

As a side note, my middle (the early walker) was very bow-legged. This was completely unrelated to his walking early (unless it maybe helped him balance? I don't know). But I did get a lot of comments from the older generation about how I shouldn't let him stand/walk because of it. Ignore anything like that. He's 9 now and the only evidence of any bow-legged-ness is his baby pictures.

My oldest boy started walking on his first birthday. My youngest at about 11 months. We switched over to regular shoes when they began to walk outside without assistance.

My son began walking at 11 months. He didn't 'walk' for long but began running instead :) I didn't have him wear shoes around the house. He would wear Robeez shoes when we went away. I didn't buy him 'real' shoes until he was about 14 months old. Then I bought him the stage 3 walkers (I think they are called) from Stride Rite. They have a softer sole than most shoes.

My son was 13 months when he took his first steps without being assisted. He looked like baby frankenstein. I was the only one working at the time and thought i would miss his first steps and I was the one who saw them. It was a priceless moment. Some kids do not crawl but do walk. Enjoy your time with him. They are only little once.

My daughter started walking when she was 11 months and my son started walking when he was 9 months. My daughter always had pre-walking shoes on or some form of walking shoes, she was in daycare and I just felt better having something on her feet other than just socks. (silly I know but she was my first) MY son went to at home daycare so I didnt put anything on his feet until he was four month, and not very often. He didnt like shoes at all. I wonder if that made the difference between the two???

Our son started walking really well behind a walker at 9 months. But, he lacked confidence and didn't walk on his own until a few days after his 1st birthday. We had to take that stinking walker everywhere - he was such a champ with it.

Our daughter was much more steady and confident. She was 10.5 months when she was walking on her own consistently without any assistance.

I've heard of babies as young as yours walking, but it's certainly exceptional and not the average. Good luck!

My son was walking holding onto things or us really well at about 9 months, and I was sure he would be walking on his own by 10 months (he almost took his first step by 10 months, but was a bit scared I guess). He was finally walking right after his first birthday. It took him longer because he couldn't get the standing back up by himself part (without pulling up on something), once he got that he was off and walking. My babysitter's little girl was walking at around 10 months, but she also has an older brother and other kids to watch walk.

We didn't use shoes until he needed to walk outside. He was always barefoot or in socks before that. It does sound like your son might be getting ready for shoes, just keep them flexible.

Keep him barefoot. When he is outside he needs shoes. Keep walking
with your hands to a minimum. He needs to learn to crawl, etc. He will
walking soon enough.

Hi Katri - babies walk at all different ages. Apparently my husband as a baby was cruising at 6 months and walking on his own at 9 months. My kids both started cruising right around a year and both walked around 15 months. About shoes - if you can find a Stride-Rite outlet (lots cheaper than store), they have different shoes for different stages. The shoes for younger kids have softer soles. We moved to a regular tennis shoe around 2 -

he sounds like a real cutie!

my son starting walking the day before his 1 bday. my daughter is now 9mths and is trying so hard to walk. i see her doing it very soon.

Mine didn't start walking unassisted until 13 and 14 months. We loved the "trainers" that Walmart used to carry, but can't find them anymore. our girls will be turning two next month and we have both kinds of shoes. I, and for some unknown reason my inlaws, love the Robeez. We get them on ebay as we can't afford them new. We have tennis shoes and sandles with harder soles and the girls seem fine in them when they wear them. I looked around for tennis shoes with thinner, softer soles and the best I could find are Disney Winnie the Pooh shoes at Walmart. They have three grooves cut in the ball of the foot to make it easier to bent that area. I like that and thought that the designer gave it thought. I have several size 5 soft soles I would give you, but they are all pink! Sorry

Our daughter was also a early walker. She was walking on her own at 6 months. I tried to always let her go barefoot at home, in her home care and at my moms home.. If we went outside and we were in our grassy yard, she ws barefoot, but if we went anywhere else she wore shoes.

The doctor told me that barefoot walking was the best, but if she needed shoes to make sure they had rubber soles. I purchased Fisher Price shoes and Stride Rite (when I could afford them). Of course she grew so quickly and spent so much time barefoot, she hardly put any wear on the first pairs of shoes..

We also had her in a walker if we had to step away. You know that a 7 month old does not understand what areas to stay in.. Our daughter could not be placed in a playpen since she wanted to walk in it.. She loved her doorway jumper.. We have great videos of her "Dancing to music" in the jumpy..

My oldest daughter started at 9 months old and my baby started at 10 months old. It depends on the child. I know children who didn't start until they are older than 1 year old and my cousin's son started at 7 months old.

My son walked at 14 months. He was crawling, cruising and climbing everything, and then the walking just happened. Running actually. He had 2 speeds - stop and run. By the time he was 3 1/2 yrs old, he was too fast for me - I couldn't catch him anymore. I had to use a leash and harness on him in the mall.

My son started walking without help at 8 months. I wish he hadn't! It would have been nice to have a baby that sat around for a little while longer. The only advice I have is BABY PROOF EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the shoes, I personally would say wait as long as you can before switching to regular shoes. The shoes you buy can affect how they grow/ how the child develops the bone structure for balancing and the whole alignment of their body. If the shoes restrict their feet in any way it can lead to issues later on. On the other hand, I was very careful about my son's shoes, but he now has flat feet. I think that happened because he started walking so early and his joints were so flexible [still are- his doctor always comments on that during his well exams]. Anyway, I think you should ask your pediatrician just to clarify

One at 10 mos and one at 14 mos! The one who started later was a chunky baby. I think the weight was a factor. I have seen as young as 8 mos walking on their own quite well. I kept mine in the leather walking shoes until they were very sure on their feet. When they get better at walking you will see that they start to tear the shoes up quickly. Then I switched to the big girl pedipeds with the soles. They are very soft and good for walking.

I haven't heard of babies walking unassisted before 9 months - most babies want to walk holding hands before they can go it alone. It seems 99% of babies do crawl before walking. He'll do it.

My daughter took her first unassisted steps around 9 months, but regressed when she developed a series of serioud ear infections--you could really see her frustration at going back to crawling. She started again the day after her first birthday...and, consequently, just a couple of weeks after getting tubes and having all the junk get out of her ears. Like your son, she was all about walking from about 6 months on.

I kept her barefoot or in Robeez (or knock-offs) until she was really walking enough on rough/wet outdoor surfaces to warrant something sturdier. The leather bottoms provide quite a bit of protection for most surfaces where a toddler that age would be walking--probably somewhere between 16 and 18 months.

I agree with the poster below about the bow-leggedness...I got some comments about that as well when she was making so many efforts at walking so early. Bowlegs are developmentally normal and resolve usual by two years old...if it is even noticed at all.

my LO walked at 10 mo so I know what you are saying. OH and crawling is important for many diff. reasons I wont get into...my LO did not crawl much either. Matter of fact it took a lot of effort for me to teach her to crawl (joined a baby gym) and she finally started crawling at 15 mo....funny that she was walking for so long and I trained her to crawl LOL.
it is still best to have them walk bare foot whenever possiable, safe, when they need shoes it is best to have them wear soft sole shoes that will be the closest to bare feet. I got mine at stride right in CT and they were $$ then I found ones that were similar at target for like 1/3 of the cost grrr! I would ask your dr. but I think they will agree w/ my post. you dont need hard sole shoes till they are really running on playgrounds and stuff.....mine is 17 mo and can kinda run on playgrounds but does not 'play hard' yet so her shoes are good for that: they say prewalk but are sturdy and flexiable
http://www.target.com/Pre-Walk-Girls-Circo-Aniyah-Flower/...

You can tell from all of the answers you've gotten that it varies a lot. My son was cruising everywhere by the time he was 8 months and we were convinced he would walk by 9 months. He took his first unassisted steps a week before his first birthday. They just do it in their own time. He's still in Robeez outside and barefeet inside. He does have a pair of shoes that have firmer soles (but still very flexible) and he can walk in them fine, but I rarely put them on him.