Geox
Steppieup Baby Shoes
6.8/10 overallAbout £45 (often discounted to around £30)
A leather, riptape-fastened first shoe from Geox with a soft flexible outsole designed to mimic the feel of walking barefoot.
The verdict
Geox's Steppieup Baby is a leather, barefoot-leaning first shoe with a thin flexible rubber outsole and cut-out sides for ventilation, priced around £45 (often discounted to around £30). Best for parents wanting a flexible, barefoot-leaning shoe from a mainstream, easy-to-find brand rather than a specialist barefoot label. The clearest reason to consider an alternative: it only comes in a single, fairly narrow last with no wide-fit option, and the thin sole wears faster than sturdier styles.
Geox is best known in the UK for its breathable-sole school shoes, but the Steppieup Baby sits in a different part of its range: a first-walker style built specifically to move like a barefoot shoe rather than a structured one. The leather upper and lining are soft and unlined with stiffening, the outsole is thin rubber rather than a built-up unit sole, and the closed-toe cage-sandal cut (T-bar riptape strap across the instep, cut-out sides for ventilation) is designed to let a baby's foot flex and grip much as it would unshod, while still giving toe protection for outdoor cruising and early walking.
Against the other entries in this category, it sits closer to the Bobux I-Walk and Term First Shoes than to Clarks or Start-rite's Sprint: all three lean toward the flexible, minimal-structure end of first shoes rather than the firmer, more built-up styles Clarks and Start-rite's Sprint offer for confident walkers. Where the Steppieup differs from Bobux and Term is fit: Geox only sells this style in a single, fairly narrow last, with no wide-fit option, so it suits an average or narrow-footed baby better than a wide one, and there's no in-store fitting service in the UK the way Start-rite and some Clarks stores offer.
Pricing sits mid-pack for the category at an RRP of around £45, though Geox frequently discounts its baby ranges, so it's often found for closer to £30 through Geox's own site or UK stockists. The trade-off for that flexibility and lower structure is durability: a thin rubber sole and unlined leather upper won't take the daily wear of a heavier, more built-up shoe as well over a full walking season, so it reads as a strong choice for the earliest, mostly-indoor and short-outdoor-stint stage of walking rather than a shoe expected to last through a whole year of nursery runs.
Overall, this is a sensible pick for parents who want a genuinely flexible, barefoot-leaning first shoe from a mainstream, easy-to-find UK brand, rather than committing to a specialist barefoot label they haven't tried before. It's not the toughest or widest-fitting option here, but it's a credible middle ground between Bobux/Term's barefoot philosophy and Clarks/Start-rite's more structured, in-store-fitted approach.
Is the Steppieup Baby Shoes worth it?
- Genuinely flexible, barefoot-leaning sole and unstructured leather upper
- Cut-out sides help keep feet cool for early cruising and walking
- Widely stocked mainstream brand, easy to buy and often discounted
- Toe bumper adds protection without stiffening the whole shoe
What are the downsides of the Steppieup Baby Shoes?
- Standard fit only, no wide fitting for broader feet
- Thin sole and unlined upper wear faster than sturdier styles
- No in-store fitting service in the UK
Specs
- Sole
- Thin, flexible rubber outsole, barefoot-style flex
- Price
- RRP about £45, frequently discounted to around £30
- Upper
- 100% leather upper and lining
- Insole
- 100% leather
- Sizing
- EU 20–27 (approx. UK 3.5–9, roughly 12 months–3.5 years)
- Closure
- Single riptape strap, T-bar cage-sandal cut
- Width fittings
- Standard fit only, no wide option
How we scored it
Foot Development
Sole flexibility and room for natural toe splay, per UK podiatry guidance for first walkers.
Thin rubber outsole and unlined leather upper give genuine barefoot-style flex through the forefoot, closer to Bobux/Term than to Clarks or Sprint.
Fit & Sizing
Range of width fittings and how securely the shoe stays on a new walker's foot.
Only one width fitting and no UK in-store measuring service, so fit accuracy depends on getting the single last right.
Durability & Value
How well the shoe holds up against how fast feet grow at this age, including hand-me-down life.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
How it compares
|  | TermFirst Shoes |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | About £45 (often discounted to around £30) | From £34.00 | From £39.00 | From £32.00 |
| Overall score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | 7.6/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Sole | Thin, flexible rubber outsole, barefoot-style flex | Flexible but more structured than barefoot-style brands | Thin, highly flexible barefoot sole | Soft, flexible barefoot-style leather sole |
| Closure | Single riptape strap, T-bar cage-sandal cut | Riptape or T-bar buckle | Riptape | Riptape |
| Width fittings | Standard fit only, no wide option | F (narrow) to H (extra wide), varies by style | Wide, foot-shaped last (no tapering at the toes) | Standard and wide available on most styles |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Geox Steppieup a barefoot-style shoe?+
Yes — it sits closer to the Bobux I-Walk and Term First Shoes than to Clarks or Start-rite Sprint, with a thin rubber outsole and unlined leather upper giving genuine barefoot-style flex, while a toe bumper adds protection without stiffening the whole shoe.
Does Geox offer wide fittings for the Steppieup?+
No — it's sold in only a single, fairly narrow last with no wide-fit option, so it suits an average or narrow-footed baby better than a wide one, and there's no in-store fitting service in the UK.
How much does the Geox Steppieup cost?+
RRP is around £45, though Geox frequently discounts its baby ranges, so it's often found for closer to £30 through Geox's own site or UK stockists.
How durable is the Geox Steppieup?+
The thin rubber sole and unlined leather upper won't take daily wear as well as a heavier, more built-up shoe over a full walking season, so it reads as a stronger choice for the earliest, mostly-indoor and short-outdoor-stint stage of walking.