The simple answer is no, as they are not walking and encountering any dangerous objects on the floor or ground. Many parent use soft shoes, such as slippers. This is fine as long as the fit is checked regularly to ensure the toes have ample room to function and grow normally. In the past, many parent put their children in “good” strong leather shoes. This is not necessary and may actually cause more harm than good – plus replacing leather shoes so frequently can be expensive.