Made and counted by Wren —

Slip-stitch sole crochet booties with pompom trim

5mm hook, worsted-weight yarn: crochet booties with slip-stitch soles, decrease-shaped body, and pompom finish.

IntermediateLevel

4-6 hoursTime

5 mmHook

WorstedYarn

Jump to the pattern

About this pattern

This bootie starts with two 2-round soles worked from a 13-chain foundation to 32 stitches, joined by slip stitch around the perimeter. The body continues with a 42-stitch round that decreases to 33 then 29 stitches over the following rows, then holds at 25 stitches through the ankle. One 5mm hook handles yarn of any weight suited to it. An 80-chain shoelace tipped with pompoms threads through the top round to finish; no stuffing round is included.

Two identical soles, each a flat oval built from a 13-chain start to 32 stitches after round 1, join with a slip-stitch seam before the body rises through decrease rounds that pull the stitch count from 42 down to 29. A single 5mm hook runs the whole piece, sole to body. Finishing includes weaving in ends and threading an 80-chain shoelace tipped with pompoms through the top round of each bootie.

The pattern

Written out round by round

Materials

Yarn of your choice (suitable for 5mm hook)
5mm crochet hook
Tape measure
Scissors
Pompoms
Darning needle

Abbreviations

st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet

Sole (Make 2)

Start: Chain 13

Row 1Work 3 double crochet (dc) in the 2nd chain from hook Make 10 dc across the next 10 chains Work 6 dc in the last chain Continue working on the opposite side: 10 dc Finish with 3 dc in the last stitch Join to the first dc (Total: 32 stitches)(32)

Row 2Chain 1 Work 2 half double crochet (hdc) in the next 2 stitches (4 hdc total) 5 hdc across next 5 stitches Work 2 dc in each of the next 6 stitches (12 dc total) 5 hdc across next 5 stitches Finish with 2 hdc in the last 2 stitches Join (Total: 42 stitches) Fasten off the first sole only(42)

Joining Soles

Do not fasten off the second sole Place both soles together and join with slip stitch (sl st) around the entire sole Join to complete the sole base

Body of the Booties

Row 3Chain 1 Work 1 hdc in each stitch around Join (42 stitches)(42)

Row 4Chain 1 Work hdc2tog 12 hdc dc2tog 7 times 12 hdc hdc2tog Join (33 stitches)(33)

Row 5Chain 1 1 hdc dc2tog 13 times dc3tog dc2tog 13 hdc Join (29 stitches)(29)

Row 6Chain 1 11 hdc dc2tog dc3tog dc2tog 11 hdc Join (25 stitches)(25)

Rows 7–10Chain 1 Work 1 hdc in each stitch around Join each round (25 stitches)(25)

Row 11Chain 2 and turn Work 1 dc in back loops only around Join (25 stitches)(25)

Row 12Chain 2 Work 1 dc in each stitch around Join (25 stitches)(25)

Row 13Chain 1 Work 1 single crochet (sc) in each stitch around Join with invisible stitch (25 stitches)(25)

Assembly

Step 1Weave in all yarn ends securely

Step 2Create a chain of 80, leaving 5–7 inches of tail at the start and end

Step 3Leave a long tail for sewing pompoms later

Step 4Insert the shoelace through the top round of the bootie starting from the center

Step 5Attach a pompom at each end of the chain using the tails

Tester's notes

32 stitches close round 1 of each sole — recount the 3-10-6-10-3 sequence before joining to the first dc.

5mm hook stays fixed through sole, join, and body; the materials list treats yarn weight as the only variable, not hook size.

Second sole is not fastened off before joining — keep that loop live and mark the last stitch worked so the sl st join around the perimeter starts in the right place.

Decrease rows move fast: row 4 drops from 42 to 33 stitches, row 5 from 33 to 29 — mark the start of each round so hdc2tog and dc2tog clusters don't get miscounted mid-row.

Finishing includes weaving in ends and threading an 80-chain shoelace with pompoms tied at each end through the top round starting from the center — no stuffing round appears anywhere in the pattern, so shape comes from stitch tension alone.

Work in progress

Slip-stitch sole crochet booties with pompom trim — photo 2

Slip-stitch sole crochet booties with pompom trim — photo 3

At a glance

Rounds	10
Parts	2
Level	Intermediate
Time	4-6 hours
Hook	5 mm
Yarn	Worsted

Gauge check

After round 1 of the sole, count stitches before joining to the first dc: the total should sit at 32.

Stitch-count checkpoints

Sole (Make 2) · Row 1: 32 sts
Sole (Make 2) · Row 2: 42 sts
Joining Soles · Row 4: 33 sts
Joining Soles · Row 6: 25 sts
Joining Soles · Row 11: 25 sts
Joining Soles · Row 13: 25 sts

If something looks wrong

Sole doesn't reach 32 stitches after round 1.: One of the chain-end increases (3 dc in the 2nd chain, 6 dc in the last chain) was likely worked short. Recount the 3-10-6-10-3 segments around the oval before joining to the first dc.
Bootie opening flares out instead of: A decrease was skipped somewhere between the 42-stitch round and the 33- or 29-stitch rounds. Recount after each decrease row against those three targets before continuing.
The two soles don't line up when placed: One sole didn't hit the full 32-stitch count from round 1. Lay both flat, match them stitch-for-stitch, and confirm each reads 32 before starting the sl st join around the perimeter.
Toe end sits lopsided rather than centered.: The 6-dc increase worked into the single last chain of round 1 landed across two stitches instead of one. Count corner stitches at the start of the round to confirm all 6 dc sit in that one designated chain.

Yarn substitutions

Cotton, worsted weight	Stiffer drape holds the sole's oval shape without curling at the edges; keep the same 5mm hook the materials list calls for.
Acrylic, worsted weight	Softer, lighter fabric makes the hdc2tog and dc2tog decrease rows easier to see and count; no hook change needed, stays at 5mm.
Wool-blend, DK weight	Thinner strand produces a smaller finished bootie at the same 5mm hook, so the 32-stitch sole comes out looser; drop to a 4mm hook to keep the fabric from ruffling.

Original pattern: https://crocheteverything.com/cozy-crochet-booties-with-pompoms-pattern-for-little-feets-to-swoon-over/

FAQs

Questions

What foot size does this pattern fit?

No foot-length target is given anywhere in the pattern. Size is set by the 32-stitch sole and 5mm hook combination, so try the sole against the intended wearer's foot after round 1 before continuing to the join.

Can the soles and body be worked in different colors?

Yes. The sole and body are worked as separate parts, joined at the slip-stitch seam and then continued at row 3, so a color change fits cleanly at that join point without breaking mid-round.

Why does the decrease pattern mix hdc2tog and dc2tog instead of using one stitch type?

Rows 4 and 5 take the stitch count from 42 down to 33 then 29, and the mixed decreases taper the toe and heel areas at different rates. Using only one decrease type across the round would pull the shaping evenly instead of following the foot's curve.