The Search For Shoes
The baby, Graham, is getting closer to walking every week. And now I am in the process of getting him some shoes so that when we go outside his little toes won’t get too cold. I recently purchased some Robeez Tredz shoes which are absolutely adorable. I liked the idea of the Tredz because we live in a cooler, rainy climate and thought that a more water resistant shoe that was still soft soled would be a good choice. I used the Robeez soft soled shoes for both the older boys for the first 6 months to year after they started walking. I had read about all the advantages of the soft soled shoes and knew that spending lots of time walking barefoot or close to it would help their feet develop properly. Plus, I love that they are easy to get on and don’t come off easily either.
Unfortunately I had to guess at his foot size and got the 12-16 month size. Graham just turned 1 but I couldn’t get his squishy, fat feet in the shoes. I tried jamming them in but it was no use–they weren’t going in. It looked like I was trying to wrestle an alligator as I tried getting his foot in that shoe. So now I have to send them back to the online store and either get the larger size or try a different shoe. My concern is that the larger 16-20 month size will still be too narrow. I had this same problem with my second child. He had fat feet and I had a terrible time finding shoes for him. He wore Robeez for a long time because I couldn’t find shoes for him.
I know it is good for babies to walk barefoot as much as possible but we like to go outside a lot and the weather is already cooling off into the low 50s in the mornings. I don’t want his little toes to fall off from frostbite. So what do I do? I don’t want to go from store to store trying to find flexible shoes that fit his feet. And I don’t want to keep returning shoes that don’t fit either. I am on the hunt for the perfect walking shoe for babies. Can you help me?
Does anyone else have this problem? What did you do? What shoes have you found to work great for your beginning walkers? Or your kids that have wide feet?
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I don’t know if they are over there in the States, but here in England Clarkes do wonderful first shoes. They are made really well, fit great and look great too.
My 14-month old daughter has wide and fat feet. Her shoe inventory mainly comes from Target, with a pair or 2 from Payless Shoes. My son had the same issue when he was younger but as he’s grown, the wideness is no longer an issue. If you’re looking for higher quality shoes, visit a Stride Rite or a department store. You mentioned not wanting to go store to store, so sorry this is the only advice I have to offer. I stay away from purchasing shoes online due to the same frustrations you mentioned.
I have heard that New Balance has a Wide shoe option for kids. Maybe they might have something for little Graham. Good luck!
I just want to add I am a cheap mom, but I am very glad I spent the bucks and bought a pair of Robeez for Ace. I loved them!
Kaylee is 13 months now, and I’m on the hunt for new shoes as well. Right now we’re using Robeez. We might try a pair of Robeez minis next. We have the opposite problem. Kaylee’s little tootsies seem smaller than the norm. We have a pair of Land’s End shoes (that were a gift) that seem very similar to the Robeez, but the 12-18 months size is ridiculously large for Kaylee’s feet. They look like clown shoes right now. Anyway, I’ve also read that pediped is a nice brand, and they have a size chart on their website that you can print out (to measure those little toes). Unfortunately, I didn’t see a measurement for width. If you like what you read though, you might be able to find a local store to try them out. Best of luck! You should definitely let us know what you wind up choosing.
Pedipeds run wider than Robeez but still have a softer sole.
Does Mommy Love It? had a review for Rileyroos, and it seemed pretty positive. Plus, they’re doing an online giveaway, and the winner gets a free pair! I would enter, except for that little problem of living halfway around the world
My son is now 17 months old and he has wide feet. Initially I got him measured at Clarks, they measure the size and width, and managed to find some shoes on eBay that were the exact size that Clarks measured him as and were soft enough for first walking. I have recently managed to find him some trainers from Sports World which look brilliant on him. I imagine I will still have a problem finding shoes for him but because he is not in any of the shoes for very long, I will continue to search on eBay for them otherwise it will cost me a fortune. When he is in them for a little longer then I will spend a bit more and get him new ones.
I should probably get his feet measured. Is Clarks a chain store?
I haven’t had the need for shoes so he has been going barefoot–but the weather has taken a turn for the worse and isn’t getting much over 50 today. He can wear the plain Robeez so I guess I’ll stick with those for now.