Shoes for a new walker!

[Ravenclaw]

I'm so excited A. is finally walking! She's 17 months old and has been getting PT since she was 12 mos. She bypassed crawling pretty much and finally decided to walk a few weeks ago. (I say "decided" because she's been so steady on her feet ever since then that the PT said she's probably been able to walk for awhile but was just too scared to do it.)

Anyways, now I need to get real shoes, not just ones that look cute. I am so confused on what to look for and how to even get the right size. I know they grow so quickly so I don't even have a clue what's a reasonable price to spend. Any suggestions?

I've got bad feet (it's a family trait) so I've always felt that proper kids shoes are really worth spending the $, even when they outgrow them so fast. For her first pair, take her into a Stride Rite store, or a Nordstroms if you don't have a SR and make sure you get her fitted. They'll tell you to get usually 1/2 a size bigger than she is to allow for growth, so you can get 4 to 6 months out of them. As for quality, stick with Stride Rite, See Kai Run, Keen -- there are others I can't think of. There are Stride Rite outlets, which are great - they're just last "season", but not 2nds, and you save about 50%.

[Michele]

What she said! You might ask her PT for brand recs too.

[Pollyanna]

Yep, we always start with the Stride Rite walkers too! Another plus is that they bronze wonderfully if you are planning to bronze her first walking shoes

[v-girl]

Congrats!!!

[SuzySunshine]

I agree Stride Rite is great but make sure you follow your gut, they talked me into wide shoes for A's first shoes and she kicked them off constantly.

[Deebs]

I love Stride Rite for once their steady. Before then, we always went with leather-soled shoes (ask your PT what he/she thinks). For the first, I swore by Robeez, but DS could kick them right off - so I switched to Pedipeds, and I'm hooked. That's what DD#2 wears. DD #1 was a late walker, too, and was much more sure footed in the leather soles.

[Tenacious_D]

Totally agree with Jenn. The other shoes we have recently added are crocs which suprisingly stay on his feet and are good for the warmer weather and playing in the sprinklers. We didn't do Robeez because we couldn't find them in E's size...he's got really big feet!

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I have heard lots of good things about Pedipeds...but have no firsthand experience!

[SuzySunshine]

We also wore several pairs of Pedipeds with A, loved them but they are kind of pricey of course I guess Stride Rites are too.

[Ravenclaw]

Thanks! She has robeez now but the ones we have say they are for prewalkers. I'll stop by the stride rite store this weekend. I want to get a neutral color that will go with everything since they are pricey.

[Chrisada]

Whoo-hoo for her walking! I have a ton of shoes for the boys, but Pedipeds have always been my favorite. They have soft soles, but are more durable than Robeez.

[Vanquisher]

I am the dissenting voice here. I think Payless and Target shoes are fine! My feet are good, and I have had them in cheap shoes for years! I think the most important thing about shoes is that they are comfortable. Also, for kids, I like shoes that are easy to get on.

I know that I am cheap, but I am also married to an orthopaedist who agrees with me. I think kids grow out of shoes way, way too fast to spend that kind of money on them.

[DCJenn]

I did the Stride Rite thing until now- I figure it's about the only thing I have that I cannot possibly screw up. So, he may be in therapy for the rest of his life, but dammit, he wore expensive shoes as a toddler.

(Hmm, apparently this probably indicates more about my neuroses than anything to do with shoes)

With the dude it was because the Russians had him in multiple layers of wool socks so he couldn't really tell where the floor was. I had him in Robeez first because they're so thin he really could tell that he was standing and walking. (orphanage legend was that he took his first steps walking from me to my husband. Don't know if that's true or not but we're sticking with it). After a few weeks I got him a pair of Stride Rite Sandals-the kind that have the toes covered. He wears something similar to this day. The first time he had them on he was doing elephant steps because it felt so funny.

Jenn

[HouseofWool]

Sophie's first shoes were a pair of Target brand Robeez. I wasn't about to shell out for shoes that they grow out of so quickly. I liked that her feet were covered and kept her socks on, but yet with just the thin leather sole were enough like being barefoot to give her the surefootedness she needed when she was learning to walk.

Now, we are on to cute shoes, preferably really cheap because she trashes them. Although, I am willing to spend for a pair of sneakers because my kids live in them. The cute shoes must be clearance, because this is what they look like in under a week.