Early Walking Shoes

Stride rite are great shoes. But I almost made the mistake of spending $50 on a pair at a stride rite store. I just wanted to let you know that JC Penny carries them for about $20.

I am a huge fan of Preschoolians... they really stick by their motto of "barefoot is best" and design shoes that are like being barefoot but with the protection little ones need. That being said, they do not have the best customer service and since they are not sold in stores you are buying them sight unseen and, for me, that is always hard because I like to be able to check things out and see them before buying. They're are a ton of styles and different stages. I like Pediped for the look but not sure how practical they are for cruising since they do not have a no skid bottom. My 7 month old has a pair and they are the first I have ever bought, she has begun pulling herself up and trying to cruise so we will see how they fare in terms of being non-slip.

My favorite though is another less known brand that I think wins HANDS DOWN called "See Kai Run" They have ADORABLE high quality shoes with great non-skid bottoms. I bought them for my son for the first time when he was a toddler so I bought the regular See Kai Runs and they are made of deliciously butter soft leather and so flexible. I just bought my 7 month old 2 pairs of their "Smaller" shoes. "Smaller" is the name for their infant/early toddler shoes and they are even better than the originals in my opinion because they are truly baby friendly with a soft, flexible suede sole but also include 2 rubber circles on the ball and heel of each bottom to ensure non-skid and they are made of the same awesome leather as the originals and the styles are just too cute. (Can you tell I like them??) Check them out at seekairun.com and you can order online or use their store locator to find a store near you that carries them.

I am not a fan of having a pair of cheap shoes for every outfit (I can't tell you how many pairs of cheap shoes we have gotten as gifts, especially for our daughter just because they are "cute") I say invest in one or two pairs of high quality shoes and stick with them... when it comes to baby shoes you really do get what you pay for and quality is so important at this age/stage. Have fun shoe shopping!!!

Jack and Lily (www.jackandlily.com) are awesome light weight shoes for early walkers.

We are also big fans of stride rite, but our daughter started with robeez and pedi-ped.

Pediped and Pedoodles are great. Both are pediatrician recommended and Pediped is accepted by the American Podiatric Medical Association. They're flexible, stay on their little feet, and are adorable. I don't know what stores sell them (they say on the websites), but I've ordered both of them. They show you how to measure their feet and you can exchange the size if it's not right.
You want a shoe that's flexible to let the muscles in the foot develop. When appropriate, barefoot is best.

www.pediped.com
pedoodles.com

Hi A.,

I loved Preschoolians for both of my children. They are soft and flexible but are a little more like a shoe than Robeez...a nice alternative expecially as they start playing and walking outside. They are a little pricy, but in my opinion well worth every penny. Check them out by going to www.preschoolians.com.

God Bless,
C.

The best place to go for starter shoes is Stride Rite. They will be sure to fit your daughter properly and to make sure that she has the support that she needs.

If she has low muscle tone than she may not be getting enough protein in her diet, or may not be able to digest/assimilate protein. My son too had low muscle tone, stool tests revealed he wasn't producing enough enzymes to digest protein and we found out he couldn't absorb a number of vitamins and minerals, even though he got his daily vitamins. We fixed this by going to NAET (www.naet.com). It could be helpful for you to explore to ensure her body is doing what it should.....

Hands-down Stride Rite Cruisers perfect for early walkers that are still crawling a bit too!! then once they aren't crawling so much the Stride Rite Stage 1 shoes.

If you have an outlet near you they sell for cheaper, like $25 otherwise they sell for around 45/50 but still I would say it's worth it, they are good shoes you only need to buy one pair they grow into the next size every 3 months for awhile...

Preschoolians looked good too, though I never got to try them.

we are big fans of Stride Rite. They do a great job of measuring their feet. They have shoes that are great for first time walkers (they have a rounded toe, so they can go to crawling easily). And, they have a great return policy. If you aren't happy to them, it is easy to return them. There are so many stores around.

i loved the tip toe joey brand when my daughter was smaller. i got them from babystyle.com. you can get discount code if you sign up for their newsletter.

When my daughter was needing her first pair of shoes my pediatrician recommended a good pair of high-top sneakers that are fitted properly at a children's shoe store.

Robeez has that line - Robeez Tredz, they are more supporting than the little soft shoes. Stride Rite is my other favorite. They have a line for prewalkers and early walkers.

I like the Pedoodles. They have harder bottom soles than Robeez, yet the shoe itself is lighter and more flexible than hard shoes for a good fit and comfort.
Good Luck!

Stride-Rite are the best ones you can buy. They are leather and have good support.

You have a couple different options depending on how much money you want to spend. You can go to Stride Rite (in the malls or online) and look for a good beginning walker shoe there, although it will most likely cost around $40. Or you can go to target/walmart and look for a good sneaker type shoe ($15). One that is not too bulky but gives your daughter a good base of support. It would also be helpful to have a shoe that comes up and supports the ankle well. Robeez's and sandals usually don't do it. Good luck!