Introducing New Shoes

I haven't experienced this with my son, but I thought I'd respond anyway :-)

How does your son do with other changes (non shoe related... changing where he sits at the table, sleeping away from home, new furniture etc)? Does he have some sensory integration issues? It's probably worth thinking about how much this resistance to shoes is a part of his whole personality and how much it's about shoes... you might also talk to his pediatrician if its more pervasive.

Anyway, an idea: have you tried buying a few pairs of shoes in increasing sizes at the same time. As one pair nears replacement time, bring the next one down from the closet. That will give him time ot adjust to them in his own space not in the tramatic shoe store. You could do the same with the seasonal shoes, just buy them before the season and let him have his lead time. By the time it starts raining, maybe he'll have warmed up to the idea of boots :-) Of course you'll have to guess about future sizes a bit, but it doesn't sound like he's letting your get an accurate measurement at the time anyway!

Good luck, mama.

T.

When my son was younger, I found a brand that fit him really well and bought the sneakers in two different colors. I also bought each color in two sizes so that we could just move into the exact same looking shoe when he outgrew the prior pair. He wouldn't let me measure his feet in stores either. I downloaded a shoe measuring guide from Zappos.com that you can print out and have your child stand on at home. He grew out of these issues by the time he was three and a half or four -- I don't recall precisely.

Dear Abbie,

How old is this child? Why don't you measure his feet at home, don't take him to the store. You do the shopping, pick up a couple pair of shoes, get rid of the old ones and let him pick out the ones that he wants to wear? You can better deal with a tantrum at home.

Blessings....

Hi Abbie
My son would NEVER wear sandals, so I stopped even trying .. no big deal, not every kid needs to wear them not to mention, they don't have much support for a growing foot.. especially those CROCS.... a child needs FIRM support for their feet.. anyway, As for the sneakers, I would measure his foot and then go to the store without him.. Also, buy the SAME color and or same make. Then rather than making a big deal of things, when it comes time to getting dressed, non-chantly put them on his feet. Perhaps his being in a safe environment (home) as oppose to the store will help him feel more secure about making a change.
My little brother NEVER wanted to change his cowboy boots and it wasn't until he was given almost similar ones that he would allow his old boots to be tossed. Kids are funny, but if you make it so that they feel there IS a compromise, your son might be more agreeable with the change. Good luck :)