Shoe Size

We go to Gotskinds in downtown Naperville. They are experts at fitting kids and the prices run about the same as Stride Rite. My son has reeeaaallly wide feet and they carry shoes in double wide as well as wide.

I would go to a Stride Rite. They are very good. They may be a bit more than a Target or Wal-mart but worth the money.

I agree with the other moms.... Stride Rite!

The shoes there ARE more expensive. My son wore Stride Rite until 20 months old-- but he started walking on his own without support around 11 months. I felt confident that he was wearing good sturdy shoes for learning to walk.

I didn't know back then about the Baby Smart brand at Target though. Now that he's older, I usually get shoes at Payless, Target, Walmart, or Famous Footwear (when they have a sale!). I still get his dress shoes at Stride Rite, but that was because the style I liked I couldn't find for him elsewhere.

One mom had mentioned a couple of the shoe sites (shoes.com and zappos.com), and I have shopped from both. I like them, but personally I'd rather my son try on each particular shoe -- some brands run smaller or larger and you can't tell from a picture. I buy my own shoes online sometimes, though!

Congratulations! I usually take my kids to the Stride Rite store to get fitted. We usually get shoes from there as well. You can find the same shoes online at places like shoes.com or zappos.com.

S.

I do stride rite to find out shoe size, as they'll tell you if your child needs wide or anything like that. Then I buy the shoes at Target in the Baby Smart brand. On the tag it says it's by the makers of stride rite. The baby smart shoes have the features of stride rite shoes, like flexibility, weighted heels, etc. There IS a difference in quality, but not as drastic of a difference as the price difference. $15 at Target vs. $43 at Stride Rite. Target's baby smart brand does not carry wide or anything like that as far as I know. We used their walking shoes for our first son who is now 2. And bought another pair already for our second son who is now 9 months. I think they are great shoes. Best wishes to you!

I would go to stride rite to get measured.

Nordstrom also has a great kids' shoe department. I've found some good deals on basic shoes there, too, like Keds for $10 and some others for under $20. They do a great job fitting as well.

hi L. s,
I took all of my kids to stride rite when they were little. It is at the Westfield Mall in Joliet. They can be pricey, but there excellent for the kids feet. The staff are very knowledgable of how to fit the kids feet for shoes also. I just found the experience to be good. Especially if your child has wide feet, or flat feet, etc.

The best way to determine shoe size is to go to a store that specializes in children's shoes. We always go to Stride Rite for walking shoes, then once we are sure of her size, feel free to get play shoes at other stores like Walmart or Target. Hope this helps.

Hi. I guess I'm not really adding anything new here, but I always take my kids to Stride Rite. That way I know for sure that the shoes will fit them well. I really wish they were a little less expensive though with how quickly their foot size changes! :)