Shoes and Toddlers

my daughter didn't start walking until 14 months and hated shoes. You put them on her and she would have a fit. It took a pair of fake crocks for her to pick and like. Come to find out she has a sensory issue. There are other things that she didn't like.

i put shoes on my child before he started to walk just to keep his socks on- i used something like robeez- called pediped they are realy cute and he didnt mind wearing them. If he's not walking yet dont bother with shoes. Once he starts walking you start loosing shoes!!! Also just to add- when he started walking he only liked wearing crocs but the problem is that they caused him to trip the whole time so keep that in mind! g'luck!

I agree on the barefoot route, but also like to recommend Clarks for babies and toddlers. There's one at the Westchester Mall in White Plains, but you can probably find other locations. Their shoes are excellent, soft, and are fitted to your child's feet on length and width. I bought several pairs and loved all of them... and the service was great!

once she is walking she wont have the time to pull them off because she will be so busy! (or atleast that is what happened with my daughter, she only takes them off now in the car and in the stroller, both I am fine with) Just leave them off untill she is walking and then make sure to get good quality, very flexible shoes for her because she is still developing her feet. Stride rite is where I always go, they have pre walkers, new walkers and toddler tech! they are all great!

For a starter walker with narrow/normal feet--I loved our cute girl shoes by
Koala baby/kids, sold at Toys R us & Babies R Us. fat feet didn't fit in these so well. They have a soft sole w/rubber feet so they are flexible and safe.

For more sturdy tennis shoes: I liked the Stride Rites for our 14-16 mo old. This brand is esp good for normal to wide feet. The sole bends nicely for a new walker.

My experience with Crocs--my toddlers love them, but I think the 16 month trips more often in them, and the 2.5 yr takes them off all the time whenever dirt/rocks get in them (she wears them barefoot).

We never put shoes on our babies until they were walking, and then only when headed outdoors, until feet muscles are pretty well developed.

Sorry I have no better suggestions for the taking off problem.

Save your money and go barefoot. :) My 20 month old has been walking since 10 months...I cannot count how much we have spent on shoes. She takes them off constantly!!! When we go somewhere as soon as she is in the cart or stroller, I have to take them off her feet and put them in my purse or they disappear. I have so many shoes without a match it isn't funny. :)

I agree to leave them off. Our pediatrician and everything I have read says that their feet and walking both develop better with no shoes. My son started walking in winter, so he had to wear shoes if we went out even to play in the yard, but once the weather turned nice I don't even put shoes on him for the front yard. It is better for their feet. One they can walk and you need to protect their feet either from heat/cold or the ground, they should wear very soft flexible soled shoes. But inside, no shoes at all.

Well, my toddler didn't start to walk until she was 19 months so you are lucky she is starting earlier than mine!

It is hard to get them to keep their shoes on sometimes. I would just keep telling her that she needs to keep them on and then after you do put them on her, grab her hands and help her walk. It might help her to understand why she needs them on. Second of all, I actually heard it's better for them to learn to walk barefoot. I don't know how true it is. I heard it on the radio. My toddler learned to walk in shoes and barefoot. She had to have shoes on at daycare, but she is also flat footed too.

Now as for the velcro. My daughter wears velcro shoes all the time and she has never worn out the velcro. I think by the time the velcro starts to wear off, she'll be in a bigger size. Also don't be afraid with the tie shoes either. I've done both for my daughter and she doesn't mind either. She's into the light up shoes.

Good luck!

If she's indoors, try crib slippers (Robeez are one brand). They are pricey, so try to find them used. Or, just go barefoot till she's walking. :) The only reason we put crib slippers on our little guy is because he wouldnt' keep his socks on at that point in his life (about 9-12 months) and it was the winter our house is drafty. So we opted for Robeez (found some used at a children's consignment shop), and they are much more natural feeling for the baby than real shoes. A little light outdoor stuff would work with them, too, I think.

For a different option, may I suggest Robeez? They are impossible for a toddler to get off themselves, but they are not traditional shoes either. They are almost slipper-like, but they can stand up to anything your little girl can bring them. My son had them up until he was a little over 2, and even his last pair look good as new.

My son always took his shoes off too... until he started walking. Now he doesn't mess with them unless we're in the car. I'd get Crocs (they have inexpensive generic ones) because they are easy to put back on. I wouldn't force the issue with your daughter. Once she realizes it is nice to have shoes on while she is walking, she will keep them on. They might make it difficult for her to crawl. Good luck!

Robeez worked really well for us as well. Our son had a very hard time pulling them off and finally just gave up. 8)

why does she need shoes if she's not walking and doesn't like them?
khairete
puzzled S.

As long as you are at home, bare feet are fine. Shoes will come. If you are out and she's walking, of course she'll need shoes. My daughter hated shoes at that age. She's 2.5 now and she never wants to take them off! I explained to my daughter that when we were outside we could get hurt if we didn't wear our shoes. Inside she was always barefoot. :)

Our pediatrician was very adamant that the only thing kids need shoes for (at that age) is environmental protection as both other posters mention as well.

Velcro is fun, so I'd consider other kinds of shoes. PediPeds and Robeez were incredible for our kids at that age. They're thin, lightweight, flexible, and hard for them to remove on their own.

Crocs are great for kids that age as well - with 2 kids with very wide feet, they're a saving grace, and you can get them in all cost-points and sizes (Children's place usually has a good selection in small sizes).

Unless she needs them for safety reasons (extreme cold, crawling over rocks, etc.) I would not bother with shoes. She will learn to walk perfectly well without them and children will always take their shoes off. My younger son started walking after 13 months and that was when we finally got shoes for him. I loved the soft shoes we bought at Target, Circo I think, which had elastic laces over the tongue and had no velcro--they stayed on nicely, were soft and comfortable for him, and were super easy to put on (not to mention inexpensive). I hate wearing shoes myself and can't imagine trying to convince a child to do it when she doesn't really need them.

if she's not walking yet, there's no need for shoes (unless she's standing outside). try to put off using shoes for as long as you can as it'll actually impede them learning to stand and walk (they need to feel their feet on teh ground to gain the best sense of balance). if you must put shoes on her, try robeez. i've heard great things about them (but i bought a soft-soled one from target since i only put it on my son when he's outside for 15 min. and I know he's going to outgrow them fast!)