My son is now 15 months and is finally taking steps on his own. He is barefoot all the time at home and I have previously bought him pre-walkers over the summer. I am looking for a good learning to walk shoe for when we go outside, something flexible but will protect the bottoms of his feet and have grippers in case were on flooring in a mall or something. What are some brands that you moms love? Thanks!!
Pedi Peds are a fantastic brand for new walkers. I love them. You can get them in department stores.
We liked Pedipeds.
For our 2nd child we also bought some "sqeaks" shoes. Can't remember the EXACT name but when he walked, they squeaked! Everyone loved them AND we could always hear where he was!
I've always gone to Stride Rite because they measure the foot and also tell you if your child is wide, extra wide, narrow, etc. First shoes are important, in my opinion.
I also loved Stride Rite. They are very flexible canvas with rubber soles. My son had very wide feet and was hard to fit, so we had to drive a ways but we found a Stride Rite outlet and the shoes fit and were great!
There is no one brand that we preferred with either of our girls. We are avid outdoor people (running, hiking, backpacking) and very well know the importance of good shoes!
It is really important that you look at the soles. Pick up the shoe, bend it. If it is stiff as a board walk away! The soles of shoes need to be flexible, as close to mimicking being barefeet as possible when they are this age. MANY of the toddler shoes are adorable but have no flexibility. This lack of flexibility sets up your kids to get hurt and have problems with their feet and legs as they develop!
Striderite are great shoes. They have type of shoe that looks like a little running shoe that we have bought our kids the exact same pair of shoes over the period of several sizes. They are not cheap, when you consider how short a time your kids will wear them. But great shoes.
You don't have to buy expensive ones to get good ones, just really check them out. I have bought a few pairs at target. I have looked at babies r us, but generally those are the really cute ones with the soles that like a block of wood!
Stride Rite! My oldest has wide feet and it was tough to find shoes that would fit him.
Like the Pedi-peds you can try Robeez shoes. They too can be found at Stride-Rite
Pedipeds!! And their website is having a sale!!
My son is 9 months old, he is just starting to get up and hold on to stuff and walk. The daycare required him to wear shoes now for grip so that he doesn't slip and hurt himself. I bought a pair of Robeez and a pair of Squeekers and I love both....they are easy to put on but they both stay on too!! the Robeez are my favorite though becuase to be honest the Squeakers....are loud and annoying sometimes!!
I thought Elefanten was a great brand...
We loved the Pedipeds fro our son's first shoes. They were very flexible and held up very well. We tried different brands and let him decide which ones he liked. He loved the Pedipeds- we had a hard time getting him to take them off. He hated the Robeez- I think it was the elastic that went around the back of his foot at the ankle. We used StrideRite now that he is 2.
I love See Kai Run, and don't buy anything else. The leathers and soles are super soft and they have great styles, the price is moderate, but well worth it for the quality of the shoes. I think Stride Rite cost a little more, and IMO not as soft or cute. I gave you another link too, besides See Kai Run, it's a site that carries them too, and many others of high quality. I have ordered from them as well, and was very pleased with the service, especially since I had to return once. We have one specialty boutique here that carries them, but they don't carry all the styles, so that's why I ended up buying online at times. But over all, I love these shoes!
http://www.seekairun.com/
http://www.tinytoesusa.com/default.aspx
Stride Rite. My wonderful daughter loved her shoes. I bought her a pair of keds and she wouldn't walk in them. She sat down and tried to eat them off!!! My son also wore Stride Rite. He had a wide foot and the shoes were more comfy for him. So both kids were Stride Rite kids. My husband said he was going to have to get another job to keep the kids in shoes! We didn't mind spending a little more money on their shoes. At that age good fitting shoes are very important to their feet health.
my son had a pair of shoes that squeaked and i cant remember the name but it helped him walk becuase he learned as soon as he would take another step it would squeak!! i loved them becuase as soon as they would squeak he would laugh, he exercised by walking and laughing!
Bobux or Robeez is all we ever used. They are those soft leather slipper type of shoes...perfect for tiny feet that should not be squished and totally cute designs.
