Shoes

I am looking for winter shoes and boots for the girls. I know that their Robeez won't do well on those wet and snowy Colorado days so I guess I am going to have to get them some hard soled shoes and boots. Which by the way are impossible to find in sizes 3.5 and 4 so if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears!

When did you move your kiddos into all hard soled shoes and stop using Robeez and other soft soled shoes?

 

My boys started walking this summer so they basically learned to walk in bare feet (it was WAY too hot for shoes). By August, they were really walking well and I decided it was definitely time for shoes. I bit the bullet and took them to Stride Rite to have their feet sized correctly because I had no idea what size would fit them. We ended up buying their first "real" pair of shoes from there. They were pricey, but I wanted their 1st pair to have the correct sole for them to learn to walk in shoes. They protested for a little while and acted like I put cement blocks on their feet, but after a couple of hours they got the hang of it and were running in them in no time!

 

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My boys started walking this summer so they basically learned to walk in bare feet (it was WAY too hot for shoes). By August, they were really walking well and I decided it was definitely time for shoes. I bit the bullet and took them to Stride Rite to have their feet sized correctly because I had no idea what size would fit them. We ended up buying their first "real" pair of shoes from there. They were pricey, but I wanted their 1st pair to have the correct sole for them to learn to walk in shoes.


Same as Carrie, as soon as they were walking well, we were off to Stride Rite! They are expensive, but both babies have XXW feet, so I really don't have much of a choice! Plus, it's good to know that they fit right.

 

See Kai Run makes little boots with rubber soles that are flexible enough for early walkers and start at size 3. I looked last Winter and ended up just having them wear sneakers because SKR is designed for typically chubby toddler feet and I happen to have narrow-footed boys. Anyway, I'd suggest you check them out.

My boys wear Stride Rite now but started in Preschoolians with their thin, plastic sole. They then had Stride Rite sandals with thicker (but still very flexible) rubber soles and now have their first pair of "big boy" sneakers. Going through stages like that, there was no funny walking or adjustment period. I took them to shoe stores and tried different shoes on them before spending the money on the Stride Rites. It was very frustrating seeing them go from confident walkers to Frankenstein because the shoes were too stiff.

 

As soon as mine were walking and spending time outdoors walking, we switched to hard soles. Stride Rite makes flexible soles that offer a bit better protection than Robeez. (And we too went that route since Ben has super wide feet.)

 

Target has some really cute options too. They have some softer soled shoes that are good for walkers, and they are easy on the wallet.

 

We started with hard sole shoes this summer when the girls really started walking around outside. Marshalls sells some stride rite shoes at a cheaper price. We are getting them boots from Target probably for the winter. Stride Rite is great but we can't afford 2 pairs of shoes from there.

 

Once mine started walking pretty well we went to hard soled shoes. Mine started walking in March, so they were probably in them in May or so, if not earlier. This summer they lived in sandals and bare feet, but we are back to shoes now.

Target has some cute shoes now.

 

I took mine to Stride Rite as soon as they could walk to get hard soled shoes for outside (they love the playground!) and then went online to try and find thier size cheaper :blush:
I am not sure where you are in CO, but check out Once Upon a Child stores, they have used shoes and only accept ones in good condition- I can usually find some Stride Rite ones there.

I normally buy one pair of new ones and then try and find deals for all others, I mean they grow soooo fast!!!

 

I had the same issue last year (also in Colorado) but my kids were a size 2 and 3 at the time! I had a terrible time finding shoes, but wound up getting some for Amy at Target. They were $12 and she loved them! I bought Sarah some Merrells in a size 4, which were too big but close enough not to hamper her walking.

We actually tried See Kai Run for Sarah first (because they were the only "good" brand that came in a size 3), but they were way too wide and she just pulled them off all the time. She has fat feet, but they are more fat from top to bottom than side to side.

Last year I felt that they didn't really need boots -- as new walkers, they didn't want to walk in snow anyway. It snows a lot here (I don't know where in CO you are), but melts fast, so we just didn't go out if the snow was new. This year, Sarah has some hand-me-down boots that she (fortunately) loves, and I'm on the lookout for some for Amy -- I'll probably go to Ebay.

I'm not a believer in buying expensive shoes for toddlers. I know everyone says it's so important, but mine walk just fine in whatever shoes we happen to find. I read something in the "Girlfriend's Guide to Toddlers" (where she recommends hand-me-down shoes) saying that "You will give up the idea that a perfect fit is necessary as soon as you realize that your toddler has been wearing her shoes on the wrong feet all day long and no one noticed, including you."

 

Thanks everyone. We ended up getting them some hard soled shoes at Target yesterday. The transition should be interesting since when I put a pair of Pedipeds (harder sole than Robeez but not as hard as the shoes we bought) on Emma today she freaked out!

Land's End had some boots that I think we will just get in a bit bigger size and ask for for Xmas.

Minette - We are actually in Louisville - I think you are right that they won't want to walk in the new snow anyway and it will be gone (hopefully) by the next day. Now if I can just convince my DH that they aren't ready for skiing!!