walking shoes

I havent had a need for shoes so far because I didnt take them out much during the cold and flu season. Now that spring is right around the corner I have been thinking about shoes for the girls. They started walking about 2 months ago...and they are doing fairly well at it with some falls here and there. My DD had "Naturino" shoes, but they are gone from the Houston area now.
I could order them online, but before I did that I wanted to know:

*What shoes do you love for your kiddo that just started walking?
*Do soft or hard soles make a difference?
*Did/do you stick to the same brand?

 

I am diehard Stride Rite fan for the first couple of pairs of walking shoes.

 

We used Stride-rite when they were younger. Now I'm a bit more liberal with what I buy them, but they still get at least 1 pair of Stride-rites every year.

 

The first shoes we bought our kids when they started walking were Stride Rites. That is still the shoe of choice.

 

We just went to the mall and got Stride Rites...HOLY CRAP, they were like 40 bucks each!
We also let them wear Robeez in the house, and after seeing how expensive Stride Rite is, Robeez look cheap!

 

When my boys started walking, we started buying them Nike shoes. They get a new pair when they grow out of the old pair. I never went the Stride Rite way because of the expense. My boys have never had a foot problem, so buying shoes has never been an issue for us. The dress shoes I have for my boys are from Target.

 

Our first pairs were Stride Rites. We just bought new ones and went with New Balance. I definitely recommend getting them fitted.

 

We just bought regular sneakers their first sneakers were a pair of Adidas, then they had Etnies, DC's and they just recently got a pair of Converse...I mostly buy their sneakers at Journey Kids.

 

I did see some nice pairs at stride rite and thought about doing that.
All my DD's shoes seem to come from Target now as well. After she got out of that "getting a hold of walking" stage she started blowin through shoes. It became more cost efficient to get them from target.
If I dont see something to sway me I may go back to Stride Rite...it seems to be the most used...

Thanks for the input!!

 

We did Stride Rite also. They have wide widths if you need them and they measure the kids feet accurately. Check your area for a Stride Rite outlet. I save 50% off mall prices. They aren't the "current" styles, but it doesn't matter to me. I have bought them Mary Jane sneakers twice now for their everyday shoes.

 

We put ours in pedipeds for their first (and 2nd) shoes. Then we moved to another lightweight and flexible shoe with a thicker sole when they were doing more outdoor running around. I'm a believer in the light and flexible shoe to let their foot muscles develop.

 

I just shelled out $90.00 for two pair of stride rites, but so far they seem worth it. No little blisters on their feet and the shoes are lightweight but still supportive. I got them from zappos.

 

I just bought my kids their 1st shoes and they were Stride Rites. They seem to be doing really well in them. The price is a little hard to take and is way more than I spend on shoes for myself, but I thought I should make sure their 1st pair of shoes is a good one. After this, I am not sure what I will do.

 

We used Preschoolians when they first started walking. The soles are nice and soft and they offer a twin discount. I felt the quality was very good. Once they were really running around, we switched to Stride Rites (I always find them online a bit cheaper than the store) and Crocs in the summer. I usually just to a store with them and have their feet measured to make sure I'm ordering the correct size. I feel that shoes are something I can't be cheap with because I want to make sure they develop well.

 

We have done robeezs and stride rite - check out Amazon - occasionally they have sales - I got 3 pairs including shipping for $37

 

Last summer was when ds started walking & I had a pair of Robeez if he was on grass or concrete......but if it was rocky, they just don't have anything in them to protect from rocks. He had a pair of Stride Rite sandals that someone gave us & they were awesome. I doubt I could've paid full price for them! Our budget is tight, so I look on ebay. Also See Kai Runs are supposed to be pretty good for early walkers.

 

I bought both of my girls Nike shoes.