Shoes for Beginning Walker

I have three kids, and I've bought cheap and expensive shoes for all of them. I haven't really noticed a difference, as long as the early shoes are easily bendable. For my last two I bought skater/tennis type shoes that had thin rubber soles that were very pliable when I tried to bend them and move them around. Ross is actually one of my favorite places to buy shoes for kids and myself.

Try robeez tredz, just as comfortable but made to go outside! I too like stride rite, love See Kai Run, and target actually has some good, cheap early walker shoes too.

Stride Rite! Just go to one of their stores and they're really great about helping you find exactly what you need. See Kai Run are also really good.

Our favorite - by far - has always been See Kai Run:
http://www.seekairun.com/
They have the softest soles and super cute styles! :-)

Any shoes by stride rite are great. I have been able to find some at consignment stores for cheaper than retail. They can be kind of pricey. They totally last forever and come in widths too. Great shoes.

I got some great shoes for my son called Eccos at Sole Food at U Village in Seattle. The only problem is they are really expensive... the store is having a sale this weekend... 70% off many of the kids shoes but they do not have all sizes so you may want to call in advance.

My son was wearing European size 20 (I think is 5 American) when he started walking around 13 months. He was wearing a different shoes before that that didn't have ankle support and was very tentative and would only take a few steps. Once we got the ones with a high ankle (they look almost like a workboot), he really took off and was much more confident.

Again they are pretty expensive but we figure for his first real walking shoe we would splurge and find something cheaper or on sale for his next set.

Good luck!

It's been a while, but when my kids started walking their first shoes were Toddler University. They carried them at Nordstroms. They did a great job of fitting and we never had any problems with their feet. They wore this brand until they were 3-4 years old. Then they wanted fancier shoes with the lights in them and velcro straps for easy on and off. (I think my husband wanted them for that reason!)
They had plenty of structure and support, to help them stay steady. Congrats!! Your baby boy is on his way, no stopping him now!!!

Stride Rite!!!

Nordstroms (anywhere) & The Shoe Zoo (near U Village) are the best places for them in Seattle

My son used the transition shoes from Stride Rite. I don't remember exactly what they were called but they had a harder heel then a Robbie, but not as hard as a regular shoe. The only down side is they are kind of expensive...but to me it was well worth it. There is a Stride Rite outlet in Woodburn or the store at Clackamas.

Have to agree with See Kai Run and Robeez Tredz. Both are less expensive than stride-rite and have super flexible soles. They grow out of them so fast $50 at Stride-Rite seems ludicrous even if I can afford it!

I like to go to Nordstrom and get my kids sized. (the shoe zoo is always good too). I swore I would never buy the expensive shoes. Unfortunately, my son was a wide or extra-wide so we have had to go mostly with stride rite. I did buy his first shoes (high ankled) at pay-n-save shoes. The trick is to find a soft, bendy soul. The see-kai-runs are adorable but they don't look good for long and they are really only designed to last a few months. Some things we do to save $ on shoes is know their size (via Nordstrom) and then head up to the stride rite outlet, or Nordstrom rack. I also buy shoes on e-bay. It is easier to find hardly used shoes in the smaller toddler sizes on e-bay. It is also always easier to shop without your kid if you can. I often have my husband get them sized and then say that his wife will have to approve the shoes. I have actually bought the shoes at Nordstrom as well ;). Good luck and enjoy!

My daughter has long, narrow feet. The See Kai Run and Stride Right were just too wide on her. We chose Geox which I LOVE! They very very soft and flexable and offer many different styles. There are a lot of really good shoes out there. I guess the test is if you can bend it in half with one hand, it is flexable enough. Have fun!!

Honestly, my pediatrician asked that we leave our son bare footed as often as possible to allow the muscles to build properly (we were living in San Diego so no shoes is a lot easier than in the Pacific Northwest). His recomendation was, when we had to shoe him, to make sure any shoe we put on him had arch support. It was not hard to find good quality shoes that were inexpensive.

Hey Mama-
You've got lots of suggestions for See Kai Run, but my experience with those shoes was not good....fell apart within a month. They have given us the opportunity to replace them, however, but we had to get back to them on that since they are a small company.
I had a great experience with 2 different pair of Pedoodles but I haven't found a place to buy them locally (Vancouver, WA). Good luck. A.

I went through this same thing not to long ago and I would recommend See Kai Run shoes hands down, they were wonderful. These were by far the easiest shoes for my son to learn how to walk in outside without tripping and falling. Not to mention that they were comfortable and stylish too. They can be a little on the spendy side but well worth it. I ended up buying them on-line from www.endless.com they have free next-day air shipping and a great selection. Good luck!

Hi there,
I personally like Keens the best. They're a little expensive, but they're great for the outdoors and a little developing foot. We generally get them at REI (when they have a sale), but you can get them elsewhere.

Hey- nothing wrong with keeping him in the soft soles! Especially if he's mostly walking on pavement and grass...Soft soles will help his balance and foot development. Whatever you get, make sure the soles are super bendy and not rigid. :)

We love the See Kai Run shoes. It is a Seattle company and they give good sales. Also, my husband loves the Ecco shoes. The Ecco shoes are a little bit more pricey than the See Kai Run shoes. Both are very good. Just be sure that the soles are flexible.

See kai run also has a good website.

Hope you get some good shoes for the little one.

R.

Hi! I have a 18 month old and I love Robeez! He wore them everywhere including outside. If they weren't so expensive, I'd buy him a pair now, but I think for a beginning walking, Robeez are the best! I have heard that Striderites are good, too. With real Robeez, you can wash them. But with off-brands, I don't think it's a good idea. Anyway, I'd go with Robeez all around!

I love Stride Rite! The staff there are trained to fit your child for the proper size. Also, I had to take my daughter to the pediatric orthopod to check out her feet and he also advised that Stride Rite have some of the best shoes for little ones. They are not cheap, but you really only need one or two pair at a time. I go to the Stride Rite outlet store in Woodburn when possible to shop sales.

Good luck to you and your little one!

Hi,
I would suggest going to Nordstrom.. They are great with fitting first time walkers.. they give the children a ballon and stuffed toy.. just mention this is his first pair of walking shoes.. they also carry wide shoes.. I like stride rite and some of the other european brands.. But they will fit your childen and if for any reason the shoes do not work out you may always return them.
Lenc

Robeez makes some hard soled shoes.. .we also use puddle jumper shoes... also just some cheap ones from payless or walmart... so long as they aren't too small... or too big..they will trip! =-)

See Kai Run shoes are sturdy and stylish - and spendy. But worth it.

STRIDE RITE!!!!!!!!!!! They fit the shoe to your sons needs!!!! They are a little spendy but well worth for your sons feet!!! Good Luck Darling!

Walmart has some great plastic soft soled shoes my daughter loves them. they are ~$11. they are very flexable, gel-like. hope you find what you need.

My daughter wore her Robeez Everywhere! However my son was somewhat picky about his shoes. He loves the Pedipeds. They make both soft soled and hard soled shoes for later. They cost a little more but they come with 2 sets of insoles that can be removed when the childs foot grows. That way they can wear them longer. Hope this helps.

Robeez now makes an outdoor line called Treads (maybe it's spelled with a Z rather than an S). You might look at those. We went to Stride Rite for our outdoor shoes. We were cautioned not to put a new walker in shoes until they show some proficiency, such as being able to walk across a room by themselves.

I have always put my kids into Stride Rite shoes and they are great for those little feet. Plus if you sign up for their emailed newsletter they are running a special on first walker shoes right now. I go to the outlet mall in Woodburn as the prices are much better and the staff is knowledgable and helpful.

Stride Rite shoess are the best.

PediPeds are great and you'll get a ton of compliments on them from people who see them. They have a harder leather bottom but still soft. Check them out...www.pediped.com

Cheers!

Stride Rite. They are the closest thing to being barefoot and have the best selection for different sized baby feet. My son had the typical thick wide foot and my daughters feet were not wide and thinner and they had shoes for both kids. They used to cost around 26.00 a pair about 3 years ago but it is so worth it.

We loved the Robeez "Tredz", they have a thicker sole for outdoors. When his feet got too big for Robeez we tried See Kai Run shoes and we like those too. If you buy on-line be sure to comparison shop, you can often get them cheaper than on the manufacturer website.

Try Soft Star Shoes, handmade by elves in Corvallis, Oregon. I have purchased several pairs of shoes from them and absolutely love them. They use suede soles for little ones, have an intermediate sole for beginning walkers who are going outside and put a much sturdier, heavier sole on shoes in the little kids sizes. Plus they are super adorable. We get compliments every time we go out with my son wearing them. Plus plus you are supporting a great small business.

Their website is softstarshoes.com

I've tried Robeez, See Kai Run and PediPed and they were fine shoes, but I think Soft Star Shoes has them beat. I also tried Stride Rite and just didn't think I got the same value from them.

See Kai Run are fantastic. Flexible, comfortable, and super cute. They recently came out with a line that is made for smaller kids (called Eleven). But our son has a pair of their regular line and does just fine with them. Here's the link: http://www.seekairun.com/

I sell most of these brands on my little website KyleighsCloset.com
To me, it depends on the childs foot ie. narrow or wide, all of the info is listed on my sizing page. I sell new & gently used & my prices are great.
Check it out & shop a stay at home mom business at www.KyleighsCloset.com

I don't know if someone posted this already, but Stride Right makes the best shoes for the inbetween phase.

See Kai Run brand. They're awesome b/c they're flexible on the soles.

Hi R. -
High tail it over to your nearest Nordstrom store! I buy all of my kids shoes either there or on their web site. The people that work in the kids shoe area are great and if they can deal with my two "darlings" they can for sure help you! They spend so much time making sure that your kids are in the correct size and they will also split sizes if you need them to (ie. Left foot is a 6 and right foot is 6 1/2).
I really like Stride Rite and Primigi.
Have fun!
M.

I really liked Stride Rite shoes, as they make them for different stages of walking. Just look for a shoe with a very flexible sole. Stride Rite are expensive, but if you can find a store at an outlet mall or go to Nordstrom Rack, you can find them for half price.

We used stride rite for our son's first shoes - they were great!