My (almost) 13 month old is a walker. He has been wearing Robeez for quite a while now, but with the warm weather here, I am looking for some shoes that have a harder sole that he can wear when playing outside. The thing is he has very "thick" or "tall" feet - think like a brick attached to your foot. Any suggestions on a brand of shoe to try- also where is the best place to shop for children's shoes.
Thanks for your helo!
Thanks for all your input. We had to head east for a family emergency and ended up in a town that had a Stride Rite store so we made a stop. We now have a few pairs of shoes for him. At first he wasn't too sure about the new shoes, but after a few hours he now likes them and takes off running!
Like many have already suggested, Stride Rite is an excellent shoe for new walkers, gives them the stability they need.
My sons feet are also bricks. Pedipeds. LOVE THEM! He used to be in the prewalkers but now he needs the grip and go's. They are a bit pricey, but it's soo worth it. Super cute shoes, last till he's outgrown them (for a while there my sons feet stopped growing and so they lasted a good 6 months!)
Stride Rite! My son used to wear an XXW and it was the only place we could get them & get him fit correctly!
my sons lived in Stride Rite.
Whatever you choose, please make sure it's flexible! I hate stiff as a board shoes...even for myself.
See Kai Run - they have very flexible rubber soles but are a little sturdier than Robeez. Also great for those wide and 'tall' feet. That said, DS did not wear Robeez until he was walking - he wore them or went barefoot (socks in winter) until he was 2 and the See Kai Run after that. He is 5 now and this time of year he is barefoot outside 90% of the time (I am too). Some Robeez styles go up to 3-4 years.
The current thinking is that 'barefoot is best' and that arch or ankle support is not needed. Toddler foot wear is to protect their feet from trauma and abrasions, not to help the foot develop in any way.
I had good luck with those Stride Rite shoes, too. Make sure they are the ones with the bendy/textured sole, believe me, they will try to sell them to you, as they are kind of expensive. But they do make it easier for little ones to feel the ground.
my son had and has thick feet :) we got him Elephanten when he was smaller and learning to walk. they worked out well and then Striderite & Geox.. Also, when a toddler, I bought him some velcro strap shoes from Sketchers. in this case, the shoes were very sturdy and had good arch and sole support, something I think is MUST for children's shoes, let alone anyone's.. which is why I usually tend to spend a bit more when it comes to shoes.. but as mentioned, in that particular case, the Sketchers were a nice fit..
We really liked the 'See Kai Run' shoes. They have a flexible sole for new walkers and are easy to get on and off. My son had two pair before he finally grew out of the brand. We loved them, and they might be soft enough to accommodate your son's foot "height".
I do daycare, so see alot of shoes come thru my doors. I currently have an 11 mos old and freshly turned 1 year old. Both are on the verge of walking and both recently got a similar Stride Rite shoe...a boy and girl version of basically the same thing.
The line is called SRT Soft Motion. Many boy and girl designs. My little boy (11 mos) has the Dino design
http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite...
Easy to get on and off, still a soft shoe but with a walking bottom. I wish I could get some in my size!!! He is a chunk-a-lunck pork chop baby...looks like a muscle-beach baby! LOL SO defiantly the chunky feet as well. Socks can fit in them...we just adjust the Velcro strap. These look to me like a firmer, velcro'ed on version of the Robeez.
Have fun shopping!
Robeez Tredz - same awesome Robeez shoes but with real soles.
We always used stride rite. Check there website for the nearest outlet to you. The prices are more reasonable and they will still fit your colds foot.
Stride Rite.
One pair lasted 3 boys!
Stride rite, they were able to fit my son better than Nordstrom. I had purchased 4 pairs for my son, before I took him into Stride Rite. They bought out Robeez this year and Robeez makes transition shoes from the soft leather to a walking sole, they also make soft sole sandals and have double wide. Even better they showed me how to get the shoe on in one quick motion. My son also went from Robeez sock shoes into Stride Rite. Good luck
Stride rite all the way...May choices and good sturdy but flexible shoes for the newbie walkers :)
my daughter wore both stride-rite and see kai run, and definitely preferred the former. see kai run has cute stuff, but when she was first learning to walk, the front of her soles caught on the cement, so she frequently found herself tripping. it was probably due to not lifting her foot as much as she should've, but she had no such problem with stride-rite.
Another vote for Stride Rite! Both my kids have the puffy foot issue and SR is one of the only shoes that work. See Kai Run is a good brand too but they are harder to find, at least in my area, and the price is just as much as Stride Rite, although sometimes the styles are funkier and cuter. Robeez rock but now that he's walking, I agree to move him to a regular shoe!
Yes... Stride Rite. I have had excellent success with their stores. It seems like the managers really know how their products fit and run. I go to two different stores out here and have found them to be experts. More expensive, yes, but I think their feet are very important.
Take him to Stride Rite, they will fit him properly and get him a great walking shoe! The chase is on!
Also, I LOVED the Robeez and they do make a rubber-soled version now....but if you have the all leather ones, they can be thrown in the washing machine...I found them very durable, just not great for muddy terrain.
Looking at these responses, I keep wondering who out there has tiny-footed babies! I was thinking the other day (trying to find shoes for my 20 month old) that baby shoes look like adult shoes even though baby feet tend to be rounder than adult feet. Thanks for asking the question -- I've been wondering, too.
We also had good luck with some shoes from payless when my 3 1/2 year old was younger, but we haven't seen the same kind lately.
Payless has great wide shoes, but they will not last as long as Stride Rite which are also great. But then again, when my daughter was 13 months, she didn't stay in shoes long anyway. My daughter also had bricks on her feet. As she slimmed down so did her feet and now she doesn't need wide shoes and we have much more of a selection to choose from. However, she still can't wear Nikes since they run really narrow, even their wides are narrow.
Absolutely go to Stride Rite for the SRT shoes!
They offer just the right amount of support and flexibility.
My little guy was not quite walking yet when we got his, but now he is (nearly) a pro.
He has a chunky foot and he also had a habit of curling his toes.
These are the only shoes he owns he can walk in.
He has these: http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite...
I liked Robeeze and I also like Stride Rite, but if you don't have that option, I honestly go to PayLess and their SmartFit shoes are often wider/more adjustable than some other shoes. My DD couldn't wear any shoe with a strap across the foot for a long time. Her foot was too fat.
My brother was a podiatrist and always said that good supportive shoes are a must for babies and kids. Their bones are still soft and they need a good arch support in their shoes so their feet form correctly. As far as I know the only store that carries good shoes for kids is Stride Right. A bit pricy but better in the long run. My daughter goes to an outlet store when they are on sale and buy 2 pair, sometimes one a half size too big.
This saves them from having a lot of foot issues latter in life.
My son also had bricks for feet! They have flattened out a bit & he no longer needs wide shoes, so maybe you will be lucky too?? I also got his shoes at stride rite when he was little, but I think the most important thing was finding a salesperson who knew what she was doing! Having someone knowledgeable to suggest shoes that run wider & will work for your child's foot is priceless. So when you find someone you like & trust, ask for their card, and then call ahead to find out when they will be working when you need to get a new pair of shoes.
Pedipeds are still flexible and have a velcro strap that you just don't tighten as much for thicker feet. My son also had a very thick fat pad and these shoes worked great. They also grow with them by including an extra insole that can be removed when their feet grow bigger. They are pretty cute though rather pricey. I think they are only available on line, but maybe a specialty chidren's shoe store could order them in if you want to make sure they fit first.
www.pediped.com
