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Behaviour/development

Fat footed baby

19 replies

toastedbeagle · 22/02/2016 18:27

My 14m old DS is cruising but not walking. Taken him twice to get his first shoes but his feet won't fit in them! He's a 3.5 length wise but the shoes are not high enough inside for his pudding like feet... The assistant managed to get them in a 4.5 but then of course the shoes were an inch too long!

Will his feet spread out and go thinner as he learns to walk?!

OP posts:
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BrightandEarly · 22/02/2016 20:31

Does he just have a high instep? If that's the word I want Confused. My DD had this and still does to some extent but it's getting easier to find shoes that fit now at 3.5 years old.

We managed by adjusting the style of shoe we bought (e.g. With Velcro over the top), and also increasing the width fitting.

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youlemming · 22/02/2016 22:18

DD1 has a high instep as well as wide feet (H) and had to have the ankle boot type shoes.
Even now at almost 6 she has trouble and ends up in shoes half a size bigger than she measures, but it has improved as she got bigger, it use to be a whole size up.
Have a look at something like the below;

www.clarks.co.uk/p/26110321

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VagueIdeas · 22/02/2016 22:25

Babies and toddlers do have fat pads on the tops of their feet. Cute, but awkward in your case!

The will disappear as they get older, just like they lose their chub all over.

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scarednoob · 23/02/2016 08:27

John Lewis do two widths - that might help? Buying shoes for my niece as a toddler, I was asked delicately if she was "a chunky footed child"!

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Sansfards · 28/02/2016 23:32

Don't panic, we had this high instep issue but you'd never know now.
Nike trainers were the only things to fit comfortably so I'd recommend them

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backinaminute · 04/03/2016 06:42

My DS was like this and I had several panics in Clarks. I found startrite fitted much better because their straps over the top are longer. I would try a few different brands. I also kept him in those soft leather slip on things for quite a long time and let him wear them outside and accepted they would be ruined (as in look scruffy, not be unwearable).

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backinaminute · 04/03/2016 06:42

He is 3 now and it's not hard to find shoes by the way so don't worry.

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outtheothersidefinally · 04/03/2016 06:47

Go barefoot for as long as possible! No need for shoes for a long time, especially at home.

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outtheothersidefinally · 04/03/2016 06:49
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MyBreadIsEggy · 04/03/2016 06:59

My DD has fat feet too Blush she's been cruising for a while but we never bothered with shoes, but now she's started properly walking we thought we had better get her some. We took her to Clarks, and had her feet measures.....because she's only 10mo, her feet are really tiny length and width wise, but are really chubby from the sole to the top of her foot if that makes sense?! Length wise she measured as a 2 on one foot and 2.5 on the other. We ended up buying a 3.5 because her chubby little trotters wouldn't fit in the 2.5 Blush

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MyBreadIsEggy · 04/03/2016 07:00

Just seen up thread it's called a "high instep" rather than chubby trotter Grin

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Fozzleyplum · 04/03/2016 07:03

We had the same problem with DS2. He had fat feet and two of his toes wouldn't lie flat, and stuck up like an unruly carpet fringe. The answer is to find an independent shoe shop that sells European brands. A lot of the German brands have suitable styles. Whilst I love Clarks for me, their shoes were not suited to DS'S feet.

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Finlaggan · 04/03/2016 07:03

Don't go to clarks, they are awful for fitting. Go to an independent shoe shop, they'll do a proper fit and the shoes will probably be better quality although might be a bit more expensive. I have two children with high insteps, clarks just said they had wide feet, they don't.

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Twowrongsdontmakearight · 04/03/2016 07:05

We still have this with DD now 12. Although her feet aren't chubby anymore she has a high instep and can only buy certain shoes. She was in Startrite when younger, not Clarks and has accepted that she has no choice of shoe. She has to have whatever fits.

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Fozzleyplum · 04/03/2016 08:17

I'd agree, Finlsggan. I went to Clarks for DS1'S first pair of shoes, and the "expert" fitter assured me, that she was selling me the correct size and fit. The shoes crushed his feet terribly and he didn't wear them. My boys spent the rest of their early childhood in Start Rite, Petasil and Ricotta.

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Fozzleyplum · 04/03/2016 08:18

Ricosta, even. Their feet are not that cheesy!

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CMOTDibbler · 04/03/2016 08:31

My ds has always had high and wide feet, and spent all his time as a toddler and preschooler in Ricosta and other wide european brands. Now we can carefully select H width styles, but it is normally an argument in shoe shops as they don't have H very often and try and do the sizing up thing which drives me nuts

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nam207 · 04/03/2016 08:37

Different brands fit different types of feet better/worse.

Try to find a shop that sells barefoot shoes for children. They are softer and more flexible and have been much better for our DS who had a high instep.

They have a bit of info about this on this website
www.happylittlesoles.co.uk

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BarbarianMum · 04/03/2016 09:43


Don't know where you live but here it's snowing, so if the OP is in the UK then yes her baby will need shoes!
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