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Behaviour/development

Shoes and walking

5 replies

ladygarden · 14/10/2004 14:26

DD took first steps lasts week, she is 14 and a half months old. Since then she has lost confidence in the idea and gone back to bottom shuffling. I took her to Clark's yesterday for some cruiser shoes for when we go out and about and they insisted she should have first shoes. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I bought them, as now I have proper shoes for a baby who bottom shuffles. I am thinking about returning the shoes as not sure when dd will start walking again and all that I've read insists that they shouldn't have proper shoes until after 6 weeks of walking... what would you do??

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muddaofsuburbia · 14/10/2004 14:34

Just re-read your post several times to make sure I got this right.

Are you saying Clarks sold you walking shoes for a non-walking baby?

If that's the case, then definitely take them back cos you don't need them. Unless your dd has massive feeta nd doesn't fit in the cruiser range, she really needs softer shoes at the moment. And no shoes at all while she's indoors.

You're totally right - any shoe shop - and especially Clarks - shouldn't sell you stiff, heavy walking shoes until your toddler is an acomplished walker, walking for at least 6 weeks.

I think you've been done by an over-enthusiastic shop assistant

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coppertop · 14/10/2004 14:36

I would take them back because you didn't really want them in the first place. They talked you into getting different shoes and you relied on them being 'professionals'. Dig out the receipt.

FWIW toddlers do often revert to crawling/shuffling for a while. It's quicker for them to get from A to B that way until they really get the hang of walking.

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WigWamBam · 14/10/2004 18:47

Take them back, Clarks are pretty good about refunds. She doesn't need proper shoes until she starts to walk outside which won't be just yet, she'll need a different size by then. Clarke's First Steps are lovely and soft and great first shoes but not yet.

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Angeliz · 14/10/2004 18:52

Take them back and complain at the same time that you'd explained the situation and have since discovered she shouldn't be in these shoes yet!

I had my dd measured at my local Clarks a few days ago. LAZY old shop assistent said "we'll try her on the computer one (the one they stand on) but it only starts from a 9. DD stood on and she said"oh she's a 9" I asked was she sure as she was only 71/2 a few weeks ago and she said yes.
I went to another Clarks anyway and they measured her with the hand held machine and she's just over 8.

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ladygarden · 15/10/2004 15:05

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have been back to Clarks and asked to exchange the shoes for cruisers, then found they had none in stock in her size - perhaps the reason they sold me proper shoes in the first place! So I've been to Startrite where the staff were far more helpful and got some there. I don't trust Clarks anymore!