Dr Martens Brooklee for 1 year old?

[Siriu5Black]

Has anyone bought Dr Martens for little ones? Would love some experiences with them please. I love that sturdy feel for little feet when she is walking & she can wear them in any weather, especially winter months. Are there any negatives? She has some cute Clarks shoes at the moment, by I know it sounds strange, I'm getting 'over' girl shoes at the moment,, it's raining and cold, yet all I see is dolly type shoes with a trap! Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ilovewillow]

We didn't use Dic Martens but my daughter always had kickers, no very girlie and great for wider feet!

[Ilovewillow]

Not Dic clearly but Doc!

[Fuzzypeggy]

I hear that docs are very very hard and difficult to break in. I would hope that the children's ones are more forgiving but I think it would be worth feeling how hard or soft the leather particularly round the heel is

[MoreThanUs]

I love docs for myself, but would go for somethings softer for a one year old.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

I think they would be a pain to get on and off a one year old, who probably doesn't spend an awful lot of time on her feet!
I bought some softer leather zip up boots from Next kids, but not sure if they cater for very small sizes.

[PurplePink]

For a child that young you should be able to literally fold the sole/shoe in half to ensure that they are flexible enough for their developing feet. I suspect that may not be the case with a Doc M.

(Trained as a shoefitter some years ago!)

[Fairylea]

The children's ones are much, much softer than the adult version. Dh and I love docs. That said, I wouldn't get them for a toddler. I think they don't have the same flexibility that a shoe from clarks or start rite etc does.

[BroomstickOfLove]

I'd go for something a lot softer. Happy Little Soles online did lovely soft books for my DC when they were that age. It was a while ago, so I'm not sure if they are still around, but they were the nicest shoes my DC have ever had.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

Absolute waste of money. If you've got money to burn then go for it, but for a one year old just buy some cheap boots from somewhere else. She doesn't need anything really sturdy (by that I mean soft boots would be fine) as she's one, she's hardly going to be walking a lot.

[Rustythedog]

My kids have worn them from age three upwards. They are priced similarly to any other 'children's brand'. They are not hard to wear nor do they need to be broken in. They have zips on the side so the laces are decorative more than anything. I think they look good and I foresee buying them every Winter until my DC say otherwise.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

I didn't realise they zipped up, Rusty, I had visions of wrestling to lace a toddler into them several times a day.
I still think they're not so suitable for age 1 though, if nothing else they'll probably grow out of them in a matter of weeks at that age.

For older ones; very practical (and funky).

[BusterGonad]

I wouldn't buy a one year old a pair, they'd be so awkward to put on and off and I'm too stingy to spend £££ on shoes that will be grown out of within months unless they are tried and tested Clarks. I remember I bought my son some Adidas high top trainers when he was 4 and they were so annoying to get on and off. They were lovely but I wish I had gone for the Velcro pair.

[BusterGonad]

Sorry, they zip up!!!

[Norahy]

All of mine have worn them since walking. Then we've passed them down to the younger ones.

They zip up so you only do the laces once.

£44 is pretty much on par with a pair of clarks

[AHolyGuacamole]

My dd has always worn Docs from when she first started walking (at 19 months which was quite late.) She loves them. They are excellent in rain, snow and ice. They are easy enough to put on and take off and she's never had any problems walking in them. I always buy from eBay second hand though as you can always get pairs barely worn for about £10-15.

[Rustythedog]

Somebody mentioned tried and trusted Clarks. TBH I have never got the love of Clarks. They make money from their very old reputation when they were one of the only kid's shoe shops around. I can now buy very similar shoes in M&S and I do not buy into the wide/narrow thing at all. As long as they fit correctly and are the right sort of shoes for the child's feet i.e. a secure fit - most non fashion but substantial shoes will be good. I'm not referring to Zara or more 'fashion' shoes but Start Rite and numerous other brands widely available these days.

[BusterGonad]

I get Clarks fairly cheap from an outlet store, I've always found them very hard wearing and long lasting, I didn't realize docs were that cost. At the end of the day if you like them buy them. It's as simple as that. I like Clarks so I buy Clarks.

[Enidblyton1]

I love DMs, but honestly think they look so clumpy on a toddler. I saw a little girl wearing them the other day - she was tiny and they looked huge on her. But maybe the very small sizes are lighter/softer than they look?! I guess try them on and see how she walks in them.

If you are happy to pay £45ish for some winter boots there are some lovely ones out there that aren't girly. Bobux are great for little ones, and Ugg do some sturdy boots in neutral colours. We've had both of these in the last couple of years and they've been brilliant and hard wearing. And even better, no pink or pictures of butterflies etc!!

[BertrandRussell]

Ridiculous for a 1 year old.........

They don't need "sturdy" shoes at this age.

[Rustythedog]

There are some lovely shoes on the Bobux site. They cost more than DMs though. Do they wear well? They look very sweet.

[EstelleRoberts]

I was about to recommend the Bobux jodphur boots. Very stylish, but podiatrist recommended. Warm, and the inside leather is butter soft. Sole is flexible, though the boot has a little less give than a Start-rite pre-walker.

[Siriu5Black]

Ah, that's very helpful thanks! She's only started toddling so will wait a couple of weeks until she walks longer stretches and is more confident before buying anything. Will defo check out all the makes mentioned. Thanks again.

[Enidblyton1]

Yes, Rusty, I'd recommend Bobux
We've had a pair of boots and several shoes from there and they have lasted really well. Soft, but durable soles.

[BikeRunSki]

DD had DMs when she was 4 (she is just 5 now). They are much softer than the adult ones, zip up and much, much sturdier than Clark's. She likes them because she can put them on herself. Clark's Kids shoes are a marvel of marketing, but their fitting is inconsistent and their quality is dreadful. They are beuryet cheap enough to be cheap or expensive enough to last

[TheLongRoadToXmas]

I'd recommend Bobux, too. I don't think dd2 has worn anything else for over a year, she even has them for school shoes, as they're the only ones that fit her high arches. They're really light and bendy, but sturdy and hard wearing. Her current Bobux boots are sheepskin lined and look so soft and warm that I wish they did adult sizes!

Other option for a 1yo is Stonz, which they don't grow out of so fast and are impressively tough and waterproof. And stay on very firmly, unlike wellies.