First shoes - help!

[OrangeSwoosh]

I'm going to need to buy DC's first shoes soon (far sooner than I'd like!). At the risk of sounding like my mother, "in my day..." Clark's was the place to go, but I'm hearing they're not great any more.

Where would you recommend? For cruisers and then actual shoes.

Style/price etc. aren't important as long as they're correctly fitted, comfortable and suitable for a newly walking tot.

For cruisers nothing at all as much as possible so they can just be cheap supermarket ones as should only be on when really necessary outside. My cruising DD was barefoot in park today.

For proper ones they shod be confidently walking for at least 4 weeks before you get them. For actual shops we used a local independent one but have also used Clark's and found them fine.

We've had marks and Spencer's first walking shoes and Clark's , both have been great

@DappledThings we're definitely a shoes off household! He does not want to sit still though and at the moment he's fine to go off barefoot or just with socks but once it starts to get wetter he'll need something a little more.

Do M&S do fitting?

In the house your DC is better off being barefoot or in socks. You can buy rubber soled socks if your floors are slippery. For outdoors I bought my DC a pair of “barefoot” shoes by Bobux. They’re really soft and light so it’s easy to learn to walk in them, and elasticated so they slip on easily. He’s nearly two and only now am I considering introducing actual “proper” shoes.

I tried Clark’s and truthfully the shoes weren’t great. Not just in terms of boring design but also in terms of fit. The assistant spent ages trying to cram DC’s feet into a pair of shoes that were much too difficult to get on. In the end I told her not to bother because I can’t have this hassle every day when I put his shoes on, they need to slip on easily. I’m tempted to go back to Bobux for next stage shoes as they seem easy to wear. Toms shoes seem quite good as well.

I go to a little independent store I trust. They sell a variety of brands but my favourite to buy (for my 18 mo) are Geox.

An independent shop would be ideal. I want somewhere that puts the same amount of effort into finding the right fit that the independent running shop I go to does when I buy trainers!

I know exactly what you mean! The lady at the place I go is lovely and takes time to measure my DD's feet properly - which I appreciate when raDD is running all over the place. I always leave happy! I visited Clarkes once and I wouldn't go again. My daughter has positional talipes which isn't a huge problem but despite me explaining this they didn't take the time to straighten her feet out for her to be measured. I lost confidence after that.

I'd have a look around local places to you and see where you like most!

An independent shop would be ideal

If you're in SE London I can recommend one!

We had these initially Bical Socks. There are many versions and old-season type patterns on eBay for cheaper though. This is just the brand we had. DS also had tiny Crocs and wellies before he had actual shoes. Once babies start waking, their feet grow and develop so quickly that they grow out of shoes very fast. My HV recommended that I did not get my dc shoes until they had been “mostly walking for moving” for a month.

When they did get shoes, we went to Kids at Clinks (Clinkards).

If you're in SE London I can recommend one

Unfortunately not, the arse end of nowhere where things like that are unheard of! Will probably have to venture to a nearby city

When DS was walking holding onto my hands he had clarks cruisers for playgrounds (tarmack, bits of glass etc) and soft bobux type shoes or barefeet indoors (he slipped on laminate floors in socks)...he cruised/hand walked for months.
Bought some sturdy sandles for a holiday and he learnt to walk, maybe chance or maybe he needed a bit of extra support - skinny feet and ankles and long skinny legs.

Basically it'll depend on your DC and if they walk outside a lot.

@OrangeSwoosh if you're near-ish Birmingham there's a great one I can recommend

@showmethegin unfortunately not, Bristol or Exeter would be my nearest cities.

He'll probably need some soft cruisers before much longer, nursery have a garden that they really like to utilise but I guess they're much easier to fit anyway

If Bristol is your closest city then I really rate oddsox shoes on Gloucester Road. They don't always have a massive range in every size, but I have always managed to find something suitable and they are very knowledgeable fitters!

@Clarabellawilliamson thank you, that's fantastic. Bristol is a good distance away but we go fairly regularly to visit friends and family so a trip to Gloucester rd is no problem (and gives me a good excuse to stock up in Scoop Away!)