To wonder why shoes are so expensive for toddlers

[Mama822]

Why are toddler shoes so expensive?
so I got my toddler some wellies from next with vouchers but he couldn’t walk in them, and i thought maybe wrong size, poor fit or not ready for wellies. He’s 18 months and been running since 10 months!
it’s the third time I tried to buy shoes online that just don’t fit!
last time I went to Clark’s LO was curling his toes and the shoe fitter just said “oh let’s just guess he is a size 4”, and then tried to squeeze shoes on and encourage me to buy the shoes.
so I went to a little independent shop and he’s needed a size 5! got shoes there, great service and fortunately the best fitting shoes were half price!
anyway went today to see if we could get fitted and get the right wellies and none of the wellies are supportive enough so tried on a pair of gortex ankle boots which fit great and comfy, waterproof and warm enough for winter and fine for spring too etc then asked the price —- £64?!!!! Is this normal?
I’ve come home to think about it, and will need to discuss with DH. If we get then we won’t get any other shoes , and won’t get spares. He will wear them until he outgrows them! They do leave plenty growing room.
money is tight but I don’t want to get badly fitting shoes - DH has foot problems and so have I, and was told by the foot dr it was from wearing poorly fitted shoes, and I’m so paranoid about that.

I don’t trust myself to buy online again or fit them myself.
I don’t want to go back to that Clark’s again. There is nowhere else near us that fit kids shoes so I think I’ll have to go back and get these shoes. And hope he doesn’t have a growth spurt!!

but I can get shoes cheaper for myself so it’s a little frustrating.

AIBU to wonder why shoes are so expensive for toddlers? Is it worth it? Is it normal? Should I just be ok with it?

tia x

You can filter on vinted to new with tags. Loads on there from people who have bought the wrong size or bought too many pairs etc but still much cheaper than in the shop. Just a thought to help save the pennies!

What I’ve noticed about our independent shoe shop is that they know which shoes will fit my kids. The experienced ladies only bring out shoes that will fit. They will know how different brands and styles fit, that can be worth paying for.

It might depend on how easy it is to get shoes that fit your kids. We struggle due to narrow feet and ankles, together with hypermobility so a need for support. The shoe shop we use is the one the physiotherapists at the hospital recommend.

Omg!! 3 weeks 😮

Thank you I’ll try that!

Good point, I have learned my self that M&S don’t seem a good fit for my son - and they have such lovely styles!

his feet are chunky high instep. His pre walkers were from Clark’s and they were good. His current pair are start rite and the second he put them on I could see how perfect they were!

Yeh I’ll give up on wellies for the time being!

Same here. The record was two half-sizes of growth in six weeks.

They outgrow shoes so quickly there’s just no point forking out £60+ for shoes, definitely not for wellies which are designed purely to get as dirty as possible!

I buy their shoes on Vinted mostly nowadays.

gortex ankle boots

There’s your problem! You’d be spending £200 on an adult pair of goretex walking boots.

Does he actually need boots? DS wasn’t immediately able to walk in boots at that age, they were too heavy for him. DS did need to wear boots as we lived in Canada and it was too cold for normal shoes, but it took him a while to get used to the extra weight. So if your son isn’t splashing in deep puddles, I’d probably just try to cope with waterproof trousers and normal leather shoes. He’ll be fine next year when his legs are a bit longer and stronger.

If he does want to go in puddles, or his feet are getting wet in normal shoes, just persevere with the wellies. Took DS a couple of weeks of daily wear to get used to snow boots, but once he got used to them he was running around and climbing quite happily in them.

Because they can be.

Ebay is your friend. They don't get worn for long as they're outgrown.

Do lined wellies offer more support?
Like this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grass-Air-Colour-Changing-UK_Footwear_Size_System-Little_Kid/dp/B0BD5Q6BWH/ref=mp_s_a_1_15_sspa?crid=2J6Q0RNCS80HC&keywords=lined+welly+boots+for+toddlers&qid=1697699737&sprefix=lined+welly+boots+for+toddlers%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-15-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
or this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demar-Toddlers-Children-Wellington-numeric_4/dp/B09Q63X65F/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2J6Q0RNCS80HC&keywords=lined+welly+boots+for+toddlers&qid=1697699737&sprefix=lined+welly+boots+for+toddlers%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-2

for reference he couldn’t walk in these:
https://www.marksandspencer.com/kids-freshfeet-wellies-4-small-7-large-/p/clp60616944?intid=mobile_app_pdp_share

I work for an online shoe shop selling minimalist and barefoot shoes. Yes the prices make me wince but the development of children's feet is SO important, not just to their foot growth but their balance and alignment. Money spent now on good shoes will pay out in good health when they are older

Yes. I don’t want to risk damage to the feet with poor fitting shoes. But we did get lucky with the last pair in that the colour we got was the only colour half price! Hoping for same sort of luck!

No, lined wellies are just warmer. No extra support.

OP, it will take him a while to get used to walking in wellies, but he will get used to it. As long as they aren’t falling off when he walks. Pick the lightest pair you can find, it is the extra weight that is the problem.

High instep and wide feet was our problem. Clarks and high street shops never worked. Independent shops helped me find a few brands that did work. Ricosta, Geox, Superfit. Always look for ones with two rows of Velcro.

I bought the startrite foot gauge to measure at home and then buy from their clearance section. I typically pay £15-20 for a pair of shoes that have an RRP of £40-50.
I don't get the same choice as buying full price but never have issues with finding something I like and that is suitable
I won't go anywhere near Clarks as they wouldn't let my daughter try on any bogs shoes and insisted that the only suitable shoes were hideous pink trainers and they got a defensive when asked what if a boy walked into the shop with same same sized feet

I second, third, whatever searching vinted new with tags. I like the Bogs neoprene baby wellies. You can buy them new on vinted for £15. Comfy, supportive, warm and waterproof.

Oh that’s good to know! I’ve been looking at ones with two rows of Velcro!

Yes his current pair are start rite for £20!!
still selling double everywhere else!

I always read shoe threads, thinking that maybe I neglected my kids. I didn’t give it much thought at all. We just found shoes that look like they fitted, whatever brand they were. We bought wellies from M&S or John Lewis. Shoes were sometimes Clarks and sometimes other brands. We did not buy secondhand as we were lucky enough not to need to do so.

anyway, my kids made it to adulthood with no foot issues so luckily I have had no consequences for my cavalier attitude when they were kids. They only had a pair of trainers and school shoes and wellies or sandals at any age until they were 11-ish. Some of their friends had many more pairs.

It was only later that I realised what a serious business kids’ shoe-choosing was.

I always buy Ds decent shoes. Any time I have tried to go cheap ie Zara wellingtons they don’t fit and fall off, causing him to fall.

Super fit- shoes and winter boots
kuling- wellingtons, snow boots

I usually always get the Kuling ones in the sale online (Alex and Alexa), and get ski stuff and rain trousers the same

Superfit stuff sometimes in get him remeasured and buy local independent, other times I measure at home and just buy the same shoe, just bigger size, maybe different colour. But that way I know the style and brand fit well.

But obviously children’s shoe sales are a business. Companies will exploit parents’ anxieties to charge exorbitant amounts for tiny pairs of shoes. I would treat companies’ claims with some caution, and ultimately use your own judgement in how the shoes fit. You just need to find a match between your child’s shoe and the foot, and not get too influenced by the marketing.

Order a foot gauge and measure at home.
Buy decent brands online from Clarks outlet, shoesforkids.co.uk, new with tags from ebay etc.

My mum was a chiropodist and as a child I wasn’t allowed to wear any shoes that hadn’t been professionally fitted, and even as a teenager she wouldn’t let me wear any pointy shoes or high heels. She explained that a baby/toddler/child’s feet are still forming, and not all bones are present until adulthood. If your child wears shoes that have inadequate space for the foot to spread and grow, the new bones will be compromised and could lead to lifelong pain and even disability.
When my kids were little I often bought second hand clothes and toys, but would never buy shoes for everyday wear unless they had been fitted properly in a shop.