When to buy first shoes, please?

[aitch71]

hi there, following on from the other thread i have just realised that i should perhaps be thinking about buying some shoes for dd as she is now 'cruising'.
so does this mean she needs cruising shoes rather than going barefoot in the house and wearing those little Daisy Roots shoes outside?
all advice gratefully appreciated.

Experts say keep them barefoot as long as possible - don't need shoes until they start walking (unless obv need them outside) but should be barefoot as much as possible.

Personally think crusing shoes are rip off and just out to make as much money as possible - they are not necessary.

cruising shoes have only been around a few years. I think its a bit of a con unless dd is cruising outside and its wet i wouldn't have thought it was neccesary. I just used daisy roots type shoes until my 3 were ready for proper shoes. hope that helps.

not clarks
shite shoes
just the best known

good, i hadn't even heard of cruising shoes until five minutes ago and just thought 'there's another thing i would have known about if i ever bought parenting magazines...'
my friend recently bought a pair of gorgeous little leather boots for her 9 month old, apparently they are from the czech republic and designed to protect the baby's ankles or something like that when they start to walk... another gimmick, d'you think? they are delicious, though. am too mean, so will stick with daisy roots.
when the time comes - if not clarks, then whose shoes?

defo not shite clarks!!
start rite seem to be the best fit for mst LO!s (and the rest of the class so label carefully!!)

ps ,,, ankles need to move around to develop properly...please dont for want of a better word "bind" the ankle bones are soft,but have been developing for thousands of years and will be ok if left in usual circumstances, to develope normally...

My ds was walking at 11 months and our pediatrician, contrary to what everyone else claims, said "buy the cheapest shoes you can find - $5 a pair if possible".

He said babies only need shoes to keep their feet warm outside and to protect them from stones etc but that they should not have ridgid expensive shoes. He even said things like start rite are not necessary until a child is at least two & their feet & balance are better developed. I'd like to know where you can buy $5 shoes though...

We have had Robeez
and pedipeds . Both are very flexible, almost like bare feet...

Buy first shoes when she is walking.

Clarks shouldn't sell you'em before (our lovely local Clarks stockist won't). Till then barefoot is luvvvvrly.

(We also buy Stat-rite btw - whatever fits best).

cowmad, what you are saying totally makes sense...
and mamaaaargh, i am in love with the pedipeds for when the time comes. have bookmarked the pages, thanks.

i have just bought the most gorgeous silver leather shoes in a size 4 they start from a 3 for a fiver
dd4 can walk fine in them checked them for size like clarks and start rite do but begrudge paying 30 pounds for a pair of shoes that hardly ever see the outside floor

So where did you get them, all4girlz?

i was always told not to buy shoes until they were walking clarks has always been my favorite first shoe shop nice soft and gorgeous to look at x

shoes not needed until they are walking and need to walk outside. Why all the Clarks bashing? I've not had any problems, startrite seem quite hard and inflexible to me. My lot did have Ecco sandals this summer though as they were so soft inside, and only about a fiver more than clarks.

my DD start walking when she just turned 1.. and i bought her first shoes when she was 15 mths old as she was ready to walk outside as she was steady and walking all the time by then....i didnt bother with crusing shoes as why bother buying them if they are gonna be wear them indoors and the cost of money too..my dd was wearing thin material shoes for walking indoors.

yes put it off as long as possible ds was walking (properly, not cruising) for about 8 weeks before we got them so he could go to the playground.

another outrage of cruising shoes - clarks don't seem to make normal shoes under a size 4 so we were forced to buy silly cruising shoes as ds had small feet.

dd2 has recently started walking. The nursery have told us to wait until she has been walking confidently for at least 6 weeks before getting shoes for her. Until then, bare foot inside is best and daisy roots (or similar) for outside.

For dd1, we got her first shoes from George (asda). I thought they were brilliant. That was 3 years ago though. I think they were only about £6-7.

I got a pair for my niece's bday from Light and Soft and my sister says she is loving them. She is just starting to walk and the pedi said soft sole shoes are ok cuz it allows them grip the floor as if walking barefoot. They have organic cotton inner lining and elastic ankle band so quite comfy and easy to put on. She wears them outside too!

When they start walking properly.