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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Are Clarks crawlies/cruisers useful or necessary?

19 replies

talcam · 13/01/2007 08:49

Just wondering peoples thoughts on this DD2 wants to walk all the time (with support) are the clarks pre walker shoes of any use? Or are they another way to rid us of hard earned pennies
We do have wooden floors which can be slippy with tights on.

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hippmummy · 13/01/2007 08:53

I think they are unneccessary if she is only walking indoors and supported.
Maybe you could get her those socks with the non-slip bottoms for the wooden floors.

belgo · 13/01/2007 08:53

I used very soft leather slippers for my children before they started walking properly, we also have floorboards and tiled floors, and tights alone are too cold in the winter. If it was the summer and warm, then barefeet is the healthiest option.

Original poster

talcam · 13/01/2007 10:56

I agree about the bare feet. I was just wondering if people had used them and found them beneficial.

OP posts:

katylou25 · 13/01/2007 11:41

I had them for DS1 - but he learned to walk outside in the summer so needed them, if were just walking inside wouldn't bother to bwe honest

feetheart · 13/01/2007 11:52

Only necessary if she wants to walk outside. Got some Startrite ones for DS as we were going camping and going bare foot wasn't possible.
If just going to be inside try Star Child They have some lovely very soft leather shoes/slippers. DS as a pair for indoors as he won't keep socks on

winestein · 13/01/2007 11:58

I found that the leather bottomed shoes or slippers just didn't cut the mustard on our wooden floors and he used to slip all over the place, so I ended up going down the clarks crawler and cruiser route as DS has very wide feet and I wasn't happy about buying anything more formal that wasn't measured.

I would have rather avoided him having shoes at all tbh, but he did need something to help him.

HTH

winestein · 13/01/2007 11:59

Oh, and yes.. in terms of not slipping they were very beneficial. As for any other claims Clarks might make, they are just bunkum (probably!!)

helenhismadwife · 13/01/2007 20:14

we have somke slippery wooden floors, slate floors and a tiled floor and found that dd2 feet would get very cold as well as it being slippery when she was just starting to walk so we got cruisers, I agree they may not be needed if you have carpets and a warm house, or if its summer but in our old barn they were essential

Gemmasmummy · 15/01/2007 15:47

My HV advised that children should NOT wear any outdoor shoes until they have been walking unaided for 6 weeks because a) the bones are soft and can easily be damaged and b) the child needs to feel the floor underneath their feet and that helps them walk more confidently and keep their balance. Wearing shoes with outdoor soles can interfere with that process. If your floors are slippery could he just go barefoot? Or wear soft-soled baby shoes like other people suggested?

Lio · 15/01/2007 15:48

we gave them a miss as I am a skinflint.

icebat · 15/01/2007 16:08

Hi Talcam we bought DS a pair of cruisers after he started walking unaided but we only use them we he goes to playgroup etc; at home we just use socks with grips to keep his tootsies warm.

I'm not keen on him having full walking shoes until he's ready to walk outside as I prefer to heed the consensus that bare feet are best. However, the shoes are great when he's out and about, plus, when he was measured for them we found he has very wide feet, so now I wouldn't put any sort of shoe on him that hasn't been properly fitted first.

winestein · 15/01/2007 18:04

They are not outdoor shoes Gemmasmummy. They are specifically designed for crawling and cruising (indoor pursuits) and are very soft soled. Clarks will not sell you (or will strongly advise against) proper outdoor shoes until after the 6 week walking mark either.

Agree Icebat - except I had to have them at home due to wooden floors/tendency to remove socks immediately.

Anyway, where is Talcam? Queueing for some cruisers?

BuffysMum · 15/01/2007 18:22

my dd has been walking/cruising a bit for 2 months but have just bought her some cruisers now that she is walking 95% of the time for the last week simply because her daisy roots etc are too small and she can at least walk outside in them providing it is dry. If it were summer I perhaps could have got away without them.

They are better than rushing them into proper shoes.

gingermonkey · 15/01/2007 19:59

ds is 15 months, has been walking for 6 months now and he has a pair of proper shoes for outside but whenever he is indoors or in the pushchair he wears robeez (would do a link - but am useless, if someone else can help please do!!! It's www.robeez.co.uk). They do soft shoes that are useful as slippers too, and have lots of different styles. I always worry that wearing shoes is restrictive and sweaty and just not comfy. When you are at home, what do you wear? I wear nothing or slippers and would hate to have shoes on all the time.

Original poster

talcam · 15/01/2007 22:18

I have not disappeared. DH hogging computer he is only preparing for an interview for new job not really important stuff like this
Interesting to hear all your points definately agree with outdoor shoes DD1 was walking a long time before she got outdoor shoes (although mainly because her feet were too small another early walker).
I think I might give them a miss just now and maybe review it if she starts walking more, glad I now have extra ammo rather than just being tight
Funny that no-one has actually found them useful other than from a slipping point of view!

OP posts:

UniSarah · 16/01/2007 12:10

I'm think I'll get some if boy is not yet in shoes when we go camping. wet grass will trash his robeez soft leather slippers. Think cruisers would be better than wellies anyway at this age.

gingermonkey · 16/01/2007 13:10

Agreed Unisarah. Wellies are really hard for little ones to walk in, they don't have the flexibility that he would be used to. DS got some lovely wellies for his birthday but has never worn them, he looks horrified if I go near him with them!

helenhismadwife · 16/01/2007 16:48

Have to say I dont think I would have bothered with them if it wasnt for the worry about dd slipping or getting blue feet from the cold I prefer bare feet much healthier

UniSarah · 17/01/2007 15:17

Just got told by another mum that our local boot maker will put a sole onto robeez type slippers!
So theres anothger possibility to explore for pre-shoes shoes.
Said local boot maker will also make kids shoes to fit that can be stretched and then turned into open toe sandals as feet grow bigger. 40 quid for inital make and then 2 quid or so each for stretch and sandaliseing. people recon to get about a year of wear out of a pair so seems cost effective compared to clarks etc.

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