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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

First shoes - any advice?

37 replies

kay1981 · 02/10/2007 15:16

My DS is nearly 14 months and he is just walking, so is now too soon to get him shoes, im thinking it might help him by making him feel more stable on his feet, is that right?

Are they for inside as well as outside?

Where is the best place (everyone seems to say Clarks!) and is there any that are better than others?

Sorry, I just dont know much about shoes , though my DH would disagree as he says I have too many!

OP posts:

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imagineafullnightsleep · 02/10/2007 15:22

Get him measured in Clarks - and then you can look in loads of different places. Some sports shops are really good (e.g. I got my DS a lovely pair of Nike trainers - that also come in half sizes, and to combat the width problem alot of kids have, the Nike's come with velcro straps over the top, and velcro straps round the back of the shoes). Other option is Converse - they don't do half sizes, but the trainers are great.

SpawnChorus · 02/10/2007 15:22

Not Clarks!!

Try Start-Rite or Jones the Bootmakers (they do Start Rite in there).

And there's no great hurry for him to wear proper shoes. In fact I think it's recommended that they have about a month or so of barefoot walking before introducing shoes.

IME they don;t help new walkers balance. In fact DD was more wobbly for the first few weeks, even though she was v stable in bare feet.

And make sure he has plenty of barefoot time when he's indoors. No need for shoes inside.

JoanWilder · 02/10/2007 15:24

Im interested in this thread too, as my dd is 15 mths, cruises and crawls but no walking. the other mums at playgrp look at me sideways as she's the only one with just socks on...but she dislikes 'pram shoes' and they just fall off anyway, and my mum says they learn faster in just socks (although Im not seeing it.......)

SpawnChorus · 02/10/2007 15:25

Oh - the reason I'm anti-Clarks is that they have shitey customer service IME, and their shoes are not of great quality. StartRite are much much better (although a bit more expensive). I am not a clothing snob at all by the way (DCs are entirely kitted out in second hand or Primark stuff), but StartRite shoes are lovely and last well.

JoanWilder · 02/10/2007 15:25

by barefoot, Spawn, do you mean socked? bit cold for bare feet now, esp on the laminates!

LIZS · 02/10/2007 15:25

Wait until he has been walking properly at least 6 weeks, his bones needs to spread and flex as he increasingly weight bears so his foot shape is still changing. You could go to somewhere like Jones, Russell and Bromley, One Small Step or John Lewis who do a variety of brands such as Startrite, Richter, Naturino etc rather than just Clarks.

3sEnough · 02/10/2007 15:26

I think what the previous posters are saying is that if you've had a rotten experience in one Clarks - you don't go there, otherwise, you do. (blatantly obvious comment!) Personally I've never had one of those so would always go to Clarks first as they are cheaper than start rite!! You may end up having a child with narrow feet though - in which case you'll probably end up in Start Rite in any case. I do both shops as one of my 3 has really narrow heels which slip out of most clarks shoes.

JoanWilder · 02/10/2007 15:26

oooh never thought of John Lewis

Original poster

kay1981 · 02/10/2007 15:27

Thanks, have no option with "plenty of bar-foot walking", as he wont have socks on!! In fact as I am putting one sock on, he's already taken the other one off!

Boy am I going to have fun with socks and shoes?!?!?

OP posts:

JoanWilder · 02/10/2007 15:27

yep dds feet are narrow compared to the size of varying tesco pram shoes

Original poster

kay1981 · 02/10/2007 15:27

Course, that should've been bare-foot walking!!

OP posts:

3sEnough · 02/10/2007 15:28

Get socks from Gap - they stay on and are really difficult for LO to take off!

SpawnChorus · 02/10/2007 15:30

JoanWilder - I do let DCs wander around barefoot on wooden floors [cruel mother emoticon] Actually you can also get grippy socks which are quite good, but my DCs seem to actually enjoy having chilly tootsies. They always remove their socks and shoes, including during shopping trips in near-Siberian conditions

Original poster

kay1981 · 02/10/2007 15:34

Spawnchours - Whre oh where do you get grippy socks, have searched n searched?!!

OP posts:

CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 15:34

Just seconding the comment that they should be walking unaided for 6 weeks before you put them in first shoes (although they can have cruising shoes before that if you so wish).

Jojay · 02/10/2007 15:39

I've just bought some shoo shoos from Mothercare for my 10 month old who's cruising and crawling, but not walking.

They're very soft suede and give him a better grip than socks - we have laminate in our playroom and he kept slipping over.

They won't be much good for outdoors but they're great for indoors, and are very soft, so no worries about squashing little feet.

3sEnough · 02/10/2007 15:45

Kay - the gap ones have grippy bits on but you can still wear them with shoes. Otherwise you're into full on grippy ones - you can't get shoes on over them though.

CastsSpellsWitchySpells · 02/10/2007 15:48

JoJoMamanBebe also do socks with grippy bits on, that can still be worn with shoes.

bubblagirl · 02/10/2007 15:54

clarks would be best as they measure the feet properly and makes sure your little one has comfy first shoes and you get first shoes photo done lol when my son was 2 i stopped using clarks as nice as they were i couldn't keep affording to buy as his feet were growing so quick but always make sure he has comfy fitting shoes on

also for indoors i tend to let him stay bare foot but did get baby totes socks for him

CarGirl · 02/10/2007 15:57

Buy daisy roots, shoe b doo, or similar all leather/seude "pram shoes" for at home etc For your first pair of shoes get cruisers they are softer (therefore won't damage), cheaper and better than proper shoes. I spoke to my "foot" bloke at the hospital and he said doodle type shoes are all they need once they are actually properly walking - ie 6ish weeks after they start. I've kept mine in cruisers/doodles until 2! HTH

lucyellensmum · 02/10/2007 16:17

kay, don't rush into shoes, they wont make him feel more stable, quite the opposite, i didnt put dd into shoes until she was confident in walking, she walked late so people were looking at me funny, but i didnt care. The longer they can be left without shoes the better. Dont be fooled by all the crawlers, cruisers and pre walkers offered by startrite and clarks, its just a bid to make more money out of us worried mums and dads.

A word of warning about the pre shoes too - once dd was walking properly i went off to startrite and bought her a pair of pre walkers, they said they were machine washable, i washed them, they shrunk on the inside but i didnt realise, ended up hurting dd's feet, i was livid. Shop wouldnt refund as they had been washed that was the whole point!!

I used to buy shooshoos for my dd, they are little leather slippers that are very soft but aid grip and keep feet warm. They are not cheap actually, about £17 but you can buy them on the big side and let ds grow into them, and more importantly they are mega cute

SpawnChorus · 02/10/2007 16:59

I get grippy socks from Gap

imagineafullnightsleep · 03/10/2007 15:25

I get DS gripy socks from H&M. Come in 3 parr packs, and from memory think they are about £1.50 / £2 a pack. They're also is really good colours. DS wears them constantly - and they last really well. Also, they are designed to be folded down - which makes them tighter to stay on, but not too tight in terms of elastic. Have found tho, if you roll them up, they come up to the knee - if you put them on under trousers, there's no way they can get them off. Brilliant.

cockles · 03/10/2007 15:38

I would definitely go for daisy roots/shoo shoos or just socks indoors, and some clarks or startrite for outdoors. I prefer the startrite first walker ones as they are thinner on the soles; you really don't want rigid soles at this stage.

tizzwhizz · 03/10/2007 15:49

Dont need to rush into shoes too quickly. They dont need walkers until they are walking confidently on their own unaided for most of the day.

Doesnt necessarily aid stability because they then have to get used to walking with something heavier on their feet. I think it is better to let them be bare foot or slipper socks indoors.

I am more of a fan of Startrite and the continental makes like ricosta. Hush puppies also do nice shoes for children and are similar prices to Clarks.

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