Does he need proper shoes yet?

[leander]

My ds is nearly 11mths old and has just started walking on his own.He has been cruising round the furniture for ages but for the last few weeks he has just picked himself up and walked round the room,he takes about 10 steps and then decides to crawl the rest of the way,so do you think I should buy his first shoes yet or wait a bit longer.TIA .

I was told 6-8 weeks after first walking. Interesting to hear what everyone else thinks.

I'd wait a bit longer, shoe shops normally recommend that they have been walking confidently for at least six weeks. As children start to walk more, the foot flattens and changes shape, which is why you need to have first shoes checked so often.

If you bought some now, you might find yourself having to buy more in less than a couple of months time!

The best thing is bare feet, you musn't use padders or those soft leather slipper shoes when they are walking as the child tends to bunch their toes or the foot slide to the top of the shoe and become compressed.

Think of your child feet as like jelly, all the bones are soft and can easily become distorted by incorrect fitting and wearing of shoes. HTH!

I agree, wait 6-8weeks. Besides babies feet grow so quickly. My ds1 was only in his first shoes for 4weeks before needing the next size up. He became confident to walk outside in the garden quite quickly, and in winter this meant proper leather ones as opposed to those "first" Clark's soft shoe things. I'd wait a little while before enclosing his feet if possible.

I got my ds the Clarks 'cruising' shoes which lasted quite a long time, and are soft enough not to damage the feet, but give enough support for them to walk. On the other hand, no shoes won't hinder walking, iyswim.

Totally agree - worth waiting a bit longer - after all you don?t need them for round the house and she won?t be ready for walking outside for a while. If I were you I would wait until the Christmas sales at least. One little point though (if too obvious I apologise..) watch out for wooden and other slippy floor surfaces when they start walking and when in socks. I didn?t think about this obvious point when my dd started walking and she went flying at a friends house thanks to a shiny laminate wood floor. I took her shoes off and the socks were too slippy - she now sports a lovely pair of slippers with velcro and rubbery soles as it is too cold for socks off.

hey congratulations as well - it's so exciting when they start walking!!

Cheers girls, I think I'll leave it for a while then,at least it will save me a few quid when I could do with not spending it,

alibubbles, you've worried me - ds wears bobux leather shoes most of the time - I thought they were soft enough not to damage feet. he's 12 months and cruising but not walking alone yet. In the summer he went barefoot but its too cold now - he pulls socks off so needs something on top of them - what??

Elliott, DS2 wore his Inchblue leather slippers all the time when he learnt to walk and his feet are absolutely fine. He refused to wear any other sort of shoes for ages.

Sorry, Alibubbles, but that sounds like Clarks/ Startrite propaganda, designed to encourage the purchase of needlessly expensive children's shoes! I was told by a podiatrist that children's feet do not need "support". Bare feet are best for indoors, and soft, flexible soled shoes, with plenty of room for growth for outdoors. This applies to children of all ages. I believe that Daisy Roots are back by one of the chiropodists organisations (I'll check that).I'm all for quality footwear, but I saw a beautiful little pair of Startrite leather boots for £50 the other day- that's more than I pay for shoes for myself. Clarks and Startrite bank on the fact that gullible parents will think that they are paying for the best for their childrens' delicate little feet.

Same as Soupdragon, Elliott - ds wore Bobux/Daisy Roots whenever we were somewhere unsuitable for bare feet and his are fine too.

Tissy, how cynical! I have nothing to do with the shoe trade. My local startrite shoe shop are most adamant about NOT putting children into shoes, I know mums who have been desperate to get their childs first pair of shoes as soon as they walk and startrite won't sell them any if they can't walk confidently across the shop floor.
So what do the mums do, they go to Clarks, who will sell you anything as long as you are willing to pay.

There has been a discussion thread about Clarks so no need to say anymore.

I always advise the ums of children I care for to keep them in bare feet as long as possible, socks to keep them warm if necessary.

I don't know if they still do them but H&M used to sell socks with small rubber "grips" on them (like slipper socks) for babys/toddlers. I found this was a good compromise indoors for slippy surfaces (if you can get them to keep the socks on of course!).

alibubbles, what do you advise if socks are pulled off? (not to mention being too slippy for safety) genuinely interested here!

Gap do socks with rubber bits on the sole, so do John Lewis, called slipper socks from Totes.
But at home you don't need to wear anything, we never wear shoes in our house, nor does anyone who comes into where the children play as I say this is where your children play, so I appreciate it if they don't wear outdoor shoes on my carpets. Call me fussy, but that's where the young babies crawl and rollover, they can wear shoes anywhere else in my house!

I use soft leather shoes like bobux when in the buggy etc. I have a baby at the moment that keeps taking his socks off when out and old ladies are always saying, OOh dear me his feet will get so cold (you bad mother!)

I bought DS2 his Inchblue leather boots because he pulled his socks off and our mixture of laminate floors, wooden floors and ceramic tiles were too cold for bare feet.

I did consider using Duck tape to keep his socks on...

who sells Startrite shoes?

I have fabulous slippers made by an aunt for the sluglet. The sole is made of sheepskin, woll on th inside, and the tops are crochet. They are tied around the ankle and she loves them, despite making a hole in the front with her sharp little toenails. Comfy, warm and not restricting.

The weather is a bit tricky here, isn't it; my dd was born in June and so all summer when she was 1 and a bit she just had bare feet; took first steps at 13mo and was properly walking about 5-6 wks later when we got first shoes - just as it was starting to get cooler so she timed it well. Do sympathise with those whos babies are gettign cold feet but agree with wise alibubbles, bare feet best for indoors; my ds (3.5) has bare feet when inside too, on the advice of a paeditrician. Can't think that those Daisy Roots boots, if big enough, can do baby feet any harm outdoors and do seem to stay on well.

I wouldn't have thought that well fitting Daisy Roots, Inch Blue, or whatever, soft leather slippers would do any serious harm. It is more of a problem if the socks or tights are too small and that is more likely, in MHO, to cause toe bunching or squash the foot. You can also get tights with grip soles (JoJoMamanBebe, I think) and at the risk of offending some, here in Europe boys are as likely to wear them in winter as girls! They find them very difficult to get off, especially when worn under trousers!!;-)

Ideally I let dd have barefeet indoors but this is reasonably practical because we have underfloor heating and carpet. We did however buy her 1st shoes at 13 months after she had been walking approx 4 weeks, and wanted to walk outside but the weather by then was too cold. Previously she had worn Daisy Roots whilst getting to grips with walking. I would certainly opt for fitted shoes/boots rather than wellington boots. DS didn't have real shoes for several months after he learnt to walk but then it was summer.

hth

LizS

LIZS, I used to put my DS in tights under romper suits! He used to wear Viyella smocked tartan rompers with bottle green or navy tights underneath, They were so practical especially when crawling. He'd kill me now if I showed any of his mates any photos's - he's 15 and 6ft with size 12 feet, and plays prop in rugby!!

Lizs, I have just bought ds some tights in readiness for a New Year trip to a non-centrally heated house in the Lake District! - wish I'd got the sticky soled ones now.
Some of our floors are a bit cold for bare feet but I am going to try and remember to take his shoes off as much as possible indoors. I'm sure it does improve his grip.

My ds constantly wears the tights I had for dd whe we are out anywhere - sthey so conveniently cover the gap between snowsuit and bootees!