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Original poster

Why Oh Why

58 replies

hercules · 16/02/2004 17:38

Dont want to start an argument but why do some parents insist that their dsor dd wears shoes/trainers when they are not even walking. I can never understand why tiny babies wear nike trainers etc. Booties to keep feet warm I understand. They obviously love and care for their babies but dont shoes damage their feet when their bones are still soft??

OP posts:
Davros · 17/02/2004 10:55

I don't know what the in-laws have got against the Bobux types shoes as I was quite surprised, I'll ask them. I put my baby in tights in this weather and GAP socks whcih don't come off. I also put my son in tights during his first winter under his trousers, no-one could tell. GAP often have special offers on their socks and agree they are worth it as they don't get lost. I've still got some of my son's from 8 years ago! I'm up my own arse on this one coddy as I think babies in trainers are really yuck, not cute at all!

Beccarollover · 17/02/2004 10:58

Davros - becaue of how they look or what damage they could do to feet?

If its how they look then thats fair enough as we cant all like the same things but if its the foot damage thing I dont think the little trainers do any damage at all - the soft wrap around ones.

He he Im laughing at how everyone would recoil in horror at his little timberland boots hohoho

Jimjams · 17/02/2004 11:04

yeah gap socks were good, but I like bobux, daisy roots etc as well.

I remember when ds1 was about 13 months, he couldn't walk at all- didn't even want to stand and it was about 90 degrees in the shade. I sent MIL into town with ds1 in his buggy with bare feet. She came back and told me I should buy him a pair of shoes becuase "his pushchair looks like an invalid carriage and people are staring". She must really love the fact that he turned out to be disabled then! (yes my MIL is insane).

oliveoil · 17/02/2004 11:07

Well I must be a bad mother then. Dd had bought for her from cooing family:

soft Nike sock type trainer things
GORGEOUS ickle white adidas
Even more gorge pink adidas Superstar (same as mum)
Some Startrite sandals (?) from Daisy and Tom from my indulgent sis

And now wears Clarks when out and about to keep feet warm.

She isn't walking yet (16 months!!!) but has Gap socks for in the house.

Davros · 17/02/2004 11:13

Becca - BOTH! I will ask in-laws about soft shoes though. They recoiled when I showed them the stack I had been given when baby was born.

Original poster
hercules · 17/02/2004 11:23

This is why I dont have shoesfor my dd
\link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/baby_feet_shoes.shtml

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules · 17/02/2004 11:26

and
\link{http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/552922.html

cant do links sorry

OP posts:
Bozza · 17/02/2004 11:41

DS started nursery at 15 weeks old in June. I used to send him barefoot all that first summer and I think the staff were grateful. One less pair of straying sock/bootees to account for.

Georgina if your crawling baby was in danger surely he should have also been wearing gloves at all time?

Beccarollover · 17/02/2004 11:47

I would guess that since his birth 5 months ago DS has had some form of trainer or bootie on for a total of about 10 hours - surely thats not too bad, not like i have his little feet crammed into sprinting shoes or anything - regardless of what they look like on the outside they are soft leather, loose fitting booties, dont constrict the foot at all and wears them every couple of weeks or so - Im happy that Im not doing any permanent damage to his feet.

Original poster
hercules · 17/02/2004 11:54

and another crap link
\linkwww.show.scot.nhs.uk/ngt/podiatry/babyfeet.htm{}

OP posts:
suedonim · 17/02/2004 12:57

I'm in the shoeless camp, here. I just love bare baby feet when it's warm enough and socks when it wasn't. When my older children were babies small shoes just weren't available. I had cute knitted booties for them.

I hate being bare foot myself, though. I mean, if you're barefooted, what do you use to flatten any spiders you might come across??

prettycandles · 17/02/2004 15:08

Bare feet when it's warm enough, socks when it's not - and if they're old enough to pull the socks off, then Bobuxs as well to keep the socks on. Once they're walking, then, again bare feet when it's warm enough, socks and Bobuxs when it's not (because we have a combination of carpets, wood, and vinyl floorings, and socks alone slip). Horribly practical - but they still look cute :0.

prettycandles · 17/02/2004 15:09

And dd has been able to take her Gap socks off since about 10m.

WSM · 17/02/2004 15:18

DD, 18 months, totally adores shoes and has hers on at every available opportunity. She tends to have bare feet indoors because socks are too slippery for the laminate hall floor and the hard floor in the kitchen. I guess its lucky that we live in a modern house where there are few draughts and good central heating.

I would like to find some slipper socks type things, like Totes Toasties for her though. The ones I've ssen are far too big for her size 5 feet though, have any of you lot come across them ?

Original poster
hercules · 17/02/2004 15:25

Gap socks are rather like totes with bits on the bottom but dont know what size they go up to though.

OP posts:
Bozza · 17/02/2004 15:38

You can definitely get them WSM because DS had a pair. Didn't buy them myself so not sure where from though.

prettycandles · 17/02/2004 15:46

I've had a couple of pairs of 'slipper-socks', as we call them, for ds but they were both too wide and would just slide down his feet until he'd fall over the flapping bits at the front, which were meant to be on his feet. I shan't bother with them for dd. I do like the Gap socks, though, and I will probably get some more once she can be relied upon not to take them off at every opportunity.

oliveoil · 17/02/2004 15:49

Boots sell slipper sock things but the ones I saw were christmassy ones in the sale so not sure if they have others.

WSM · 17/02/2004 16:02

Thanks for the help, will keep my eyes peeled.

GenT · 18/02/2004 15:21

oh I had to hunt for this thread...

I personally prefer babies in cute socks, not blues and not only pinks, just cute socks and they are very hard to come by. Don't think there is a market for it as no one is making them. Babies have cute and kissable feet.

I tend to put some sort of footwear on dd only when she goes out to church, or a party and she will be put on the floor to stand up. She had gotten a cloth ballet type shoes that she wore and was pretty, nothing constricting before 5 months.

Indoors she doesn't wear shoes and the socks comes off to air the toes. She makes it a challenge too to take it off herself, and she does it like an adult, don't know where she learnt that.

I do like those little leather shoes for babies over 4 months thereabouts, not trainers, just something to keep the feet warm.

I have just sold a few pairs of shoes on ebay and I found that the size 6-9 and 9-12 months were the best sellers. Which is fair enough, you wouldn't want them barefeet outdoors.

That is me and my soap box, done.

Davros · 18/02/2004 17:58

I saw some really cute socks in Woollies the other day but didn't have time to stop to see if they were any good.
BTW, although its good to have family "experts" in babies/kids feet who get me lovely shoes at cost, they are the original shoe Police and I have to hide any spontaneous, cheap purchases when they come round

Davros · 01/03/2004 10:44

Just to follow up, I asked my brother-in-law to tell me why he was "against" Bobux-type shoes for babies and he gave me a long, handwritten note from a book has kept over the years he was in the childrens' shoe business (nearly 30 years). Please don't have a go at me if you don't agree, I just thought it would be interesting to hear from someone with his experience. Most of what he says seems to apply to once babies start walking and we all know that things round babies' feet shouldn't be too tight. Anyway, here is what he says:

Material or cloth covering such as corduroy type bootees can be extremely harmful, even tissue paper round a babies' feet can cause deformities. All socks, tights, babygros etc must leave room for toes and not be too tight. Babies' feet are too soft to be able to bend a shoe if they are not ready for walking. When the baby is ready for shoes, a pair of t-bar shoes or bootees are recommended. Boots do not necessarily support the feet more as the ankle joint needs to be free to move anyway but they do hold onto the foot tighter. In some cases where children have very soft feet, shoes will not hold t=on the heel tightly enough. Lace up shoes for babies rarely fit well enough, due to the feet being soft and the lacings may not pull tightly enough around the foot.Material or cloth covering such as corduroy type bootees for use when pre-walking can be extremely harmful. The reason for possible harm is that when standing in soft covering the baby's weight causes the feet to slide forward, causing pressure on the toes possibly bending them back. Babies should be walking unaided and not falling too much BEFORE having proper shoes. This will occur when the child's posture straightens up, then the child's balance is better, age is not important. If the baby is still unsteady but the flooring at home is hard and the child slips over, a canvas t-bar would be suitable. This will hold the heel of the foot back whilst being flexible enough for the foot to bend.

Galaxy · 01/03/2004 10:50

message withdrawn

Blackduck · 01/03/2004 10:56

A friend of mine went on a shoe making course...the guy there said babies should either have nothing on their feet, or very loose coverings (i.e. be careful with socks even as if they are too tight/small they can deform the feet...) In his opinion shoes were not only unnecessary, but potentially deforming for small babes...

Davros · 01/03/2004 11:38

I know Galaxy. Its impossible not to let tights, babygros, socks pull tight on their feet sometimes in which case how much difference does a loose pair of sacks make? I think my b-i-l is the shoe Police so...........