How important are good baby shoes? How much do you spend?

[interwebmum]

I'm having a bit of a dilemma about what shoes to buy for my DD (9months). She's a keen walker and wants to be on her feet all the time. She can't walk without help yet and she's still quite wobbly, but it won't be long before she's running around.
I live in France and the good quality shoes are as expensive as adult shoes which is crazy considering the amount of time she'll be in them.
I'm thinking about ordering some shoes online from a British company. Can anyone recommend a good one? Should the shoes have soft leather soles?
Am I being pfb, or are good shoes at this age really important?

I think at her stage of development she would need "cruisers". They have a soft rubber sole and toe cap, allowing for crawling without scuffing.

My one year old has a pair of Start Rite cruisers, that were bought from an independent children's shoe shop that specialise in continental shoes. The owner recommended the cruisers and said that until she is walking unaided, she shouldn't be wearing shoes all of the time, and not at all indoors. He said that there was little point in buying expensive crepe sole leather shoes at her stage.

To be honest, I barely put her in them, but they are very cute, and she got a balloon and a little canvas bag to put them in as they were her first shoes (yes, I am a marketeer's dream!).

Oh and they were around £25 I think, so still not that cheap considering their use.

Hi tearoom. Do you mean something like these shoes ?

I've seen some at around £70 over here, so that's more like it.

Don't bother until she's been confidently walking solo for 6 weeks. That's the advise Clark's give out. Ds cruise well from 8months. Didn't walk solo til just before his 1st bday. Would have been a cracking waste of shoes!

Thanks HP. I hadn't heard that before. Do you mean she should just wear soft shoes until she's walking properly. I take her to the park and walk around her holding hands so she needs something on her feet.
I hope she'll walk on her own sooner than one year though. It's killing my back!

Same with what HP says. There is emerging evidence that you are better off without shoes at 9mo. See

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/09/barefoot-best-for-children

DD wasn't given any shoes until 15mo. That's when she can walk properly. Is the park ground very dangerous with broken glass? Can a pair of socks do? I've also seen in supermarkets those socks with slightly thicker soles. Like slipper socks for adults. If you want to spend more money, then brands like bobux have soft sole shoes. (They are like a piece of leather, not a rigid sole). You can also look on ebay, searching for baby soft sole shoes. Something like

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Luxury-Soft-Sole-Leather-Baby-Prewalker-Shoes-Red-Star-0-6-6-12-12-18-18-24-/251280205670?pt=UK_Baby_BabyShoes_BabyShoes_GL&var=&hash=item3a8177a766

HTH

But yes, I do spend money for childrens shoes. I know I'm a mug but I buy start rites and clarks. I know other mums just buy supermarket ones for their children. And I know another who doesn't measure her kids for 6 months. She was giving me a face when I say I have the clarks gauge at home so I could measure DD every 6 weeks.

Brilliant article onelittle! I hope I haven't done her feet any damage already. I had no idea that babies feet are composed of cartilage rather than bone in the beginning.
I grew up in Australia and most of the time we were barefoot and I loved the freedom of it. My DD is barefoot in the house, but I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable letting her run around without shoes on outside, except at the beach or in the garden. Do your kids go barefoot in the park?
I think I'll start looking for some soft leather soled shoes.

Do you think I should be trying to encourage her to crawl BTW? She seems to get really frustrated by being stuck on the floor and I end up walking her around because I can't stand the whinging. If she's unlikely to start walking for several months I'm not sure my back can take it.
maybe that should be a new thread.

Would she walk with a push along walker? Ds walked a lot with that, would never hold my hands then took off alone at 10 months, we had those leather booties linked above for a few months as he seemed to get on better when he could feel the ground beneath his feet.
We then got him cruisers from Clarkes as they were really flexible.

I always believed it is best to get shoes when they walk on their own and they are going outside. I used to see lots of toddlers in boots that laced up that were heavy. I these have gone out of favour but I definitely would goto a proper children's shoe shop so you get good advice. Some children just do not crawl and I don't see how you can make them. I think leather soled booted type shoes would be best at the moment.

Thanks for the suggestion memphis. I've been thinking about one the push along thingies. I was worried that she might end up falling over if it got away from her.

Get these

I discovered them when we lived in Canada - amazingly protective, but incredibly soft, as close as being barefoot as you can get. Especially good going into the winter. Honestly, they're brilliant. I've still got my DTwins in them and they're 18months.

I would just use socks when dry, or something like these waterproof booties when it's wet. Bobux are lovely, we've had some as gifts, but they aren't waterproof, so you still need something else, and too thin to keep feet safe from stones outside.

Personally, I wouldn't do too much walking with her, esp outside. She'll get there when she's ready, and probably sooner if she has a bit of frustration to spur her on.

Nothing for now....

Then www.happylittlesoles.com

Clarks are really good quality and do last a long time. I held out until ds was 15 months and really walking properly then bought his first pair at clarkes. They were £28 but lasted for 6 months! If you wait a bit longer chances are she'll be growing more slowly and get longer use from shoes. By contrast a pair of cheap mothercare sandals have had 10 weeks use and fit for throwing in the bin, whilst the Clarks are being stored away for any next baby!

interwebmum I'm from NZ and we play a lot barefooted too.I took DD out in socks to keep her warm before she was really walking properly. I think you'll be alright with socks too given it's no where near winter yet. But the leather soled shoes are very good too. Like others have said, it really helps if they can feel the ground under their feet.

I agree it's looked at as weird here to go barefooted, but only if they are properly walking though. No one thinks I'm strange having a baby without footwear. I never give DD slippers at home either. I really don't see the point. (But then I don't wear slippers myself).

Oh and they will get frustrated. It's part of being a baby/toddler . I have a vtech first step walker for DD btw.

www.amazon.co.uk/VTech-First-Steps-Baby-Walker/dp/B0002MG6ZE

Though she didn't walk outside much until 15mo (when I got her her first pair of shoes). She was mostly crawling tbh. All her leggings from that age have large skid marks on the front of the lower legs!

I always do the scrunch test too......good sign if you can scrunch a shoe up!

DD has been walking for last 11mths. We still have cruisers as they are much more flexible.

www.squidoo.com/barefoot-is-best

We got shoes from a Clarks outlet. Much bigger choice, much cheaper price.

We used suede soled moccasins for DD, like slipper socks.

My DC had these www.babiesleathershoes.co.uk/store/category.php?id=18 until they could walk reliably on their own.
Then buy the best you can afford. Proper fitted shoes if you can.

A friend buys Inch Blue, DS got some as a gift and they seem good - flexible leather sole, they're all around £18 I think.

However my favourites have been the [[http://www.sockons.co.uk/products/mocc-ons/ Mocc Ons], another gift, the ones we have look a bit crazy but they seem very comfortable, DS is happy in them and doesn't try (or perhaps it's just succeed? ) in taking them off. I think the long sock bit helps with that. I think they're only around £10, which is more my speed for cruising