Baby shoes

[Lules]

Nursery have told me that my just turned 11 month old needs shoes for going outside. He isn't walking yet but is standing unassisted for short periods and has been cruising for a while. I've read that they shouldn't wear shoes until they're properly walking but I understand why they want them so what kind should I get? Soft slip on type things or proper shoes as I don't think it'll be long before he's walking anyway? Thanks for any advice

Clarks do shoes for crawling and cruising

I second Clarks cruisers. I got them for DD1 last summer when she first started to manage 10-odd steps as we were out in the garden a lot and I was worried about her stepping on something sharp. Ideally you leave temp without shoes for as long as possible, but if they are only worn for short periods outside (rather than all day) I'd have thought the benefit of protecting the feet would outweigh the potential damage to developing feet. They are really light weight and very expensive flexible.

Thanks. I'll try clarks then

Start rite do pre walking shoes too and they are much softer and more flexible than Clarks cruisers.

A spare pare of moccasin slip on shoes are useful. They last for ages, can be v cheap compared to fitted shoes and provided outside isn't muddy or too wet, are fine.

Can't remember the brand, but get a pair online for less than a tenner that last 6 months

Snugglefeet I think.

Sainsburys had some moccasins - socks with leather bottoms. Or clarks cruisers.

The cruisers should also be fine for a while once he is walking too (assuming they still fit. My DS has been walking for several months now but is still in the cruisers as his feet are so small the 'proper' shoes don't come in his size!

I did actually work in Clarks for a summer job a long time ago. It was so awful I've blocked any knowledge of children's shoes from my mind!

JojoMamanBebe do Moccasins. I also bought some from Facebook, soft kid leather without the sock part, although I can't remember what the site was... #helpful I was paranoid about putting DS in proper shoes too early, so he'd actually been walking 4 months when we eventually got him some 'proper' shoes! Even now, unless he's actually walking around in public, he has bare feet or moccasins on.

Minifeet, lovely soft leather from eBay.

So I made a trip to clarks. DS threw up all over the car even though it's only a 15 min journey. DH and I had one of those married couples hissing arguments as we cleaned up everything in the car park: Went into clarks. It so was so busy and chaotic we left immediately. I'm buying shoes off the internet. (I did buy other stuff so the trip wasn't entirely wasted)

I second the moccasins, certainly until he has been walking confidently for a few weeks (his feet shape and size will change a lot for the first 3 or 4 weeks of proper walking).

If you just need waterproof and protection, try Stonz. I used them for both kids and passed them on, they really do last and the sizing is such that they cover about three sizes (they fit because of the two elastic bits) so you don't have to keep sizing up. They need thick socks underneath for winter, but are fine on their own in summer. I found them cheaper than this, but this gives you an idea (and their customer service is good):
www.happylittlesoles.co.uk/brand/stonz/pre-walkers