Shoe advice for 1 year old

[buffysummers4]

My just one year old is a fairly confident walker but doesn't do a lot of walking out of the house yet. Can anyone point me in the direction of advice on what to look for in a shoe for this age shoes that isn't from a shoe shop with a vested interest in getting me to spend £50 on shoes for a 1 year old.... It does seem that he has wide feet so also is there anywhere anyone would recommend that does wide fit shoes without costing the earth? All suggestions appreciated, I just feel a lot of the 'advice' out there is at least 50% marketing.... Also I'm hardly earning anything after childcare costs and if we really do need to spend that much then I need some good evidence to convince husband why it's necessary....

Barefoot doesn't mean unsupported in a cheap shoe way. It's means that it allows the foot to sit in the shoe in its natural position and move naturally to walk/run rather than being forced into the moulded shape of a rigid sole.

Wellies really aren't great for their feet although I think there are some brands that are slightly more bare foot. I'd really really recommend Baby Bogs rather than wellies - they're waterproof, lined (so loads warmer for little toes than wellies) and can get chucked in the washing machine! They're one of our best finds for our DC.

Th baby boys do look good for outside in the winter but then surely you need a second pair of shoes for indoors? Eg at a shopping centre or somewhere? And they have to have wellies at nursery so then i suppose ideally another pair for nursery?! I'd need a second mortgage!

I would stick with Clarks.

All my kids have wide feet. As first shoes I got the pre walkers as the first walking shoes seemed very inflexible.

You could get him measured in Clarks and then buy off eBay or there is a website called shoesforkids that sells Clarks. Although I think a pair in Clarks should be around £25.

He will need to be properly fitted for shoes. As a physio, I wouldn't say he needs boots for ankle support. Not for typically developing toddlers. The shoes should have a supportive heel cup and the soles should be supportive, but also flexible. So when you have them in your hand you should be able to twist them a little.

Thank you I want to, it's really helpful to hear your advice 😀. My previous post should say baby bogs not baby boys, hopefully that was obvious!

I would advise trying to find an independent shoe shop if possible. They tend to stock different brands and in my experience offer much better customer service. I went into mine yesterday as I thought dd2 was getting ready for new shoes, but they measured her, checked her current shoes and said no need for new ones yet. Cheapest visit I've ever had to a shoe shop!

Please go to a shop that will fit your DCs shoes to their feet properly. So much damage can be done to small feet by badly fitted shoes. I know that some of them can be expensive but most shops will sell a range of shoes at different prices. I take my DD to an independent shoe shop in a local village and they have a whole variety of prices and styles, it really is up to you how much you want to spend.

Hmmm I'm afraid I was put off the local independent one because I did get him fitted for first shoes there and they were totally useless as they just came off his feet as soon as he walked more than two steps. So I was put off a bit by that!

Do you have a Clinkards/Kids at Clinks near you? They are a chain, but sell all different brands of shoes. I found them excellent for DD's awkward feet - very narrow and needs to wear orthotics.

I'd go to clarks to get measured then visit some local 'jack and jill' sales or the equivalent in your area. You'll likely find second hand cheaper there - we have xx

second hand shoes at their age hardly get worn so will likely be good as new. Also we have a clarks outlet near us so that's been fab too

Asda have a first walker range. I have got all of my sons shoes from there so far. They're cheap, durable and have a good range to choose from. If you're looking in high street shops I'd recommend going for ones with a more flexible sole.