SHOES on babies

[AaliyahsFirstXmas]

DD (11months) has been walking while holding onto your hands for a while now. Today she's started walking while holding onto one hand so now that we've reached this milestone and can see how happy she is we want to be able to take her around the supermarket and allow her to walk for parts here and there - she's been doing it round the livin room all day BUT i've heard conflicting stories about shoes.

A book has said shoes will stunt her development and someone has told me shoes will help her balance. SO......

1 - Should I get her some shoes
2 - what type
3 - Is it worth shelling out in clarkes to make sure I get the right fit?

Thanks all.

Thanks tinkjohn - She doesn't really need them then as she's inside most of the time anyway - socks/tights will do till she's mastered the art of walking. Or until it gets sunny again whichever comes first.

As for Clarks - I didn't know that but we don't have any independents shoemakers round here. Any idea of another place that's good?

Start-rite is supposed to be good.

hmmm ok not heard of start rite - will go google!! Thanks

Brantano have start-rite. Will go nosing tomorrow.

Bobux are great for keeping their feet warm as they can't pull them off like they can with socks They're also fine for walking outside in unless it's very wet.

totsocks! Google them. Socks - that stay on, and have a clear rubber sole for grip which is waterproof so they could potter in and out of the house if you wanted, without changing shoes. Got some for my littlies after renting house with nothing btut v cold laminate flooring and they've been a god send. They're really flexible - I like them lots!

DD started to walk unaided at 8mo, but not a lot. We got her some fitted shoes from Clarkes (My parents bought her them) when she was 10mo.

They are a size 3 (smallest walking size they have) but DD 's feet were slightly smaller.

DD is now 12.5mo and is still in them. I know they say to change the shoes every 6-8 weeks but she still has a bit of growing room in them.

It's up to you if you want to go to clarks but I have seen threads on here about how it is a falicy that kids need clarkes shoes. Maybe take her to get her feet measured at clarkes but have a shop around. Mothercare have some lovely shoes in atm.

Can anyone tell me a good place to get DC's feet measured, I didn't realise Clarkes were that bad. Can I go to any shoe shop?

with ds 1 (walked 12-13 months) we had the soft leather crawlers for ages and he walked for a while in them. We then switched to clarks a couple of months after that. (It was summer then so the soft shoes were still fine.

Ds 2 is 13 months and not even crawling but he is a very large boy and the soft leather shoes don't fit him. He takes his socks off at every oportuntity so we have had to buy clarks shoes just to keep them on! His foot size is 4.5. They are soft leather 'shoes' with grips on the bottom so you could take dc out for a walk if you wanted too.

DS is 11 months and at exactly the same stage - we've just invested in a pair of clarks shoes and he absolutely loves them, and is walking much better.

We got his shoes in the sale in Leeds, and they were only £12, which I thought was pretty good for proper shoes.

I've found this discussion v.interesting! As an ex-clarks employee (childrens department for 7 years)and now a primary school teacher, my line is that children should be walking (unaided) for 6 weeks before they wear hard outdoor shoes. We all know our little lovelies bone structures are so soft if you put them in hard shoes before they are walking confidently we can damage the development of their feet.

However, I understand the quandry with the whole baby has cold feet or will get dirty feet during the "beginning to walk" stage. Clarks pre-walkers are great but v.expensive, I think if you can afford them then they're ideal, if not Fillyjonk's leather shoe suggestion could work.

One thing worth noting incidently is that Clarks gaurentee their fit on all children's shoes for 3 months, if your child out grows them before then return the shoes, with the receipt for proof of purchase, and say your not happy with the fit.

Finally the other thing worth remembering with fitting shoes is that the staff may try half a size up and a width narrower than the child has measured as this sometimes works with certain styles, as each style fits slightly differently!

Hmhmm quite a long msge! Soz to bore you all!

Honey - That is interesting, I never knew Clarks guaranteed the sizing for 3mths.

Have to say I am a big fan of clarks but am lucky as the woman who works in our local shop seems to have been working there since forever and doesn't seem to just want to sell us stuff. We have not bought Ds (3) a pair of shoes since July and I got his feet measured today and he is still fine.

Do find them v expensive and the choice is not great either TBH.

Clarks seem cheap compared to the independent store I go to DD's shoes cost around £40 but it's so worth it because not only do I know that they really fit well, but she usually only needs 1 pair a year so it works out waaaaay cheaper than 3 pairs of Clarks a year!

honey, I know that each shoe fits differently, but I've tried exactly the same shoe on in 3 different Clarks stores and got a very different answer each time - personally I would never shop there again.

Deckmuppet, re. soft leather shoes for bigger feet - you can buy them online to fit 6 year olds!