Summer shoes for 19mth old help please....!

[gd1976]

I am very confused about the shoes to buy for my 19mth DS.
I have bought from Clarks so far, and I am very keen that he has good fitting shoes as I've heard lots of horrow stories about childrens feet growing badly due to ill fitting shoes.

However, it seems that many people buy shoes from supermarkets, next, jojomanbebe etc which are not fitted and don't give the same support that clarks and start rite offer. Is there such a huge difference? What really confuses me is the general advice is to have really good supportive shoes, but bare feet are best!! Well bare feet have no support at all!!
I don't like my independent kids shoe shop as they have very expensive shoes, and they don't seem to fit them properly. They don't come in different widths, and the lady seems to think all the makes will fit my son. Can anyone recommend a good make for a f/g fit? She said Noel were good for wide feet- pretty pricey though.
The Clarks and start rite shoes are so uninspiring at the moment and there's so little choice.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!!

Are the canvas £12 ones from jojomamanbebe bad?!

I have just bought DS some Garvalin shos from a local independent shoe shop near us...

He is a G fitting and measured as such this time.

They were £36

When DS was your DDs age, we used to buy Clarks Doodles in the summer.

I'm a bit like this about shoes but then DD (also 19m) has such ridiculously small feet that I have had to drop my standards! She has some crocs which are about a size too big for her but she loves. Do you know what? She would never walk anywhere but since she walked out of the shop with them she's walked everywhere!

You don't like independent shoe shops
You aren't inspired by Clarks
You aren't inspired by Startrite
You are unsure about shoes that aren't 'fitted'

YOu haven't left yourself many options, to be honest.

Size f/G fitting is a standard boy's shoe width size, by the way - most canvas 'non fitted' shoes will be this width.

I bought some from Next. They're nice, and no worse quality than Clarks

DD is 19mo too and my Mum bought DD some 'doodle' type shoes from Brantano they cost £14 but they don't do 1/2 sizes and were too big so I took her to a local independant shop and they fitted her for the startrite version of canvas shoes and they ordered the pair I wanted from the catalogue which they then fitted for DD - they cost £15. When they started to split I took them back they replaced them without fuss and even remembered us and what I did and didn't like. Yes you can buy canvas shoes from anywhere but if you want them fitted you pay the extra and what is £3 if you pay £15 at Startrite or £12 at Jojo if they are properly fitted?

if he's an f/g most shoes should be okay for him tbh, but obviously try it on and see. i wouldn't recommend to order online (any time i've ordered online they came out too narrow, mine is a G) but if you go into non clarks/startrite shops and pick ones that look wide enough and try them on and seems fine, then it should be okay. as he is an f/g not just a g i don't think you should have too much problem hopefully. you can then go into clarks with your non clarks shoes and just ask them to check the fit if you want, i have done this when getting new clarks shoes just asked them to check the shoe zone trainers that he came in and they said yes they are fine, so if you're worried you can do that