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Original poster

Do you know what I was told by a Clarks Shoes Lady today?

19 replies

collision · 10/12/2005 15:14

...that it was just a huge marketing ploy to buy crawler shoes for my one year old and that I would be better to wait til he is walking!

How refreshing that someone admits it! and I have saved myself £25!!

I did ask as when ds1 was little I waited til he had been walking for at least 6 weeks before he got his first proper shoes. She agreed with me and said that these crawler shoes were for teenage mums who wanted trendy babies!! Was a bit by that!

Whaddya think?

OP posts:
OhLittleBitShyOfBethlehem · 10/12/2005 15:16

i think i kinda agree.

if a non walking child needs warm feet, boottees are soft enough for their delicte little feet!!!

I admit i got cruisers but that was when dd could walk holding hands thus wanted to be on pavement etc.....

as you say, refreshing to hear that, if a little bold of her!!!

tatt · 10/12/2005 15:17

even when they are walking its better if they go barefoot indoors ( unless your floor has dangerous things like glass on them). Shoes are to protect feet/ keep them warm and dry outdoors.

OhLittleBitShyOfBethlehem · 10/12/2005 15:24

quite!!!!

even if i didn't have a no shoes policy (so shoot me!) dd's shoes (and mine) would come off.

she does have slippers now at 2.5 but a)it's colder, b) pine needles - ouch c) she loves them

GingerBearingGifts · 10/12/2005 15:53

DD always wore these

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 10/12/2005 16:05

DS2 had the Inch Blue version of the bobux shoes. Simply to keep his socks on TBH. Crawling shoes etc are indeed a waste of money.

IntergalacticTheRedNosedWalrus · 10/12/2005 16:17

Yep. DS is 1 next week. He has been walking for the past 2 months or so, and we are going to get his first shoes next week. He has never worn pram shoes (the ones with the white nobbly bits on) and I decided against crawlers as I thought them to be a bit pointless.

RTKangaSantaMummy · 10/12/2005 16:18

forgive my ignorance but what are crawling shoes?? >

Clarks wouldn't let me have anything for DS when he was a baby because he wasn't walking but he had grown out of the padder ones and so we got some pram shoes I think they were called, they were made of material

but this was 10 years ago and so I guess everything has changed now

merryTissmas · 10/12/2005 16:49

totally agree, but suspect Clarks would sack the poor woman if her sales pitch got back to the area manager

maZebraltov · 10/12/2005 16:50

Shoes for them to wear when crawling.
If it seems pointless to buy them, well, that's the point of the thread.
British people esp. have this thing about shoes must be worn at all times (except in bed or while swimming) among all ages (hence Nike trainers for 5 month olds).

Tortington · 10/12/2005 17:20

i always let my kids go barefoot better to let feet grow free until they are walking - even then barefoot inside.

AChristmasCarolinamoon · 10/12/2005 20:38

dead right Zebra - people are forever saying "ooh no shoes, you'll get cold toes" to ds (13m, not walking confidently enough to be bought outdoor shoes yet), and this is when we're indoors ffs!

I also hate wearing shoes indoors so don't find it weird for my baby to be barefoot.

shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 10/12/2005 20:45

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Chandra · 10/12/2005 20:46

Don't worry, is not only the English, I decided to let DS go barefoot during his first summer and most of my foreigner friends were saying "Oh dear! no shoes! just like the English do! tut tut...

I agree that is best to give their little feet all the space to grow, however, the crawling shoes were great as first shoes when he had just started to walk . I still miss the very soft sole of Clarks first shoes especially now that I don't buy from Clarks anymore because they never got the size right (tell me about wasting 75 pounds in shoes that were good for two weeks or being told repeatedly for six months that DS was a 4.5 to be told one day later at another Clarks that he was actually a 6!)

shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 10/12/2005 20:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

followthestarlover · 10/12/2005 20:47

collision if you ask ANYONE in a clarks shop they are supposed to tell you that! well, ok not about it being a marketing ploy.. but that you are better off waiting. Kids feet should be left to develop naturally for as long as possible... and shoes only used for protection once they are walking outside

I was taught that at my fitters course.

Chandra · 10/12/2005 20:48

Yep, I was told repeatedly that they wouldn't sell shoes to me unless he had started crawling, he cruised before crawling so he never got crawling shoes.

HunkerXmasAndAMunkerNewYear · 10/12/2005 20:49

I don't wear shoes inside, I ask other people to take their shoes off when they come into my house (am total shoe bitch) and DS didn't have shoes till he walked - no fecking about with stupid crawlery things.

julienetmum · 10/12/2005 22:43

I was told that too. Mind you the crawling shoes were very useful when ds started to walk as his tiny feet were not big enough for either proper shoes or cruisers.

pinkmagic1 · 10/12/2005 22:53

I didn't buy proper shoes for DS until he started walking as its a total waste of money. He just had socks, or if it was cold little soft slipper like shoes.

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