Where to go for first shoes?

[levan]

Dd aged 15 mths has just started walking (hooray!). I presume this means I now have to get her fitted for proper shoes - where's the best place to go for this where they have proper but not too expensive ones? Thanks!

For properly fitted shoes, I think Clarks and Startrite are the main ones. I believe Startrite are a bit cheaper, but we have to go to Clarks as MIL was a fitter there for many years!

Other way round startrite are more expensive then clarks. But they are the main two shops that fits childrens shoes.

I have just been to Clarks to get dd's first shoes. The first walkers are £20, and they have about 3 or 4 different styles to choose from I think.
I had a really good experience at Clark's - they even took dd's photo and put it in a 'first shoes' frame which she LOVES. Can highly recommend going to them!

If you go to a Clarks store the staff are all trained to fit childrens shoes properly - ie they don't just measure feet but check once the shoes are on. Not cheap but worth it imo.

We always use an independent store - they stock start-rite (more expensive ime), clarks & some other more minor brands. Clarks don't fit either ds (high instep) or dd (very narrow ankle) well, and I was advised that startrite are usually more supportive....

Oh, and advice, I believe, is to wait til they've been walking 4-6 weeks before putting them in 'hard' shoes (very, very hard, I know - esp if you've been waiting ages (both dd & ds walked at 18 mths)

Thanks for these. funnypeculiar - do you know why you're supposed to wait 4-6 weeks?

Funnypeculiar - I heard that to from my bf's auntie who is the manager of a shoe shop.
Sorry, can;t remember why though

The bones are soft and the new weight bearing of independent walking changes the shape quite a lot in those first few weeks,

If you've got one near you a Clarks Outlet shop, they measure and fit the shoes as you would get in the normal shops but shoes are much cheaper, I paid nearly £20 for my dd first pair of soft shoes, saw the same ones in and outlet shop for £9. I know they're at Cheshire Oaks and Bicester Village, don't know where else.

swindon has a clarks outlet