Using hand me down shoes for children

[Tattie]

A friend has given me some lovely looking Clarkes shoes that I have been thinking of putting my 16 month old in if they are the right size. He's almost walking without curling his toes and we have been doing the bare feet inside and wellies outside. When he is walking without curling the toes I thought i'dt him measured and if the shoes fit then use them. What do you lot think. I think it's a waste not to use them and I am skint but I don't want to comprimise those little feet!

Tattie - personally I wouldn't. The reason being that babies bones in there feet are still developing at that age and each child walks differently so the shoe would be shaped for the first child that wore them.
I know they are expensive but I have found that clarkes shoes really do last and are worth every penny. Also it really does give you peace of mind having them fitted.

i wouldnt use them, my dd's feet is the one thing i WONT compromise on.1) you dont know if they are the right fitting 2) shoes "mould" to the wearers feet, so could damage your ds's feet as they are 2nd hand and 3)he isnt walking anyway yet

i got ds1s feet measured at clarks. 3 months later they were measured again and they told me he was 1/2 a size smaller (i had not told them he had been measured previously). if you buy shoes check with your hands that they fit, i always have and my kids feet are fine

TBH I would and have done that, mainly when handing down shoes from dd1 to dd2 but also from my cousin to my dd1.

I asked my health visitor about it once and she said it was fine so long as you couldn't see indents inside where their feet had been because that would then mean the shoes had moulded to their feet.

I only used to put them on when going out though and wouldn't let them walk around in them if possible.

I'd use them if they fit because I'd assume (do they look like this?) that they had barely been used first time round anyway and your ds is not walking all that much either. Alternatively, you could keep them as a 'spare pair' and get some cheap doodles from clarks if you like clarks - they're only a tenner which is cheap compared to all their other shoes!

it isn't advised tattie, as others have said, the shoes DO mould to the shape of the previous occupants feet!
It makes no difference whether you can actually SEE indents or not. THe leather is so soft that they mould very easily.
Also, when you get feet measured, the measurement is ONLY A GUIDE... to give a trained fitter a starting point. A good fitter should be able to find a good pair of shoes without even measuring... it just cuts down on the time a bit if you have an idea to start with!!!
So, just because your ds measures the same size as these shoes does not mean they will suit his feet!

Nutcracker, are you saying that you did pass them on from DD1 to DD2 but didn't let them walk in them?

Thanks for all your advise, Desperate Housewives is over and I'm off to bed to mull over the advise wilst reading some trash! Maybe barefoot all summer is the way forward!

I don't use hand me down shoes. I'm really tight-fisted and use hand me downs and second hand stuff for most other clothing (except undies) but I don't stint on shoes.

It would depend on how stiff the shoes were.

If they are bascially cruisers, so very soft, I would say fine.

If they are stiffer, I would not do it.

What you could do is put him in the shoes and take him to a Clarks shop, ask them to tell you. They probably will.

I think Clarks have wrong ideas about kids shoes btw-we were reccomended by them to get shoes as stiff as possible for ds when he started walking-to support his feet and ankles. I actually had to fight with them to get them to sell me cruisers.

I do reuse shoes... but not clarks.

Where they are so specific with the fittings, I doubt any would be a good enough fit, but summer shoes, trainers etc, I do reuse.

I hand down everything (pants from ds1 to DS2 included!) except shoes. Even little ds2, clad non-stop in an assortment of cast-offs, has his own new shoes.
Tattie, as others say, the leather moulds to the feet. Also what suits one foot may not suit another. DS2 in partic needs very wide fitting with a square toe, usually only one style sill work for him.
Up to you of course....

I've tended to only reuse soft shoes such as trainers and Doodles which haven't had much use and wellies. Think it is important to get first shoes fitted as even if they are ostensibly the right size, wear from first child could have distorted the fit.

Please please please don't. I'm with Clary - my children are dressed in a way which would make a baglady blush, but they have their own new shoes. I know shoes are horribly pricey but this really is important. Get him some new Doodles for going out, they're relatively cheap.

merglemergle, children should NOT have supportive shoes! The feet need to develop naturally... which they won't do if they are supported and never have to do any work.

ds2 has worn some shoes inherited from ds1, but only if they were barely used. I wouldn't do it now they are older and their shoes get hard wear

Big thanks to you all. Yes, I agree that the leather shoes do mould and I hate wearing other peoples shoes because their tooties make the shoes kink in funny places(!!). I've since discovered doodles that a few of you talked about so they seem great for the summer and then we can go from there. I'll use the other ones as a second pair if desperately needed. Just upped my hours at work to try to tackle the overdraft so what the hell to another £15!