Where do you buy your toddler's shoes?

[LaTrucha]

I'm looking for a pair of shoes for newly walking DD and I can't find any I like.

All I want is a plain pale colour, width-fitted shoe preferably that I can buy online (she's been measured).

Everything seems to either be a trainer or have a flower and a bow and a ruffle all in different colours. Not my cup of tea.

If anyone has been to Spain, the kind of shoe that all the toddlers wear there is what I want, although they don't do width fittings there as far as I know.

In case it makes any difference, DD is a 3H

In case it helps -

summer-style shoe

Leather one but I want a pale colour

Sorry - on the first link, it's the first picture.

Wow. Three posts on my own thread already!

We are very boring and go to Clarks. Although every time I swear I will try harder next time ... There is a little boutique shop near us which sells lovely shoes in the vein you describe. Have you looked at independent stores near you?

That's pretty wide so you're going to have your choice limited somewhat (I also have a child with H width feet). Primigi, Ricosta, Baby Oop, and Elefanten are all regularly recommended on here and I think (?) they're all continental, rather than British brands so you may find something more Southern European looking (those are very Italian/Spanish looking shoes although I like them )

Stilstanding - We live in rural Wales, so we don't have any!

Spicemonster - fab thanks. I'll go and check those out. They are Spanish shoes! If they did width fittings over there, I'd just send out my MIL. The shop fitter said she was a G to H, so I thought it was wiser to go for the H. Would you?

Stilstanding - I also meant to say that there are nice ones in Clarks - but they only do one-colour shoes in bigger sizes ATM.

Start Rite. I wouldn't really not get the shoes fitted correctly as the staff there always push the leather over Dd's feet to ensure they are the right width(they kind of wrinkle it under their thumb). Shoes of different makes fit differently IME. For instance, last year the Clarkes shoes wasn't deep enough in the heel(too shallow), but the Start Rites came up her heel better and they were cheaper, so they weren't out to get more money from me.

I would go for wider rather than narrower to be honest - I think there may have been a thread about it a while ago. You may want to get a couple of different pairs and try them to see how they fit. My DS is now a size 6 (eek - he's growing up!) and he still is an H but not nearly such a fat H if you see what I mean. A lot of the width is about high instep too rather than width

if she's really only just started to walk she'll be better in a pair of Daisy Roots types rather than something structured

I liek the brands mentioned above (DD is a G and has done well in Primigi and Elefanten) or Ecco are good too

Thanks Spicemonster. That's what I thought.

SOLOis - I'm kind of trapped by our location - it's a three hour journey to a Start-rite shop, which I would probably find an excuse to do if they had some pale ones. Did you mean you would get them fitted?

Those baby Op shoes are gorgeous, but I'm having the same problem re: width fitting as I would in Spain. They don't really seem to do it there!

Ah! Mrs Badger - X-post. Did you fiind those brands just to be wide enough shoes or do they do width fittings? Maybe I didn't notice.

She's tried Daisy Roots in the past. They don't seem to fit on her feet at all. I think her feet are deep aswell as wide!

Oh !I've just realised I'm talking rubbish about Start Rite colours.

Excited now...

no, all those brands are ones that come up wide rather than having width fittings

startrite are rubbish for 'deep' feet (techinally known as 'high instep')

and always buy a t-bar or fully closed-in shoe, don't get a Mary Jane with one strap

Start Rite didn't do her size in ones I liked anyway. Are they really to be avoided MRs Badger?

We're in the same neck of the woods LaTrucha (and I'm seriously missing the choice I used to have when I lived in the city!)

There is a small independent shoe shop on the main road through Aberaeron that sells Startrite and I think they also had other brands too (they were shut when I was there so only looked in the window). They may be worth a look. Failing that, there are some non-Clarkes shoes in Brantano which look quite wide (I think they are Chipmonks?) and not quite as flowery/glittery as Clarkes.

Wow thanks Mejon.

LaTrucha goes off to look for the bus timetable... and the number of the shop...

I was in Brantano today and I did like some of those but the sales assistant 'wouldn't advise' DD to wear them.

I've heard there's quite a good one in Llanidloes too, BTW.

Glad to be of help! Brantano is a bit odd tbh - I was a bit that they don't measure feet for you just point you towards the rack of foot-guages - though I'm sure they measured DDs feet when we lived down south.

I'm glad DDs feet don't grow very quickly as I can use shoe-shopping as an excuse to go back down to Cardiff for some retail therapy!

They measured DD. Maybe they were having an off day.

Good idea about Cardiff. I must go there one day...

Will have a look at M+S. My favourite shop!

I have been struggling to find a first shoe for my son. I would rather him continue being bare foot than buy any of the horrid clumpy boys shoes that I have seen. I like the Start Rite Jo which is plain/unisex and would fit your daughter's g width, but does not go up to h for my baby.

With my daughters I always got the lightest shoes available for their first walking shoes, they all look so heavy on little baby feet, but for my son it appears that there are not any available. He is so beautiful, I would really like to get him some shoes that do him justice.

LaTrucha, yes, I meant I'd get them fitted. Also, it was Clarkes that were deeper, not the Start Rites(thanks MrsBadger).