Non-pink decent quality toddler shoes?

[DitaVonCheese]

Not sure if this is quite the right place but I don't have any style

I'm trying to find DD some shoes from summer that aren't pink. How can this be so bloody hard? Clarks are no good, Startrite no good. Anywhere else I can try? I've seen some lovely shoes on the Kickers website but can't work out to buy other than online.

My DD has maroon ones at the moment- which I love, but you may think are too pink!

Have you tried local, independent shoe shops?I find the staff really helpful in ours and they have a much wider range of stlyes and brands- often from the continent and thus rather stylish and not very pink at all! I've found a lovely label called Aster which sells cute canvas shoes- my DD has pink floral but there are other options!

She's a toddler - maybe she won't mind if you buy her from the boys department?

Try the boys section? Next have some non-pink shoes, but might not meet your quality requirement. My DD wore boys shoes til she noticed and started insisting on pink. So enjoy it while it lasts!

Oops, cross post!

try amazon- they have very good selection of umi brand- very nice design, most with velcro, and very nice colours too.

I second Paribus' suggestion at looking at Umi shoes. I've just bought DD some of thesein brown and she also has some Umi winter ankle boots. They are excellent quality and often cheaper and much nicer than Clarks.

Umi or Geox? My DD had these when a toddler. They lasted really well and were nice enough to put back in their boxes and give to charity shop after she'd outgrown them.

Jones the Bootmaker have some really lovely, traditional, not pink shoes. I also 4th the vote for Umi, which are sold in my local independant shoe store.

Another vote for Umi from me.

I get the girls sized up at Clarks or JL, find nothing, and then go online.

Umi are sold on Amazon too (free returns for shoes if they don't fit).
Bought five pairs of shoes/boots in the sale for 1/3 of the original price for autumn/winter as I don't really mind if they're last season

Fab thanks!

I always get DD nice non-pink shoes from Startrite. Have you checked that each style doesn't come in different colours? Often the picture will come up as pink but if you click on it there will be more colour options. They usually do red, white, and lilac options as well as cute denim and red fabric shoes. Don't give up on Startrite. I think they're great!

Vincent shoes (there's a branch at Westfield) are good, usually bright primary colours. DD had some lovely red sandals from them last year, but Westfield bit of a pain to get to for me. Think they have a website.

Ecco outlet at Clarks Village was where I retreated to following a hideous 'Any colour you want as long as it's pink' experience in Clarks.

Ibuy kickers from Russel Bromley, what about converse pumps?

Loving Umi, though still a bit nervous about checking they fit properly all by myself. Might get a few different styles though and give it a go.

Dilys I have actually perused the boys' sections (I have really wide feet and wore boys' shoes for most of my childhood) but they tend to come only in khaki. I want red really I think.

I've tried a couple of independent shops but they seem to have limited stock. We're in the NW so going to hit the Trafford Centre one day (though probably not during half term!) as there seem to be a couple of shops there.

I also now want some Kickers for myself

Depends where you are in NW but Charles Clinkard in TC have lots of different makes and much better experience than Clarks (and sell Kickers for kids!)

If you are in South Manchester there is an independent shoe shop on A6 in Stockport which is very good too

Good luck

Charles Clinkard is my new favourite shop and will be getting all my business for the foreseeable future

Brill aren't they - although hell on earth on weekends and school hols.
What did you end up getting

Red Kickers from the boys' section as it happens. The boys' section is so brown and the girls' section is so damned pink. Meh.