[HippieMamaBE]

Hi all...this is my first time posting on this forum, and I was hoping you could help me out! DS just turned one, and is walking. I'm curious as to the best types of shoes for little ones, mainly for outside....he HATES shoes, and will not leave them on. I would love for him to have some Birks, but unfortunately his feet are still too small for them...

...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[bunnybartlett]

they are soft soled but durable and washable.They can't get them off and they are soooooooooo cute!!

 

[Tonia80]

Frankly, bare feet is best for new walkers. It helps thier feet to develop properly and helsp them grip the floor with thier toes as they learn to balance. My son hates shoes and we only make him wear them at teh playground as the ground gets hot. (no grass) Other than that though all three of my boys are barefooters and I am too. You dont have to worry about the rocks or whatnot, feet toughen up. My boys can even walk on hot pavemnet now. (well, I carry my 15 month old at those times but the other two are not even phased by it)

 

[odenata]

If you want shoes that offer some protection for outdoors but still have flexible soles, you could look at Pedoodles or See Kai Run.

 

[msjd123]

My dd lived in Robeez (and the Target knockoffs!) at that age, and now we love See Kai Run. They both run roughly $30/pair and are well worth it!

 

[mamak05]

Soft shoes are better for new feet. We've tried the knock-offs at Target ($12) (not so good if they get wet) and have also tried Isabooties ($23) (check out isabooties.com). I like the Isabooties better 1) doesn't leave a red mark around the ankle like the knock offs 2) they wash well 3) they are made of very durable fabrics, which is great on rough surfaces.

You might try the cheaper ones first as a practice pair or shop the Isabootoes sale section!

DD is 11 mos and taking her first steps

 

[alegna]

Bare feet are best. Super soft shoes like robeez are second best (the target ones are great!) Third would be still soft, but with soles- like see kai run.

-Angela

 

[Amandamarie]

The only shoes my dd will wear is Robeez. When they get wet or muddy I just throw them into the wash. I bought some from their website but I've found them other places too. I've seen knockoffs from Target, but I don't know how well-made they are.

 

[aydensmama]

I second Robeez...we wore all our pairs out, he still at 21 months loves to wear them!

 

[mezzaluna]

our ds wore robeez outside until he was pretty steady on his feet and starting to run and climb things. we live in new construction and there's still stuff going on around us, so there are a lot of stray nails and lately razor blades ??? so i did transition him to rubber soled shoes, though preschoolians, which are very flexible.

 

[HippieMamaBE]

thanks everyone...I have been looking at the robeez for a while now, and I will def. look into the other brands too...I'm all for barefeet, I'm pretty much a barefoot mama myself, but we also just built a new home and really dont have much grass, lots of big rocks, etc, so that was my worry for outside. DS would go barefoot all winter if I left him, so for now I'm not going to push the shoe issue..my mom was more worried about it than me, so I promised her I would research it....

 

[mezzaluna]

i do let DS outside barefoot sometimes - he'll even walk on the large gravel that's the bed for our walkway yet to be paved. but when he gets down to the building that's still under construction i have to watch him like a hawk if he doesn't have shoes on, so usually i just make shoes part of the routine of going outside... that and sunblock... he'll bring me his shoes or the sunblock to indicate he wants to go out... and even make little motions of rubbing sunblock on himself to make sure i'm getting the point. i love it!

anyway... we don't have grass yet either around our house, but he was doing fine walking on gravel and dirt in barefeet or with robeez in colder months. but for construction debris, and now that's he's running and probably jumping soon(??) i want something more protective.

 

[Leiahs]

After bare feet (which for us, is any time I'm not expecting them to walk on sharp/harmful surfaces), I love love love See Kai Run shoes!

 

[paquerette]

Other soft shoes that we've had that haven't been mentioned yet are Cute Baby Shoes and ShooShoos, which I don't think is selling in the US anymore. I know there are lots of others. Babies R Us and Gymboree have knockoffs now, too.

 

[2M's Mom]

Second that on the Robeez! We love them!

 

[BlueStateMama]

Another vote for barefeet or Robeez

 

[Cardinal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by odenata If you want shoes that offer some protection for outdoors but still have flexible soles, you could look at Pedoodles or See Kai Run.

:

 

[Emma's_Mommy]

stride rite has soft shoes for "learning to walkers" that DD wore.....he feet grew slow so it was worth the investment but now that she is walking i get her shoes at payless

 

[bamamom]

A friend of mine locally makes these soft adorable shoes...here is her info..

:::::::::::::::::::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pitter Paw Shoes -Handcrafted soft leather shoes for your child

Pitter Paw Shoes is a family run WAHM business which began out of necessity. I made the first few pairs of shoes for my son on my home sewing machine. Everywhere we went we generated plenty of inquiries about the unusual shoes. I began filling requests for certain sizes, colors and special designs. Before I knew it I was actually in business. This was perfect since we had agreed to my staying home in order to be with my children.
The entire shoe is made of soft leather. The soft soles allow baby and toddler feet to flex and move naturally, letting toes grip as well as encouraging strong ankles and arches. Besides being extremely comfortable for the child, they are really easy to put on and virtually impossible for them to pull off due to the gentle elastic ankle. I have heard time and time again from my loyal customers how their babies had refused to keep shoes on their feet and would not crawl let alone practice those first few steps with stiff shoes on, but with their pitter paw soft soles they were everywhere.
I have many different accent designs we put on the front of the little shoes, butterfly, daisy, star/moon, crown, dinosaurs, kitty, dragonfly, acorn, castle, the list goes on and on. I find great pleasure in working directly with my customers creating the perfect combination of colors and your unique designs. I've had requests for anything from custom tow trucks to gorillas to shoes that match special outfits. They also come plain or multicolored. Pitter Paw Shoes range in size from 3-7. I also make specially sized shoes for children who have special needs.
I handcraft every pair of shoes one at a time from patterns which I created. I have since given my home sewing machine a break and graduated to a treadle (foot) powered Singer!
If you are interested in learning more about Pitter Paw Shoes and their benefits or would like to place an order you can reach me, Tamara Thomas, via e-mail at: [email protected] Thank you!
Colors Available

• Lipstick red
• Maroon (ruby red)
• Deep blue
• Blue
• Lavender
• Black
• Grey
• Dark brown
• Medium brown
• Light brown
• Tan (Sand) Suede
• Medium brown Suede
• School bus yellow Suede

• Forest green
• Lime green
• Army green
• Celery green
• Turquoise
• Beige
• Orange
• Pumpkin orange
• Fuchsia (heavier weight)
• Copper (metallic)
• Yellow (crayon yellow) deerskin for newborn sizes

• I always color coordinate the soles of the shoes to match the body of the shoes. If you have something else in mind please let me know.

• Feel free to mix colors as well. An example would be a plain dark brown front and hunter green back.

• I have every color under the sun for the accent designs on the shoes. The color choices for the accents are not limited to the list.

This a general list of the colors I currently have available. If you do not see the color you have in mind please e-mail me at [email protected] . Chances are that I do have it; it's just not listed above.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Designs Available

FLORA
• Jack-o-lantern
• Sunflower
• Daisy
• Row of daisies
• Acorn
• Snowflake
• Palm Tree
• Maple leaf
• Oak leaf

FAUNA
• Butterfly
• Luna Moth
• Brontosaurus
• Stegosaurus
• Turtle
• Horse
• Dragonfly
• Skull-n-crossbones
• Kitty cat
• Gorilla
• Monkey
• Witch
• Frog
CELESTIAL
• Sun
• Crescent Moon
• Star
• Moon/Star combination
• Saturn

Shoe Sizing

• Size 3 fits 0-3 months (measures approx. 4 x 1.75 inches)
• Size 4 fits 3-6 months (measures approx. 4.5 x 2.25 inches)
• Size 5 fits 6-9 months (measures approx. 4.75 x 2.25inches)
• Size 6 fits 9-12+ months (measures approx. 5 x 2.5 inches)
• Size 7 fits 12-18+ months (measures approx. 5.25 x 2.75 inches)
• Size 8 fits 18-24+ months (measures approx. 6 x 2.95 inches)

All children are shaped differently and all shoemakers' shoes are sized differently. I included approximate measurements of the outside sole of the shoes. Please go by measurement if you are in doubt .

Please note that these shoes will wear much longer then the general age group they are listed under. Due to the fact that the leather gently molds to the child's little foot and because it is very giving it will generally grow a bit along with the child!
If there is a question regarding shoe sizing please e-mail me at [email protected]

Best wishes,
Tamara

I

 

[paniscus]

I really like Isabooties. The soles are made from the same material rescue dogs' shoes are made from. So broken glass and nails won't go through it. The soles are so thin too - like having socks on. Very flexible.