Talk to me about shoes.

[glitzy07]

C took his first few steps earlier this week (my BABY!), so shoe shopping is on the horizon for us.

We stopped at Stride Rite while we were out today and got his feet measured, but I couldn't pull the trigger on $50 shoes for an infant.

So tell me, how quickly do they outgrow sizes at this age (1yo)? Are the Stride Rite shoes worth it? I found some of the same ones on Amazon for a bit less.

Also, how long did it take your LO to get used to shoes? While we were in the store he tried a pair on, but kept trying to stand on his tippy toes while they were on.

[Deleted]

Following. B is pretty close to walking. My sister gave us a bunch of hand me downs luckily but I know some people think shoes should be bought new. He's already grown out of two sizes in the past three months. He's wearing a 4.5 now. It took him a while to get used to not taking them off - especially in the car seat - but now I think he realizes they are part of his day.

[mrslisa]

DD3 hates shoes. She is a very easy going baby but gets seriously mad when we put shoes on her and makes it her mission to remove them. She is starting to walk and needs something. I am planning on getting her a pair of crocs and hopefully she will accept those. She has tiny feet and still wears a size 1 at one year old.

[CloudBee]

I think Stride Rite shoes are way overpriced for what you get.

Infant Sperry's are $31 on Amazon.

DS wore Hanna Andersson moccasins almost exclusively around the time he started walking, but it was late winter/early spring.

He then went into See Kai Run shoes, which honestly I thought were way too bulky.

Our favorites have been Sperry's and Keens. I have a pair of Merrells in the size he's about to grow into, and know we'll love them. They have great arch support, and I bought a slip-on pair.

Keens also have great arch support. Sperry's are average, but wash really well.

If I were you, I would probably pick a leather crib shoe or sandal for times when you're out of the house. But at home, go without shoes until it gets cold.

[hski2349]

I bought DD stride rite around the time she started walking. I try to buy whenever they have a sale, BOGO for 50%. I would buy one in the current size and one in the next size up. I have been happy with Stride Rite. I even had one pair where they started falling apart after a month took them in and they replaced them free of charge, no problem.

Size is going to be kid dependent. DD was a 4 this time last year. I just bought her a new pair of shoes yesterday and they were size 8.5.

[eav2c]

I like SR shoes for the early walkers because they have a lot of soft soled shoes. I struggled finding them elsewhere when my DS started walking and it is said soft soled for early walkers is important (barefoot is best!). I normally buy them with a coupon and would get two pairs for about $50. He wore his first pair for three months and then went through 4 sizes in 6 months! He's now been in the same size (with room to grow) since March. It's hard to predict how they will grow.

I know a lot of people like See Kai Run but I do think they are on the pricier side. Target does have some softer soled shoes for about $20 but if your child needs wide or extra wide I think the extra $5-$10 is worth it to spend at SR.

[dcn]

I really like the stride rites that ds has, but i would not pay $50 for them. I think his were $35 on amazon, but they go on sale too. I also love his merrells (which I did pay $50 for).

Ds has been in a 5 for a good 6+ months, they are just starting to get snug and he will probably need to size up soon.

He only wore shoes if he was actually walking outside, otherwise he was barefoot/socks. He still doesn't wear shoes indoors.

[dragonfly08]

Barefoot at home for right now. Soft soled shoes to start outside, until he gets the hang of it.

How fast they outgrow shoes is really kid dependent. One of my kids went through a phase where her shoe size didn't change for almost an entire year. I know kids who went through three or four sizes in one summer. It's a risk you take, and why I rarely buy my kids tons of shoes. A pair of sneakers and a pair of seasonally appropriate shoes (sandals in summer, closed toe in fall/winter) is usually enough, and sometimes I'll get them a pair of cuter shoes for fun depending on budget.

I have always bought Stride Rite almost exclusively for my kids and they're almost 8 and 11. I've got no problem with hand me down clothes and toys and the like, but I'm a stickler for a good quality, supportive shoe. And the garbage I find at Payless, Target, and most other places just doesn't hold up. I buy on sale (half off/BOGO/coupons) and visit the outlet.

Other stores do have good quality. Nordstrom is an example. But the selection tends to be less and the sales aren't as frequent, so by just starting at SR the process is usually a lot quicker and easier for me.

[docholly]

I like Stride Rite for that age eve though they are expensive. At the store I go to, they have you buy a full size bigger than they measure, so you aren't buying shoes at a crazy pace. I would say I always have been able to get theough a season that way. I don't buy multiple pairs at that age. I buy a neutral pair that goes with everything. I also like the amount of wide shoes you can get at Stride Rite. At a sale this summer, I got both boys SR sandals for 20 bucks a piece.

[smm5623]

We've tried stride rite a few times and they just don't fit as well.

When she first started walking, we had soft soled shoes (Robeez and then the soft soled SKR). Once she was really walking and going outside, she's been in SKR with the occasional stride rite mixed in.

I stock up in all sizes during SKR sales the best I can. I don't buy cheap shoes that hurt my feet for myself and I won't for M either. It does stink that they grow so darn fast though!

[scribellesam]

DS wore Robeez until he got the hang of walking, and has been in Stride Rites since then. He has a wide foot so these fit really well, and I appreciate how flexible the soles are.

I can usually find them on Amazon for $30-35, you just get less choice as to style. He also has a pair of Crocs. I don't mind spending a little more on good quality new shoes, since he only has one pair at a time. We generally buy a new pair every 2-3 months.