Toddler shoes: my newest obsession that will undoubtedly make me broke.
I honestly had no idea how many options and styles there were of shoes for babies. And don’t even get me started on the prices! I really only figured the expensive shoes were the little Nike’s for babies. I was wronger than wrong. Now that Ava is walking all over the damn place, I figured she needed some type of support for her fat, chubby feet. I had my fun with all the cutesy sandals, booties and trendy little shoes while she was an infant/crawler. Now its time to stop playing dress up…well…just with shoes at least.
I made my way into Stride Rite one afternoon to check out what they had. My jaw dropped at the prices….$40 for a pair of little shoes that she’ll grow out of in maybe 2 months!? That’s the frugal old lady in me coming out. Stride Rite has been around for ages, I mean, I had shoes from there almost 30 years ago. So they can’t be THAT bad, right?
Well, I then went into department stores; Nordstrom’s in particular. They were having a sale….ding ding ding! I know, you are probably thinking “is this bitch crazy? She thinks Stride Rite is expensive then goes to NORDSTROM’s looking for a deal?!” Well, shoes that were in Stride Rite were half the price! Maybe not the color I was looking for, but black patent leather Mary Jane’s and cute little Converse. But after talking to a few mom’s, I decided to just suck it up and go back into Stride Rite and get Ava fitted for a pair of shoes.
Besides the crying fit in the middle of the store, it was a success! I suggest every newly walking baby get correctly fitted for shoes instead of us trying to guess. I learned the hard way because I was squeezing her little Flintstone feet into a half size smaller than she needed. The joys of being a newbie mom!
So for all you other newbies out there I decided to make a list of top 4 best shoes for new walkers (in my opinion). And veteran moms – I want your feedback! Any shoes I left off??
*Disclaimer: I have a girl…sorry for all the girlie styles for all you moms with boys! But the sites have great boy styles too!!! I promise!!
Robeez!
These are great! Perfect for crawlers and early walkers. Ava still wears hers and I just recently bough a new pair.
Stride Rite MJs!
How can you go wrong with a brand that’s been around since 1919?! They have great styles, great fabrics and flexible soles to help your baby get around easier.
Toms!
I am just a huge fan of Toms. I have a pair, and my daughter has a pair for when she gets to be a better walker. But they have sizes for prewalkers/early walkers. Their soles are flexible and the fabric is cozy for their toesies.
Check out these adorable Originals Delaney in silver! Pedipeds are great for new walkers and start around $35 a pair. Plus there are lots of fun styles to choose from!
What are/were your kiddos wearing in the pre/early walker phase?
– Amanda
