Toddler shoes...are good shoes all expensive?

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I paid $70 for a pair of shoes ( I think my mouth fell open at the cash register) for my DS (his first paid of proper shoes) from shoes and sox. They are clarks shoes and the lady told me they should last 3 months.

Is this normal? Any recommendations of where to get good shoes from?

[Olive]

i buy clarks, they generally last 6 months here! though DD feet seem to grow slow!!

[Salsa]

I have in NZ brought shoes that seemed very good for DS, and were not expensive but a good brand like clarkes is reliable. DS got his first pair only now for school and he loves how they feel.
When he was smaller and not lasting in them as long I was buying cheaper ones, but you have to really look at the shoe carefully. Stick your hand in and feel what the toe area feels like, push down on the insole and feel for comfort, suport and any bumps and lumps etc that could be uncomfortable. Feel what the tongue (if it has one) feels like, is it scratchy or too thin or too thick? etc. Bend the shoe and see how flexible the shoe and sole is, how heavy is it? What material is it made of - can his feet breath, is the shoe washable etc?
Think about what makes a good shoe work for you and think about what makes a shoe uncomfy for you. Then consider what it things a kids feet need, ie; room for toes, arch support, etc.
There are shoes out there that dont cost as much as the 'quality' brands, but you really need to inspect each shoe well, and sorry I cant tell you any brands here, as the ones I found to be good were in NZ.
Hope thats of some help anyway.

[Hannahbanana]

I get my kids shoes from kmart and big W and target.
I try not to spend more than $15 on a pair of shoes cos they just arent in them long enough. The kids seem to have no trouble walking/playing/running in them.
$70 my mouth fell open too!!!
Kmart stock grosby shoes which are a decient brand I think, and they are around the $25mark.

[Olive]

shoes are one thing i wont compromise on! yep her boots where $80 but she wears them everyday, they are the only winter shoes she has! i figured if i bought a few cheap ones it almost adds up to what i spend anyway. do what you feel is right for your child!

[Hannahbanana]

lol.
Just reading your post AJP, and I just realised I probably do spend $50 - $80 on shoes for DD and DS for the current season.
I have a bit of a kids shoe fettish I spose you could call it. I cant resist a cute pair of shoes. So my kids generally have 3 or 4 pairs of cheapies.
So in all honesty I would be spending about that anyway. Comes as a bit of a shock to realise it.

[sangie]

I'd also rather spend money on a decent pair of shoes rather than buy lots of cheap pairs. Not sure where you are but William's recently had 'buy one get another half price' and I bought two pairs for $40.

It's worth looking out for the sales and then buying the next size up etc. DD's first pair of shoes (Clarke's boots) are getting small now and they have lasted for 4 months, so not too bad I guess!

[ll80]

A good fitting shoe is really important, like AJP it's the one thing I won't compromise on either.
I always get DD fitted properly and by a clarks shoe usually.
Their feet are still molding into shape, the bones are not set as they are in adults.

"It's a complex structure of 26 bones and 35 joints, held together and supported by scores of ligaments. A baby's foot is padded with fat and is highly flexible."

If they wear ill fitting shoes then it will lead to all sorts of problems later on, not only in their feet but also in their knees, hips and back.

I figure by spending a little extra now I am saving myself from spending $$ at podiatrists later on, or physio... etc and my DD some pain should she develop anything.

[Salsa]

Oh, just thought to add, that if you do look for shoes that are cheaper and not from a specialist shoe shop, you should go to a good shoe shop and get their feet measured. Thats what I used to do anyway, go get a proper fitting and then know what size Ds was for where ever I got the shoes from, once I found some that I was happy with. If you can afford to buy Clarkes or similar though then its alot easier and worth just getting those.

[Kitt3n]

Correctly fitting shoes for kids are so very, very important.

Not only the length, but the width aswell. It is essential that this is measured correctly.

As they are still relatively soft, an incorrect fitting can have terribly detrimental effects on their feet for the rest of their life.

I'd prefer to have DD in one pair of shoes at a time rather than a few cheapies. Even her school shoes are about $100.

The kid costs more in shoes in one year than I do in 3-5!!

[Lana]

Not sure where you are but I have been told you can buy Clarks at the factory outlets. Apparently you can get them at Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) Melbourne and still be measured up. I haven't been myself but been told they are cheaper than $70.

[Celsie]

My son wears Clarks shoes etc too, but I don't pay anywhere near that price for them. Toddlers grow out of them so quickly, they're hardly worn so most Mums and Dads sell them off on ebay and they are like new. I bought a pair of Clarks First Shoes (which DS has worn for about 3-4 months) for $16. And they were NEW!!! I just had to rush out today and buy him some more shoes, as he literally grew out of his others over the weekend.

I also got a pair of beautiful brown leather boots, that were never worn for $4. I had to take them to be repaired the other day, my DH managed to pull of the tongue. The shoe repairer commented on what good quality shoes they were! How good is that!!!

I went to Big W, Kmart etc and there was nothing I'd be happy putting his foot in. All plastic and rubbish. Too narrow, no support. Not even going there. Out of pure desperation I ran into Spendless Shoes (I was carrying DS around the shops with no shoes on) and they had Grosby Suede Leather Boys boots going out on special for $14.95!!! BARGAIN!!! They fit like a dream. DS is VERY proud of his new shoes!

So, try having a look on ebay, if you don't mind the idea of 2nd hand shoes. You can save yourself a lot of money and still have great quality shoes.

[Kitt3n]

Yes, Lana is correct. Sometimes they even have 50% off second pair - I recently got DD a pair of full leather clarks boots AND a pair of clarks sneakers for $40!! (yes, both, not each).

You just have to be lucky with DFO etc - sometimes there is so much to choose from, sometimes it really is "the end of the line"

[M D]

At what age/stage should you put your bub in shoes?

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

OK, I pay under $50 for DS's shoes (Clarks); he has had one pair so far. I get his feet measured every 2 months and he hasn't needed new shoes yet; I bought his over 6 months ago.

I would say DON'T buy off e-bay for the same reason you don't buy a car-seat off e-bay; they say it's new and not used but do you know what's really happened to it?

Babies need shoes... tbh, never. No-one needs shoes. DS still goes barefoot a lot, as do I, even outside. But generally when they're walking and ready to walk outside then shoes are not a bad idea, but barefoot outside is better IMO.

Shoe freak here though, I had surgery on my feet due to bad shoes and I'm SOOOO picky about DS and his feet you would not believe it. Or maybe you would reading this LOL.

[~Raven~]

Eeeks Rosehip Fairy guess you've never had the pleasure of splinter/pr!ckle removal from a small toddlers foot then

I prefer to spend the money on better shoes as the cheaper ones don't last in my experience.
I got Caleb some nice Hush Puppies last week on sale marked down from $69.95 to $39.95. Keep your eyes peeled a bit in advanced for when you might need a new pair and you'll do well.

[Celsie]

I would say DON'T buy off e-bay for the same reason you don't buy a car-seat off e-bay; they say it's new and not used but do you know what's really happened to it?

The reason for not buying carseats on Ebay is that you don't know if they've been in an accident and therefore there are safety concerns. I hardly think shoes fall under the same criteria. Not all of the shoes are new. Most say "like new" and it's quite easy to tell if they've been worn or not. What do you think the risks of buying second-hand shoes would be? I doubt my child is going to catch some horrible disease from a pair of shoes.

[stillhoping]

I'm not 100% sure on this but I would think that buying second hand shoes, would mean that the shoe has moulded to the first childs foot. You know when you try a shoe on in a shoe shop that has been on display, it is always different from the one kept in the box. I think it is best to buy good shoes at the start.