Toddler shoes...are good shoes all expensive?

The risks of second hand shoes:

They are already worn. It takes a VERY short time for the shoe to mould to a foot. You wear a pre-worn shoe and it contorts your foot into that shape, which can be painful. As babies' feet are still changing so much it can push the bones into positions that will last the rest of their lives and need operations on in the future.

A carseat may not have seen and accident and you may not have one, so that can be immaterial. An old shoe WILL cause untold damage to your child - take it from someone who has had her feet damaged by bad and old shoes.

eta: we only play on the grass barefoot and I go out and pick up all the holly leaves first! But DS will happily run over stones barefoot and all I can do is follow sometimes - his feet are REALLY tough.

I wouldn't buy second hand shoes for an older child, but we are talking about toddlers (who walk a little like thunderbirds puppets), who aren't very hard wearing on their shoes and wear them for so little time (I guess that's my whole point, these shoes are being sold as new because they've barely been worn), I doubt the shoes would "mould" at all. I've had a look at DS shoes and there aren't even foot imprints in the innersoles. But, each to their own.

i agree with not buying 2nd hand shoes, as even as a young toddler my DS always had the imprint of his feet inside his shoes, so i can't imagine 2nd hand ones being any good for soft little feet. Having said that, i have used 2nd hand shoes for my DS, when i was really short on cash, its not life and death but much better if you buy good quality well fitted shoes.

OK, next time I'm down in Brissie, I'll go to the kid's shoe store in Chermside and get good shoes for DS - no more K-Mart shopping!

You can get Grobsy's at KMart & they are very good ;)

For new walkers I love Robeez shoes & that sort of style. They are supposedly the next best thing to bare feet when little ones are learning to walk as the soles are very soft. Zander had three or four pairs when he was larning to walk & we plan on getting some for Juliette when she gets to that stage, prior to that she won't wear anything but socks.

Those shoes are gorgeous sarah!! Do you just order them online? I couldn't find any stores in Australia.

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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.

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A podiatrist told me second hand shoe problems are due to the fact that all people walk differently, ie if a child walks on the side of their feet, then by your child wearing those same shoes, it may encourage the foot to naturally fall into that pattern of walking.

Yep I ordered them online, just measured the sole of his feet & got the appropriate size from there ;)