Toddler Shoes... My Gripe

[rufalina]

Why is it that all toddler shoes are stoopid velcro. Do shoe makers not understand that children who are just over the age of 1 and really like exploring, and do not like shoes on, but need shoes for park and shopping, are very adept at velcro and no sooner as shoes are on, they are off, and that is a good game??????????? I can understand velcro for an older kid, but for a toddler?

In a shoe store on the weekend, when I wanted to get some summer sandals for DS, to break in now with sox at home before it gets hot and he needs then at day care, there were 2 pairs with buckles, and one of them had a velcro bit at the top to adjust for toes, so not suitable...

And when we needed to get late winter shoes as DS had outgrown his there were, again, two pairs of lace ups to choose from, and one was out of his size... See a pattern here??? And you know what, I am a mum who LOVES her shoes, and I hate the fact that I am not given a choice for DS. I want him to have nice shoes, not just the only ones that suit wrt buckles and laces...

Am I shopping in the wrong places? Or am I not normal in my needs?

And while I am at it, can anyone explain the inequality in choice for boys and girls, not only in shoes, but in clothing too... Please dont get me started on that topic....

Am I the only one who find this really hard?

Ok...rant over... i just needed to get that out..

[MamaPan]

I agree with you soooooooooooooooo strongly.. esp about the choice (and esp for girls)
I went to ecco on the weekend to get DS shoes and there ended up ONE choice... there were about 20 suitable pairs of girly shoes. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Inanna]

I agree too. It's ridiculous!

[butterfly_warrior]

We're not quite up to the shoe stage, but I think you're entirely normal, Rufalina. I'm so thoroughly sick of trying to go shopping for Sam's clothing and finding rack upon rack of stuff for girls and maybe half a rack for boys. And there's just no variety - it's all ugly!

Makes me want to get the sewing machine out...

BW

[Bathsheba]

I LOATHE velcro!!! So I totally agree. I rarely buy shoes with velcro and only do as a complete last resort. Whenever I am in shoe shops I make a point of saying how much I hate shoes with velcro for the exact reasons you gave plus i find that it doesn't last as long as a buckle... all manner of lint and fluff get in it... i know I could pull it out a bit but that's not the point... and it looks shocking... so cheap and nasty. Shop assistants think I'm crazy... they assure me that all mums prefer the convenience of velcro these days (ppppft!) because it's faster and gives the child independence. Well that's all very well and good but at the end of te day it's also cheaper to install than a good quality buckle so I remain suspicious and refuse to be converted.

Start-Rite are a good brand of childrens' shoe that have largely avoided velcro. I have also found Gro-Shu to be good for buckled sandals as well, and they are nicely lined with leather and have padding around the heel... and are reasonably priced.

I also prefer lace-ups to velcro.

[rufalina]

Thanks all for validating my issues... I am not a totally insane mum... *Phew*

Toddlers love velcro. It is such a game and makes a great noise too. ...RIP... and DS loves scratching his nails on the hard bits... As for laces, I am sure you can teach a child to do them up. I know I learned... When we were growing up (I am going to show my age here) velcro was only for cheap shoes and noone had it... oh except for the cool velcro bit that went over the laces round the ankle on high tops...

Bath thanks for the recommendations... will look out for them.

[Bathsheba]

yep, in "my day" (when I was a teen) vecro on shoes was kinda embarrassing... it meant they were cheap... that you couldn't afford buckled or lace up shoes.

[aussienic]

I agree totally on finding proper boy things. Where I shop all I wanted was a pair of velcro joggers for my son to wear to school.. I have finally found a pair after looking ALL year. all I could find was girls joggers with velcro.

If you look on ebay you will find a heap of shoes for little ones with laces and buckles

[helle]

can anyone explain the inequality in choice for boys and girls, not only in shoes, but in clothing too... Please dont get me started on that topic....

OMG! I so agree with this. And it doesn't even stop at clothing... I was out shopping the other day and I saw these money boxes made from clay - you put coins in and once it's full you smash it open, those sort of things - and I was going to get one for our bubba cos they were just cute(and I'm a sucker ). There was a baby pink one that had "My Little Princesses First Money Box" written across it & a plain yellow one. NO BABY BLUE! Humph! So not impressed!!

[onthefly]

Or you could try gumboots, DS' choice of the moment...

[CrazyLady]

i agree on the lack of boys clothes but i've also found the boys clothes tend to be more practical/warm. also found that the boys jumpsuits wash up better.

[Laranna]

Ruf, totally agree!!! DS has two pairs of lace up shoes. I was lucky and found them on special for $20 each (they are Osh Kosh and were reduced from $70!). Before I got those, I had a really tough time finding a pair of pre-walkers. It was hard enough to find just a pair of plain old dunlop volleys!!

And the clothes, so little choice for boys. Walk into any baby clothes shop, one rack for boys, twenty racks for girls! Ridiculous!

[onthefly]

And the clothes, so little choice for boys. Walk into any baby clothes shop, one rack for boys, twenty racks for girls! Ridiculous!

Now see i find this a good thing cause I have no interest in clothes and just find the vast selection for girls too daunting...

[Bathsheba]

There's something to be said for that marcellus LOL I know what you mean... I am so over shopping for my DD... my sons will wear anything... a much healthier attitude I think! Each to their own though.

[butterfly_warrior]

I do wonder, though, if boys wear just anything because they have no choice... or is it simply a boy thing that they don't really care?

BW

[Phteven]

I must be shopping in different shops to everyone else because I've never noticed a huge difference in the choices available for boys. TBH I'm not sure that rack after rack of frilly pink should really be regarded as choice anyway. It's like giving my boys a choice between apples or bananas - they think they have a choice but really they can only have fruit.

ETA - No way in hell will my boys wear anything. Yasin loathes brown and isn't too enthusiastic about the other earth colours.

[{sarah}]

TBH I'm not sure that rack after rack of frilly pink should really be regarded as choice anyway.

Here here!! Girls clothes are actually a lot harder to get than you'd think, unless you want pink pink & more pink. That said if you are into pink there is definitely a greater variety for boys than girls.

And yep I hear ya on the velcro, J has her shoes undone in three seconds these days!

[Olive]

i refused to buy velcro shoes for DD1 until this winter when i bought some sneakers with velcro, for the exact reasons you stated!! she always has buckles for sandles try looking online.....

just checked betts kids and they have one pair of boys that are buckle