Shoes for a New Walker

Hi Arlene,

I read and was told by my son's pediatrican( my son started walking at 8mos.) that soft sole shoes are the best for new walkers...like Roobez which are sold at Whole Foods, Macy's,Parkway Drugs in the 680 bldg on LSD and other small baby boutiques, Target has knock off brand Morningstar which are exactly the same and priced around $12 or $15...Reason behind soft shoes is so they can build the muscles in their feet and to form their arches and be as close to being barefoot as much as possible to accomplish healty little feet. The Roobez run $25-$30? Good Luck

Good shoes will cost more however you can sometimes find these shoes (i.e. Stride Rite, Umi, Nautrino) at Marshalls or TJ Maxx. It will be hit or miss but worth a try. The last time I went to Alamo, I found a good selection and the prices are comparable to Nordstrom. However, you can take advantage of the sales offered at Nordstrom.

When my daughter was in this stage, we put her in the generic Robeez. You can get them at Target in the baby aisle. After that, we got her first nice pair of shoes - Stride Rites - from Alamo. they are very helpful there. Now that I know her size, I buy most of her shoes on ebay. I can usually get almost brand new shoes for a lot less than if I bought them in the store. Saves a lot of money and I can get her several nice pairs.

Alamo is a great place. They have a good selection and the staff are very, very helpful. Highly recommended.

Arlene- I suggest trying Marshalls. I often find stylish name brand and European brand shoes for my 2 yr. old son there for great prices. You may have to go back a few times depending on what their stock is like as it's constantly changing. Alamo has adorable boys shoes too and a good selection but you won't find a bargain there.

Good luck!

There are different schools of thought on the shoe thing, so I really won't get into that. I will say that I love Alamo. The salesmen there are very good at fitting the right shoe to the right kid their prices are better than the high end boutique-y places that really don't offer much in the way of service and their service and selection can't be beat.

Actually, barefoot is best for babies just learning to walk and for balance. I have always used Robeez for kids until their feet were bigger and were walking better.

Hi Arlene,
I have an 11 month old, and I asked the same question a few months ago. I got 39 reponses back and all of them said Robeez! You can get them at Stride Rite. The are a soft soled shoe, and come in a very wide variety. Great for beginning walkers, as my son is also walking with a push toy!
You are NOT supposed to put hard soled shoes on him until later. He needs to feel his toes on the ground to help balance him. I hope this helps!

My daughter wore Robeez until she had been walking well on her own for almost 2 months. I bought the Robeez on EBay! They were in great condition, and so much cheaper than buying new. At that age, they just don't wear them out. Sure, they looked like they'd been worn a few months, but they would have looked like that after we used them for a couple of weeks anyway!
We went to Stride Right when she had been walking a couple of months. I was tempted to go to Payless, but my parents offered to buy her first real pair of shoes. I'm glad we got good ones! Turns out, she wears a 4wide! I never would have known to buy her wide shoes if someone knowledgable hadn't measured her feet. We're actually heading to Alamo tomorrow for new shoes. The salesmen there have always been VERY helpful when I'm looking for shoes, and they make sure that things fit well.
Good luck!

Hello Arlene,
I think that Stride Rite are decent shoes, but definitely not 'the best', as some moms describe, maybe because they don't know any better.
When my son start walking, the advice I had form a physical therapist was that the first shoes have to be:

- with good, strong base/bottom,
- little high on the back/have this arch for good support,
- with lace, not with straps,
not necessarily the most /or at all/ expensive.

I bought “Swiss” for $25 from Shoe Carnival. They have wide variety of these types of “gym” shoes and half numbers, as well. Now, that he is two, I do buy him more expensive and better looking shoes :) Some of my choices are Ecco, Geox, Crocs. But they are many others, I am sure.

Unless your son is outside or in public, keep him barefoot. Most of the new-walker shoes are basically soft slippers, like Robeez etc. You can actually get good Robeez knock-offs at Target for about $20. I would stick to these or something similar (Stride Rites are good, as are PediPeds) until your son needs some traction. My son was born in May '06 and he wore very soft-soled shoes until around this past Christmas, when he was 18 months. Then we invested in a high quality pair of "normal" (but still very flexible) kids shoes for him, since he wears them all day at daycare.

It's really not recommended to put babies into hard soled shoes as it interferes with foot growth. Bare feet is best but soft-soled shoes work to keep feet warm and protected outdoors.

Robeez and bobux are the best known but I see them at Target WAY cheaper and even Old Navy

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/01/04/does_wearing_...

Stride Rite shoes have been around since my kids were babies.
You can get them at Nordstrom, or they have their own stores...one in Hawthorne Mall in Vernon HIlls on Rt. 60.
It's important that someone fit your child who knows kids shoes.
But deep down, I think bare feet are the best when a child is learning to walk. But in day care situation, feet should be covered.

S. g

You do not have to purchase designer shoes for your son. The main thing is to make sure they are hard bottom with arch support and lace up the ankle for stability.

Since he isn't a "walker" I would stick to softer sole shoes. You can get Robeez or go to Stride Rite. At Stride Rite they have a series of shoes you purchase based on what level "walker" they are. They can be a bit pricey but I feel they are very knowledgeable and really know what kids need. I believe Nordstrom carries Stride Rite and other brands and the staff should be knowledgeable as well.

My parents told me my whole life that good shoes were important especially to developing feet. Of course, being a stubborn kid, I would say yeah yeah and go on my merry way. When it was time for my daughter's first pair of shoes, my folks said they wanted to buy them (to ensure I would get Stride Rite...good shoes). When we went to the store, I tried 3 different pairs on her. I was stunned...she walked completely differently in each pair. One she walked pigeon-toed, the next she stumbled around and the third pair she walked perfectly. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it...my parents were right!!

Anyway, my daughter is now 3.5 and has always had Stride Rite shoes. I realize they can get expensive, especially how quickly they outgrow them. However, there are Stride Rite Outlet Stores where the shoes are close to 1/2 price of the regular store prices. The ones of which I know are in the Kenosha (Pleasant Prairie), Wisconsin Outlet Mall and the Michigan City, Indiana Outlet Mall. Winter boots aren't always that much off to be worth the gas to drive there, but the other shoes are. I am able to buy tennis shoes, patten leather shoes and casual dress shoes for about $75. In the regular store, the tennis shoes alone would be about $40.

Good luck!

At payless they have these great whie shoes that my kids wore when they first started to walk. they tie up the the ankle, so they can't get them off and they have flexible soles, so it is comfortable for them to wear. In fact I bought expensive shoes once and my kids kept saying their feet hurt so I when back to the different shoes at payless

I've always heard the best thing for a new walker are bare feet. I put my 14 month old in generic Robeez (all leather baby shoes) from Target. They manage to stay on and she is a very skilled walker at this point. However, if you want to get harder sole shoes, have his foot measured (at one of the fancy boutique stores)and then here are a few places you can try:
1. zappos.com They have all the major brands and styles, but don't charge the ridiculous prices some stores do. They also have a very convenient return policy and I think shipping is free on most purchases.
2. T.J. Maxx or Marshalls This time of year they are starting to get summer shoes in and usually have a decent selection. It is hit or miss though. It depends on where you live and the individual stock of your store.
Hope that helps!

Please don't put real shoes on your son until he's really walking. Right now, the best thing for him is to be barefoot. It will help him develop his foot. If he's outside at daycare, all he needs is a pair of Robeez or similar soft shoes that allow the feet to move. Once he's walking on his own, wait a month or so till he's walking well, and then buy him shoes. Stride Rite makes excellent shoes. Just make sure to bring him with you when you buy his shoes so they can measure his foot and give him the right size. If you're driving out of town, you can always hit the Stride Rite outlets. Nordstrom's has Stride Rite and also European shoes, which are great. Once you know his size and are looking for more variety, you can always find shoes at Nordstrom's Rack or Marshall's.

Honestly, go to Target. $12.99 will buy a decent pair of shoes that your child will wear for basically 3 months, tops, before growing out of them. I have friends who've wasted $65 (or more!) on "good" shoes, only to tell me later that the Target shoes they also bought did the job just fine. My girl is 2 yrs old now and she's never worn anything but Target shoes(and she started walking at 10 1/2 months).

Hope this helps!

Yes, Nordstroms has a big selections of kids shoes, I found that was the best place to get my sons 1st pair of walkers (he's now 8) they ran about $30.00 at the time. The staff is very helpful, will measure and make sure the shoes fit correct.

Hope this helps,
B. - Skokie

Arlene, Stride-Rite is the best because it has the best support structure. What is most important is that you bring your child with you and have an experienced person fit your child for the shoe.

I always go to a small children's shoe store because they do the best fitting. And yes, I know they are expensive, but your child's structure is so important for the future. It determines the alignment of his back and whether or not he will have back issues as a teenager and adult.

There are many small stores in and around Chicago. If you live near Evanston, there is an excellent one on Sherman Ave just south of Church street on the East side of the street.

And I don't remember the name of the store, but in downtown Winnetka there is a children's store that gives you $5 towards the purchase of a new pair of shoes when you bring in the old ones.

M. Binder
www.toy-train-table-plans-store.com

stride rite is definitely the answer & they specialize in children shoes (walking ) and thru the stages shoes (as they get older) plus they have been around forever, you might wanna get shoes that offer support as well... and they offer quality shos at decent prices... Von Maur (in yorktown) offer a nice variety of shoes also. and there is one other store i beleive it's called Wagner's in (river forest) near North Av. & Harlem just a tad bit west of harlem it's been years but i have also purchased good quality children shoes from there!! Good Luck!!!

Hi Arlene. When we lived in the city I went to Alamo often. they have great shoes. Nordstrom is a sure thing and their prices are really the same as other stores. I had my son in Stride Rites(Golf Mill, Niles) until he was 3 then we moved to Ecco for school shoes and New Balance for gym shoes. Good luck!