Best place for toddler shoes

I like stride rites but they are quite expensive at around $50 regular priced. I've also bought Pediped and they are also nice. Also Clark's.
I shop at KiddieKobbler, Olly Shoes... Winners also has some nice toddler shoes sometimes but it's hit or miss. I saw a pair of really nice Clark's for $30 at Winners once but it was gone a few days later. It's January so you might find some sales around.

The brands I mentioned above all have soft rubber soles that bend and my 17 month old son seems to walk easier in these kinds versus very hard soles. I think the first pair is worth the investment.

When my son started walking his doctor recommended a pair of soft soled shoes such as Robeez. She said that putting his developing feet in more rigid shoes can do more harm than good. You can buy them online for pretty reasonable prices.

My daughter wore Robeez until 18 months. Then she switched to real shoes. She's worn the Walmart shoes, Winners and hand me downs. But the best ones she has worn are kid Nikes because they're very light.

mukey wrote: ↑When my son started walking his doctor recommended a pair of soft soled shoes such as Robeez. She said that putting his developing feet in more rigid shoes can do more harm than good. You can buy them online for pretty reasonable prices.

+1

My son had foot issues, probably 'cuz we used hand me downs and rigid soles. We started buying him new shoes with NO arch support and flexible soles (shoe can fold in half and twist) and it has made a huge difference. You can find cheap shoes at Walmart, JOE Fresh, or Payless for under $20 that meet these criteria. FYI, the Smartfit shoes at Payless are rumoured to be made by Stride Rite.

jnndng wrote: ↑My daughter wore Robeez until 18 months. Then she switched to real shoes. She's worn the Walmart shoes, Winners and hand me downs. But the best ones she has worn are kid Nikes because they're very light.

Where can one find Robeez?

Try Toys R Us, Kiddie Kobbler or SoftMoc. Or you could try Loblaws, Joe Fresh has their version for $12.

BuddyGuy wrote: ↑Where can one find Robeez?

We had a couple pairs of Robeez, I hated them because they have no laces / velcro - makes it hard to put on on a squirmy child.

Also Robeez once you get them on come off easy. Honestly this whole hard/soft sole thing has to be marketing and only that.

Generations of kids wore hard soled shoes and made out just fine. Including me.

dutchca wrote: ↑
Generations of kids wore hard soled shoes and made out just fine. Including me.

Generations also survived with no car seats or seat belt. By your logic, those aren't necessary either.

Avoid shoes with stiff soles or arch supports, etc. Don't go just for the look and style.

Robeez are good for younger ones. Stride Rite also has some nice shoes.

There seems to be endless places for girl shoes, but getting decent boys shoes is a struggle. By this I mean nice dress shoes, not casual running shoes or anything like that. There is even little girls only stores

BuddyGuy wrote: ↑I'm looking for a good pair of shoes with good support for my little guy.

He's almost 15 months and walking well... went to Carter's but it seemed a bit hodgepodge.

Any advice / experience? Thanks!

Try the shoe company, there is one on dundas in mississauga/oakville. They have a variety of brands to choose from and they will measure your toddler for proper size.

Gidget wrote: ↑Try the shoe company, there is one on dundas in mississauga/oakville. They have a variety of brands to choose from and they will measure your toddler for proper size.

Good idea... thanks.

Our 14 month old wears his Robeez all day at daycare. We tried "hard" soul shoes but he has trouble walking in them still...

Recently he needed new robeez type shoes and we ordered these from etsy...

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1929184 ... oft-soled?

Couple more dollars then robeez but seem to be better quality, waiting to recieve them in the mail any day now.

If you want a good shoe and don't mind spending a bit more, I have been buying my child Nike/jordans. They have been really good, we tried a few different brands but feel Nike/Jordan's are best. Shoes are really important especially at school/daycare where they are playing on their feet running and jumping.

Geox

The DC Shoes website has some great toddler shoes for boys and girls. I've been buying my son's shoes there for a year or so. He was walking at 9 months and I had him in Robeez until he started day care at 12 months. Once he was in day care, I started putting him in DC Shoes because he kept taking the Robeez off. I've never spent more than $25 for a pair...I subscribe to their newsletter and get deals all the time. I always buy a couple of each shoe in different sizes when they have 30-50% off deals. Free shipping to Canada as well.

musicgal831 wrote: ↑The DC Shoes website has some great toddler shoes for boys and girls. I've been buying my son's shoes there for a year or so. He was walking at 9 months and I had him in Robeez until he started day care at 12 months. Once he was in day care, I started putting him in DC Shoes because he kept taking the Robeez off. I've never spent more than $25 for a pair...I subscribe to their newsletter and get deals all the time. I always buy a couple of each shoe in different sizes when they have 30-50% off deals. Free shipping to Canada as well.

Nice kicks, and free shipping! Thanks for the tip.

But the CAD dollar is rubbish now against the US

musicgal831 wrote: ↑The DC Shoes website has some great toddler shoes for boys and girls. I've been buying my son's shoes there for a year or so. He was walking at 9 months and I had him in Robeez until he started day care at 12 months. Once he was in day care, I started putting him in DC Shoes because he kept taking the Robeez off. I've never spent more than $25 for a pair...I subscribe to their newsletter and get deals all the time. I always buy a couple of each shoe in different sizes when they have 30-50% off deals. Free shipping to Canada as well.

jetsetr wrote: ↑But the CAD dollar is rubbish now against the US

Maybe so, but the shoes are far cooler, and even with the 20%+ dollar premium, shipping would cost more than the 7-8 extra bucks on a $35 pair of shoes you would pay.