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Secret number one: Know what your toddler's foot needs.
Dr. Michael Pliskin, chief of podiatry at North Shore University Hospital, dishes up some toddler shoe-buying advice in the March 2008 Newsday article, "Proper Shoes Give Toddlers Good Footing." Pliskin says that toddler shoes should "mimic the child being barefoot." Look for shoes, he says, with the following characteristics:
- flexible upper
- room for growth with no tight spots or rubbing
- made of a breathable material like canvas or leather
- thin, flexible sole made of rubber or leather
Secret number 2: Don't pay more than $25 for a pair of toddler shoes.
Here are a few shoe brands that fit the bill and fit your budget:
Robeez & Robeez knockoffs: Soft leather shoes with soft leather soles. They fit kids with wide feet, too. Name brands like Robeez and Bobux cost up to $30, but you should never have to pay that much. Sales throughout the year allow you to pick up a pair of Robeez for under $20. Robeez knockoffs, available at Target, for example, will run you about $15. Amazon has frequent discounts. Right now you can find a decent selection of Robeez
starting at $14.89.
Pediped is another popular choice, though a bit pricier. Also fine for kids with wide feet, Pediped features a leather sole that's a bit thicker than that of Robeez-style shoes. They don't go on sale as often. When they do, you'll rarely save more than 15% off the $30-ish price. I have seen them for under $25.
Stride Rite refers to their line of flexible infant toddler footwear as "stage 2." More structured than either Robeez or Pediped (and less like going barefoot), Stride Rite Stage 2 shoes come in actual sizes rather than age ranges. The shoes can cost a whopping $45 new. It's VERY easy to find Stride Rites under $20. The pair shown here is $19.99 at Amazon, where you'll find stage 2 shoes as low as $14.89 right now.Other appropriate--and way cute--options are Pedoodles and See Kai Run
. But please don't pay more than $25 for a pair of shoes your kids will outgrow in two months just because they're trendy.What are your best toddler shoe shopping secrets?
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26 comments:
$25 IS A LOT ON BABY SHOES. I DONT SPEND MORE THAN 15. I GOT HER ADIDAS SHOES FOR $15 AT THE OUTLET. I USUALLY BUY HER CLEARANCE SHOES AT TARGET OR PAYLESS FOR LESS THAN $10. SHELL GROW OUT OF THEM SO FAST!
Shoes are one area where I do not skimp, but not because I am afraid of a good deal. If I find the right shoe for less, I am all for it, but my son has extra wide (as in double wide stride rite) sized feet, and it isn't easy to find shoes that fit his sausage style feet, so I usually end up spending more. I especially love keens, because they are naturally a wider shoe and nearly indestructible.
All of that to say, it is not a good deal if the shoe does not fit properly, so be sure to check the WIDTH along with the length! (I know that falls in to checking for rubbing, but a lot of people forget to check that the kids foot isn't protruding over the side!)
My mom found a bunch of robeez on ebay. She did not pay more than $8 per pair. (Most were $3.) I would be surprised if they were used at all. They looked brand new when we received them!
Nordstrom Rack is a great secret too. I have purchased Robeez there for 8.99. I have heard they carry Stride Rite but I think you have to stop in frequently to catch a great deal.
Let my mother in law buy them. It always seems to work for me :)
No seriously, she is obsessed with those hard soled leather shoes that look so uncomfortable (and Dr's say to avoid like the plaque).
When I finally talked her into getting him some more usable tennis shoes, we have settled into New Balance and Nike, and have really enjoyed them for him. We usually buy them on sale for about $25-$30.
Hi - I am in LOVE with the toddler "trainers" being sold at Wal-Mart. Look in the baby aisles, not the shoe section. They are roughly $10.00 - $12.00 a pair and 100% Leather. Here's why I love them. They are in between the Robeez - style, which offers minimal protection outside and still more flexible than the See Kai Runs with a full sole. They are also sold up to size 5. Many companies, like stride rite, only offer harder soled shoes beyond sizes 3 or 4.
On my most recent trip, they had two boys stles and two girls styles.
A friend who is a pediatric physical therapist recommends the Osh Kosh shoes at Target (about $12) - she says they are equivalent to stride rite - you want to be able to hold the shoe between your finger and thumb and flex the sole. I also bought robeez knock-offs from a Canadian seller on Ebay - something like carazoo - I can't seem to find it right now - They were great. I have twins so I need two of everything!
In response to "t",
You're right! $25 is a lot to pay for toddler shoes. It's an upper limit. You'll notice that most of the examples in the post are closer to $15.
I was just at the stride rite outlet at Discover mills (georgia) and they are having a "summer blowout sale".. most of the summer styles were 19.99 and 14.99..
the sales gal told me they were already getting their fall shoes in. If you live in a warmer climate.. you know we still have a long way to go before we will be wearing fall shoes!
So you may want to check out your outlet stores!!
allie
No real shoes shopping secrets here, but I just wanted to let you know there was a Robeez-like brand that I just found out about. It is called ShooShoos and the highest price on their website is $19.95/pair.
Am I the only one who buys used shoes? We have gotten some really nice ones from consignment stores and Cragislist. At first I was reluctant because I thought they might be already worn into the shape of the previous owner's foot, but some of the pairs we've gotten were more or less brand new.
Last night I was looking for beach shoes for my son, and saw exactly what I wanted at the Stride Rite store for about $45. Yikes! A few doors down, the Payless had essentially the same shoe on sale for $10.
I buy used shoes, too, MES. It was a lot easier to find shoes in good condition when my son was an infant, though. He's a preschooler now, and the playground is tough on shoes.
I've found wide Stride Rite's at Marshalls for about $17. I need wide shoes for my son as well and that's about the best we can do right now. Selection is limited but I buy them when I see them.
I don't know if you've already linked to this coupon but I thought it fit since you're talking about saving money on shoes. $5 off shoes $19.99 or more at Kmart:
http://content.kmart.com/ue/home/May_08_internet_cpn.pdf
Pretty much all of my daughter's shoes come from Target. When she was learning to walk, my absolute favorites were very flexible, like a Robeez, but had a small amount of rubber on the bottom, too, so she could wear them outside. I think they were Circo brand. Throw them in the wash and they come out looking new. They're also available up to size 5 and come in cute styles. Now that she "runs so fast!" and is closing in on 2.5, I still try to get her pretty flexible soles. They just seem more comfy. Some kids shoes have such solid soles, it's unbelievable that anyone, let alone a kid, could walk in them!
THANK YOU, Angie!!! (((HUGS))) Yes, I did the cardnial sin...I paid $49 for my daughter's first pair of stride rites (hanging head in shame). One of those had to buy now and couldn't wait situations...but not with her next pair! Thanks for these pointers.
Two things I will not skimp on; car seats and shoes. LOL
That being said, we LOVE our Pedipeds. Our daughter has been wearing them since last fall. She's now 19 months old and on her third set. I buy her three pairs at a time and they're wonderful. We most likely go to the Pediped Flex as she gets older.
Oh, we did get her a pair of Stride-Rites when she started walking. I'm thinking about getting them bronzed!
thanks for the tips. our 2 year old has always had super thick feet. my MIL has always bought his one pair of XXW stride rites each season. i just bought his first pair of non-stride rites, a crock knock off at payless, for our water fun this summer. but they totally don't fit right. this is the first pair of shoes that he has complained about hurting. i need a quick water shoe idea before we hit the waterpark this weekend! a very ROOMY water shoe.
Mamabargains.com has Me-in-Mind shoes for $10 a pair today. They look a lot like Robeez and are regularly priced at $26. It looks like a good deal!
My doctor says no to used shoes, especially when their feet are little. Don't forget that certain pedipeds are just $20 through June 15! Plus, I got free shipping!
I used to work at Stride Rite ages ago and they really focused on how the shoes fit. Whether you pay $10 or $45, just make sure they fit properly (including width)! I saw way too many kids with their feet either squeezed into too small shoes or with too big shoes flopping and making them trip. I would think with infant shoes, secondhand is okay but once they start walking the shoes do begin to shape to their feet somewhat... Sizes really vary with brands, so you just have to judge the shoe once you have it on their foot.
I loved the pedi-peds.....until DS grew out of their largest size at 12 months. They were so cute, and he could walk very easily in them.
My biggest defense against exorbitant toddler shoe prices is outlets. The Stride Rite outlet has great sales two or three times a year and the other shoe stores in the outlet malls usually carry name brand shoes for really decent prices. The last time I was there, I picked up a pair of new balance tennis shoes for DS for $9.99. Can't beat that!
Thanks for the great tips. They will come in handy for DS2 on the way!
My 17 mo old son wears a 5.5 - 6 extra wide. We love Robeez and the Target ones (which are actually Bobux), but now that he's walking we had to go the STride Rite route. I hated to spend that much on shoes, but I could not find ANYTHING to feet his fat little stuffed sausage feet. I'm all about bargain hunting and I rarely pay over $7 an outfit (carters at marshall's, sam's or tjx), so I don't feel as bad about the whole shoe thing. They don't rub, he actually LOVES shoes and points to them every morning as soon as he gets up. I'm sure now that it's summer, he won't be wearing the white leather shoes much, but I figure, I'm having them bronzed so it's a keepsake (albeit pricey) for me! :-)
Amen to that last sentence! Who would spend 25 dollars on shoes!?!?
I keep an eye out at Target for their sales. Usually, the shoes are 12.99 to 16.99, but on a good sale day you can get shoes for less than 4 dollars. I've never spent more than 4 dollars on my daughter's shoes. And she has a whole wardrobe of ADORABLE shoes! Granted, she goes barefoot 70% of the time, but when it comes to playing outside or going to church, her feet are always clothed in adorable and totally affordable shoes! The last pair of shoes I bought for my daughter at Target, a cute pair of pink plaid canvas shoes with velcro closures, I paid $2.89!!!
My best tip is www.kidsurplus.com
They have stride rites for more than 1/2 off all the time. I'll never pay full price again. You have to search for sizes and I think they are "last year" models, but who cares?
I'm glad I'm not the only one not willing to skimp on shoes. (Car seats, mattresses, shoes, and food are the areas I'm willing to pay a little extra for good quality.)
That said, I somehow misplaced my son's left shoe (from Stride Rite)on Saturday and needed to get a replacement pair so he could go to day care. Since I knew he didn't need to be resized, I went to the Stride Rite outlet and picked up another pair for $20.
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