Childrens shoes...

Lalaladybird

We bought our 2 year old a pair of peppa pig trainers today and a pair of cheap foamy sandals for playing in the garden. My MIL is horrified that they are not clarks shoes and insists she will take our dd to get clarks shoes herself because it is so important children have "decent" shoes.

I think the shoes we have bought will be fine. She's had clarks shoes all her life but they're expensive and surely these trainers are not going to do any harm.

What do you think?

far2812

I have got the same with my MIL - and it is because she has bad feet because she didn't wear proper shoes as a child.

I believe that properly fitted shoes are perfect for our little ones but little sandals for playing in the garden for a while won't do them any harm!

RLH33

When you say you bought two pairs of shoes - did you get them fitted in the shop? If not then I would be worried about their fit and whether wearing them would hurt or damage her feet.

Personally I will not buy shoes or sandals unless they have been fitted, which usually means Clarks Shoes, but it is the fitting that matters - not the brand. My ds had wide feet when he was younger and there were a lot of shoes that he could not have when we went to buy shoes as they were too narrow - Doodles and Doodles Sandals being a case in point meaning the purchase of expensive summer sandals:( Without the shoes being fitted I would never have known this and they would have hurt his little feet.

onebusybee

My daughter was born with all her toes crossing over. (Sounds as strange as it looked!) I always buy her a good pair of shoes (Clarks fully fitted) and a "scruffy" pair (cheaper non branded pair in the correct size for garden play etc). I just feel her feet in them and check they are not too tight / loose.
I have done this since she was walking age 1, she is now 4 her toes have all straightened out and she has no problems with her feet at all. So personally from experience I don't think cheaper shoes / trainers to any harm.

SkintGypsy

My DD tends to have one pair of fitted shoes at a time, so right now she has clarkes fitted trainers because she isn't in school yet and she wears them the most. When at school she will have fitted school shoes.

She also has some Asda jelly sandals, will probably have Crocs for the summer, and a pair of wellies. If they were all fitted it would cost fortunes every time she grew. Think you just have to be sensible and make a judgement as to how much time she will realistically be in the two pairs you bought. If a lot then worth investing in a fitted pair, but if occasional then I doubt they will harm her.

littlerat

I never had clarks shoes as I always found them painful when little, they were fitted but never fitted well, were always way too tight, Mum and Dad did it by feeling instead.

My brother they gave up as he'd outgrow them within about 3 months and they just couldn't afford it.

chelle230

my son only had clarks shoes from aged 9 months to about 2 and half years. he usually now has one clarks pair and about another 2/3 pairs of cheaper ones.
he usually picks his cheaper pair to wear over the others.
I don't see wearing cheaper ones makes any difference....and neither does my friend who was a Clarks manager, so long as they fit right and don't slip or rub, and you can see that for yourself.

peachyprice

Were they from a shoe shop or elesewhere?

In my opinion the sandals would probably be fine as you can actually see whether they're too tight and if they're just for kicking about in the garden won't be worn for any length of time.

As for the trainers, I would never put a 2yo in them, not even clarks, they're just too restrictive and there's too much padding to be able to tell if they fit properly.

Childrens feet are so easily ruined, and once they are that's it, for the rest of their life. For me buying proper fitting, age appropriate shoes is very importnant.

However, at the end of the day, if it's not something you feel strongly about it's not really any of your MIL's business.

pigpen

I'm with MIL.. I INSIST on buying GS's shoes so he has proper fitted shoes for walking about in.. they grow so fast they don't need 'garden/playing' shoes.. a decent clarks pair will polish up to look good as new for the few months they are in them. Mine have ALWAYS had proper fitted shoes and the podiatrist, orthopaedic surgeon and physiotherapist have all said what lovely undeformed feet they all have.. apart from Tiddles curly toes which is caused by the tendons not growing so cannot be helped by shoes. I have 3 with severe hypermobility, 1 with cerebral palsy who also had severe talipes and 1 with super curly toes.

Those floppy jelly shoes have no support, trainers make their feet wide by allowing the foot bed to spread too far..

It doesn't matter whether their clothes are new or old or where they are from so long as they are warm and appropriate but they spend a whole lifetime walking about on their feet.. possibly over 100 years so it is our duty to make sure their feet are as healthy and natural as possible. What is the cost of a pair of proper fitted shoes when balanced against a lilfetime of improper posture, poor foot development, foot deformities etc.?

Bare foot is best.. if they cannot be bare foot they wear decent shoes.

Teenie_D

Personally I would say that the trainers definately need to be fitted properly. My MIL was the opposite she phoned me one day to say there were a pair of dollies in a sale and could she get them for my DD (she wasn't even 2 at the time!) she was a bit cheesed off when i told her no-not without getting them fitted properly! We buy Start Rite, I was so chuffed when i finally found a shop that sold them lol reminded me of my childhood and they really keep their look!

Nadstar

I have, for the most part, bought my daughter Clarks shoes... However, the last three pairs have gone back to the store within the week with one problem or another linked to the fitting. The store staff (In my town) are worse than useless and just shrug when you point out how badly fitted they actually were! Some of their shoes are lovely, some are just as rubbish as the ones at a fraction of the cost!

Luckily, my DD adores her shoes (At 3!!!) so is quite happy traipsing about town looking for the best fitting pair!