November 24, 2004

First Shoes for Barefoot Urchins

I bought the kid's first pair of shoes a few weeks ago; what a fiasco. They were slippers, really, alpaca crocheted red mary jane-looking things that seemed cool enough.

Well, he Peruvian children chained to their knitting machines need to be flogged, because these things don't stay on more than 5 minutes.

Next up: we missed the window to put Piawallen felt shoes on her; they're minimalist and Swedish (but from the un-IKEA side of the country), but they only have one size, 0-6 months. Mark from Sparkability clued me onto them.

robeez_black.jpgThe default, then, appears to be Robeez, the official first shoe of New York yuppie offspring. Robeez' soft leather construction is just what you want in a first shoe (something about how it doesn't impede development of their arches and foot muscle coordination).

Meanwhile, an arkful of appliqued animals is NOT what I want; scrolling through their site, I almost gave in, then the solid black and red and other classics finally showed up at the bottom. They're in the mail.

Robeez easy-on, never-off shoes are $26 online.
Piawallen stitched felt shoes

10 Comments

Be careful with Robeez. They wear off very fast and don't hold up well at all, especially when they start walking. And once they get dirty, thats it. They won't fall apart, but will soon look like something that got run over.

We love Robeez. They're machine washable and dryable, and they perk up nicely after washing. For something that's a little less moccasin-like, though -- while still being flexible, anatomically/physiologically state of the art, and difficult-if-not-impossible for little ones to kick off or otherwise remove -- try Preschoolians (http://www.preschoolians.com). Preschoolians have FABULOUS customer service and offer a variety of styles, from the cutesy-poo to the nice and basic to the downright tomboyish. I wish I had a little girl so I could get her some of the Mary Jane-styled sneakers.

thanks for the tip. We're so close to walking already, that I don't see a long Robeez phase for us at all.

What I'm actually hoping is that they'll be good for acclimating the kid to the IDEA of shoes, easing her into it a bit; the few times we've put "regular" shoes on her, just for dressing her up, she's had a meltdown.

I think maybe you should consider some kicks with a little more attitude (my little lady has never been able to slip out of these); like some Chuck Taylors

I'm with Veronica...Robeez are the best thing to happen to my son's feet. Preschoolians looked good, but $45 seems steep.

We love Preschoolians Baby Shoes! They have come down in price and they have free shipping even for returns and replacements. Most importantly, you can wear them outside because when the little guy starts walking they replace the suede with a thin rubber bottom that is just as flexible!

I looove our Robeez, but now I'm wondering what shoes are best for the next phase? Our baby is standing and cruising, and taking 4-5 steps at a time. Any tips? Please advise.

Ever heard of Stonz Baby Booties?? They are awesome! Talk about the best thing...fleece lined with toggles that tighten around the ankle and calf. They keep rain and wind out but wash up easily! The greatest...got mine on the web at www.stonz.ca

I can't decide yet whether or not I think the Stonz are kewl...

Our kids wear Jack and lily. We love them! They are so soft. They seem much better than robeez. For kids that are already walking I would highly reccomend PRIMIGI or Petit Shoes. Great European quality.

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