What's a Good Brand of Shoes I Want to Get My Son His 1St Pair of Walking Shoes

We've always gotten Stride Rite--they're flexible for new walkers, and the uppers are real leather for breathability. The biggest reason is their sizing; both my boys have these "Fred Flintstone" feet (tall insteps, requiring double-wide shoes). Not many brands make that size. No matter what, I'd recommend taking him somewhere for a proper fitting. In the northern suburbs, I'd recommend Peterson's shoes in Anoka--family owned, great service. We've been going there for years.

As for tie vs. velcro, I think it depends on the child. My first left his tie-shoes alone, and we used ties until one time they came untied on the playground and got caught in some equipment. My second is a little Houdini, and would pull at the ties (turning them into knotts). He's relentless! So for him we use velcro...if they're tight enough, he cannot get them off. Happy shopping...baby shoes are so cute!!

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I really like Pedipeds as the next step after the regular Robeez. They are great for indoor wear. They are also good for outdoor wear, as long as your son is still a new walker and won't be playing hard in them. My son does mess with the velcro straps, but he rarely takes his shoes off, so it is not a problem for us.

I also like the See Kai Run shoes. And, I bought a pair of Robeez Tredz for outdoor play, although we haven't been able to try them out yet since they run so large. (the size 16-20mo. are huge on my son who is almost 19 mo.)

I used Stride Rite for both of my kids. My son had foot issues and these were great. I usually go with velcro. They will figure out how to get the shoes off anyway and you will be able to put them back on much faster with velcro.

I like Stride Right and as far as velcro or tie it doesn't matter they will learn how to take them off either way, but what's easier for you?

Can't say anything about brands, since for me shoes are only for keeping feet warm (You don't really want him walking on anything that might hurt anyway, since he's bound to fall on occasion, right?). But I can say that kids who don't want their shoes on WILL get them off. You may have to put them back on more often with velcro, but weigh that against the time and trouble of untying and retying. (And kids can make it nearly impossible to untie shoes you've double-knotted, but it won't stop them from getting them off.)

Our favorite has been the pedi-ped or Robeez knock-off brand that Target sells. They are only about $13, and my son has worn his inside and out. They have held up so well, and the only reason we've had to replace them is b/c he has outgrown them. You can find them in the baby section at Target. I've noticed that there is a much better selection on-line than in the store.

My son was quite the chunk when he was a baby. He still a little chunky. Anywayz, the brand we've always bought is Carters. Until recently we bought mostly Carters clothes too. Because Carters stuff always seemed a little bigger than other brands. Carters stuff is good quality and you can find them for a reasonable price at stores like Kohls.

I agree with getting tie shoes. My son had a field day with his velcro shoes and it drove me nuts! I know a lot of people recommend going to Stride Rite or Pediped and spending a ton of money on shoes he's only going to wear for a month or two, three if you're lucky. I was one of those parents that did and I will not anymore. I discovered that a good gym shoe offers the same support, just make sure you can bend the sole. I recommend New Balance and Puma. Also, once your son walks, the absolute best thing is to be barefoot, anyway.

I loved the Robeez booties for my little guy, but when it came to his first pair of "real" shoes, I got them at Target. They have soft, flexible soles, are easy to get on and off of him, and cost only $15. One of my friends ended up buying the exact same pair for her son. =) I did the same thing with my oldest and it worked like a charm.
I figure, with the way my boys play outside, I need TWO pairs of shoes that will hold up so he will always have a dry/clean pair to wear and I don't want to pay $80 to get them. They grow so fast it's not worth paying a lot when they're only going to wear them for a short time.
Personally, I love velcro for little feet. They learn so quickly how to take off ANY kind of shoes that ties are not going to stop them for long. You may as well go for what's fastest and easiest for you.

I would go with velcro, and we loved the robeez!
Good luck and best wishes to you and your little man!

I am on boy #3 and have bought lots of shoes! With my youngest (18 mo) I have bought both Pedipeds (love them, they are all leather so they breath and are flexible) and also See Kai Run. I go to Shoe Zoo in uptown, they are amazing. I would also recommend getting him sized by someone who knows. See Kai Run have lots of different designs and they are my fave. I used to be a stride Rite shopper, but I am not as impressed anymore by their shoes. If you want to check out the 2 I recommend, I would Google them, I always find free shipping and they are all over Ebay too (although I have found that people pay more for used shoes on Ebay than looking for a sale price on the same shoe new on a website!)
And I only do Velcro or slide type shoes. He may sit good now for tie, but soon it will be harder to get him! I would rather replace a velcro shoe that he gets off in the car than having to tie :)
Have fun!

I am a mother of three boys and have gone through more shoes than I care to count. My youngest is 19 mos. and wore robeez early on. When he really got into walking I purchased a high top walking shoe from Walmart. He is on his second pair because he outgrew the first ones. They are under $15.00 so you can afford them since they grow out of them so fast. They are also tie which is a must with little ones that think velcro is fun. When they get to be two and older they keep velcro on, but before that double knotted tie shoes are the way to go. Enjoy your little boy!!