I’m wondering how important it is to buy my young toddler name brand or reputable shoes. My mom insists they should not be cheap-o walmart or whatever shoes because the supports are not good in these shoes. What do you think and where/what kid of shoes do you buy for your toddler? What’s the reasoning?
We always buy the cheepo shoes. I almost peed my pants when I found out how much shoes were at the store my mom had always taken us to as kids. I asked her about it, and she said when we were growing up the Walmart type shoes were terrible! She has seen all of her grandkids wearing Target, Walmart, Payless and she told me they are just as good as the ones we had when we were little. Apparently discount store shoes have really improved!
Toddlers really don’t wear shoes for very long before they outgrow them. I wouldn’t sweet it!
I stick with Stride Rite because I think they are higher quality shoes and do a better job as far as ankle support, etc. My daughter has mild tibial torsion (her lower legs tend to rotate inward a little) but as she grows and gets older, it’s getting better on its own (it was first noticed when she was around 18 months and she is now 4). The doctor said it should continue to improve but did not recommend using any footwear that has poor ankle support (Crocs, flip-flops, etc.). My mom was the same way about insisting that DD have higher quality shoes as she is growing - I also like that at the store, they measure her to get the proper fit and can say if she needs a wider shoe, or medium, etc. They are more expensive, but I go to a Stride Rite outlet store so they are a little cheaper, and they don’t fall apart after a month (and DD plays hard in them!) - the only time I have to get new ones is when DD outgrows the old ones.
My 18-month-old has been wearing sneakers from Target for a few months now. They’re much sturdier than the more stylish ones we got at Babys R Us. I agree with Jennifer G. They will outgrow them before this thread is done 
Take advantage of the no-name brands now. Pretty soon your child will be begging for name brands
as long as they have a good flexible sole (not extremely stiff) & seem to fit well we get them, whether that be (on sale) name brands or walmart…if my child seems to be able to walk well in them I dont see the difference…now if they were having issues walking or with arch etc then yes i would be more picky
Try me n mommy to be…they often have high quality shoes like stride rite without the high quality price
My husband is a chiro and doesn’t have any issues with cheapo shoes. I figured it anyone would throw a fit about not having proper support it would be him, but he has never blinked an eye at it…so we’re good.
I buy crazy expensive shoes. Pediped, Livi & Luca, etc. The reason is my daughter can not stand shoes that are cheap and she complains about her feet hurting after wearing them. They also last a LONG time and I’ve been fortunate that her feet haven’t grown at an extremely fast rate. She also has fewer shoes than most children I know. BTW, I’m not one who believes in excess and buying these brands is not for show.
One pair of good flexible shoes is far better than several pairs of cheap shoes.
The difference IMO, really is the flexibility.
If you see a woman standing in Target squeezing shoes it’s probably me. 
They are just not the same as a good pair of Stride Rites.
We bought my son his first pair in March-he is still wearing them.
My kids always get good wear out of the shoes I spend a lot on.
It’s usually the ones I get at Target on clearance that see little to no wear.
Hope this helps!
Go to Stride Rite, get your son’s foot measured and then order them online at Amazon or somewhere cheaper!
Personally, my kids have flat feet so I prefer the better brands. Did try a pair from Wally’s and that pair did not last too long (and they were on my careful kid). When my girls were little, my favorites were primigi, ecco, aster, elephanten and stride rite. They had fancier ones but I shamefully admit they were for the cute factor. Oh and robbees are great for early walkers.
My kiddies are now 5 & 7 and our favorite brand is Clarks. Best boots are Bogs…easy on great protection from rain and cold up -30 deg f plus great arch and ankle support.
I have a shoe thing so the outfit can be plain but the shoes have to be rockin’ lol
At this age its not about support. Its about a pair of shoes that goes on easy, stays on, is comfortable for your child, and is designed smartly so your child doesn’t needlessly trip and stumble. For new walkers stick with Robeez and for 2+ check out PediPeds. Also, good name brand shoes will save you money because you only need a dress pair and a play pair. If you buy cheap you will buy 4-5 pair before you find one that goes and and stays on and that your kid can actually walk in.
I have bought shoes for my son at kohls, babies R us. These were regular brand shoes but I wouldn’t call it cheap. 15 or 20 dollars for those shoes is not cheap according to me. I used to feel like they hurt my son’s feet because the sole was very hard. I wondered it they give him good support and is comfortable. I posted a question here and decided to buy Stride Rite shoes based on recommendations.Love it.I am never gonna go back to other shoes. Maybe you can try one and see how it works for you.They are expensive, but there was a sale going on when I bought it.
Big thing I was always told is the shoe needs to be flexable. If you can’t easily bend the shoe don’t buy it. Make sure to get the child’s foot measured first. I same some money and go to the Sride Rite outlet.
go to a striderite outlet and get measured nd but their brand. The shoes I buy my children there last 2 -3 X the time shoes I buy at Target last. Well worth the money!
I think the main thing is a flexible sole for their foot bones to fuse properly. I used to buy robeez before they were tromping around outside. Now I just look for the most flexible sole I can find. What I found were Champions at Payless. I love this line and have bought several of these shoes for my girl and boy. Not name brand but great shoes. Also, we have a friend in podiatry school - he always put his daughter in Converse All stars from target.
Consumer reports did a report on this not too long ago. While stride rite a and pedi ped DID get good ratings. The overall best ratings (because of value as well) were Target brand shoes!! We’ve tried target since reading the report and I have to agree, they work well.
It’s true that support is not as important for a toddler as everyone used to think. A first walking shoe should be one that most resembles walking in bare feet. The sole is more to protect their feet from stones, sharp things, etc. They should be soft and as flexible as possible. Also, make sure there is not too much room in the toe box so they don’t get tripped up.
I go for value and fit. It hasn’t been convenient to find stride rite shoes. We try on numerous ones at payless, target or walmart to find a good fit. We always get feet measured first. Currently they outgrow shoes about every 6 months (2 and 4 yrs old) so I don’t see spending more than $15. I want them to be comfortable so they will wear them. my daughter can be picky about shoes so we try to get her to explain where the shoe hurts. I also hate buying shoes they won’t wear.
We buy from walmart most of the time. Never had a problem with their cheap $5-10 shoes.
I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I might buy flip flops at Wal*Mart for myself but could not imagine wearing other shoes day in and day out, so don’t expect my kids to. Some of those shoes are sooo stiff and uncomfortable. My boys have 1 pair of tennis shoes and 1 casual shoe in their size that get them through. And they last because they are good quality shoes. Plus these shoes are designed for the stage they are in (crawler, new walker, experienced walker). I do always have them measured before I buy.