Finding shoes for your children is easier said than done. Once they are out of their baby sleeping bags and ready to cruise or walk, you need to go for something that is not just comfortable but will also help them achieve this next step in their growth and development. Here are some very useful tips when you are out shopping for your toddler’s footwear.           

Bring them with you in the department store

We know that this first tip would instigate a lot of deep, tired sighs from parents. It is hard after all to bring kids with you when you’re out shopping. They will ask for you to buy everything that they see and/or whine of hunger and tiredness in the middle of it all. But this is important.

Bringing your kids’ old baby shoes and approximating your child’s current foot size won’t work. Some would draw their kids’ foot on a paper, cut that out and show it to the saleslady. But that won’t really work too.

Bring them with you and let them fit the shoes. Let them walk around it and see if they are comfortable. Usually, your child would tell you if it’s not. If your baby still can’t talk, you will see signs that he or she is not comfortable in the shoes.

Leather is always better

Some parents may think that leather is too hard as material for toddlers, considering they came from soft cotton shoes and baby sleeping bags but this is actually better because leather molds around the foot properly.

Go for ones with buckles and laces

While Velcro and elastic snap-ons are convenient because it is easier to wear and fasten, it would be best to choose shoes with buckles and laces because it provides more support.

Brands do not really matter

Branded pre-walker shoes, whether those are sneakers or those cute little sandals, do not always mean these are high in quality. It just means that you will pay quite a huge amount of money for it. And you don’t want to do that because they grow fast and they will need a new pair soon enough.

In relation to this, don’t disregard second hand shoes immediately. Everything owned by children, from baby sleeping bags to the shoes you’re buying for them can be very expensive so if you want to save a bit of cash for the next pair that you need to buy, don’t sneer at these hand me downs. Just see if they can actually use these.