Teeny meeny wittle shoesies are no exception! (Okay, no more creepy baby talk in this post, promise! :P) I actually didn't buy any shoes or booties for Saeri until she was able to stand up on her own. No shoes are worn inside this Asian home, and she was carried when we were out and about. So I spent the unused funds on Rufflebutts and BabyLegs instead muahahaha! xD
Ah, but then came 10 months, and she decided to master walking. She had been taking unassisted wobbly steps since she was 5 months old, but there wasn't much progress over the following 5 months. Secretly I was a bit worried, silly as that sounds. Both of the grandmothers constantly bragged about how both Appa and I had started walking early at 9 months, but Saeri still seemed more interested in crawling at that age. But a few days after she turned 10 months old, something clicked and she was walking around like a champ!
Anyhow, all of a sudden we needed baby shoes. She began refusing to let us hold her when we went out; she wanted to walk and run and explore all on her own! My umma bought her some Robeez (by Stride Rite), and FMIL constantly raved about Stride Rite (even though she never bought them, just cheapo crap from discount stores). I did my usual googling, and I discovered that other moms were raving about Pediped and Bobux.
With infants who aren't walking, buying super cute (and super cheap) shoes from retailers like Old Navy or Target are just fine IMO. They won't constantly be putting their weight on their feet, so their feet and back don't need all the cushioning yet.
Then you've got pre-walkers/early walkers and walkers/runners/juniors. Uh.. what?? From my extensive googling (lol), it seems that babies go through 3 stages on their way from non-walker to full-time walker.
Stage 1 (non-walker): not walking, perhaps crawling, maybe taking a few shaky
steps before falling
Stage 2 (pre-walker): can stand up unassisted, highly interested in and motivated
to walk as much as possible
Stage 3 (walker): walking around and getting into everything without any hint
of exhaustion
Pre-walkers need something to protect their feet from sharp things on the ground, but the soles should be thinner so they can still feel the ground and properly develop their balancing skills. And walkers obviously need all the same protection that adults do--maybe even a bit more since those little feet are just so precious!
I believe having proper footwear is essential for children, so I have no qualms about spending a lot of money (can you hear Appa groaning in the background?) for shoes that are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Assoication and moms alike. I want to give her feet and back all the comforts I can afford! :)
Blah blah blah... yes, I can hear you, dear readers lol. Let's get on to those reviews!
My umma impulsively bought these Robeez on one of our first outings with Saeri to the mall. I wasn't in love with them, but my umma was absolutely gushing so I couldn't deny her this halmuhni-pleasure. We ended up getting SO MANY compliments on them though, by friends and strangers alike, so kudos to you umma! But I quickly noticed that the back elastic wasn't well-designed and actually made it more difficult to get her foot in.
My FMIL bought these Skidders from Target, which are basically like thick socks with non-skid bottoms. The floors of our home get so cold in the winter, but I can't put socks on her since she'll slip and fall... something she's been doing a lot lately, poor thing. These shoes are totally shaped like clown shoes, but I absolutely love the concept. Too bad my crazy daughter refuses to keep them on. So I guess she'll just have to deal with her cold feet while indoors!
When Saeri's dohl was coming up, I bought these Pedipeds for her to wear. OMG Mom was raving about Pedipeds, and when I checked out the site, I fell in love with these pink patent lovelies. The quilted stitching gave them a little special something over your typical mary janes. When I received them, I unfortunately discovered that they were way too big for her, and Appa surprisingly had an opinion about them--he didn't like the black soles. He's since changed his thinking, since the black soles show barely any sign of wear or dirt lol. She's been wearing them recently, as her feet have finally grown into them, and I don't like how the patent creases so badly and easily. It'll be real leather uppers from now on. It doesn't matter anymore though, see anything missing in the picture below? Yesterday one poor shoe slipped off to its death, into the mob of drunken high school and college kids skipping classes to get rowdy at the St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown. *sigh*
So when I found the Pedipeds were too big, Saeri still needed shoes for her dohl. I searched and searched and finally found these adorable Bobux shoes! They don't look so great online, but I couldn't believe how gorgeous they were in person! The shoe is unbelievably well-made, with a buttery-soft leather upper and hidden slits in the back to easily get baby's foot in. There's a rhinestone in the middle of the leather flower too! The only thing I don't like, is the bottom of the shoe. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely non-skid and functionally perfect for a baby who's just started walking. But the design isn't so great for formal pictures... like, say, when she's wearing a fancy silk dress and sitting on her umma's lap and the bottom of the shoe can be seen when the expensive professional photographer is taking portraits. Argh. She eventually ripped off one of the flowers while we were out, and it came time for her to have shoes without any adornments on it. Too bad Bobux doesn't have more styles in their Pre-Walk selection!
All in all, my recommendations are definitely with Pediped and Bobux. They're not as readily available in local brick-and-mortar stores as Robeez or Stride Rite, but I think the quality and style is exceptional. Bobux leans more towards comfort and Pediped towards style, but I'm more than pleased with both brands. Both companies have super fast shipping and amazing customer service too!
I've been looking for new baby shoes yet again, and it's disappointing to see that shoes for early walkers aren't as cute. I'm just not feeling the thick exposed rubber soles, meh. So I decided that they're really not necessary for Saeri yet lol. I went ahead and committed to these Pediped mary janes! :D
Can you tell I'm partial to pink mary janes? :)
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