Thursday, April 09, 2009

Shoes & Swimming

Donovan's been loving his Pediped shoes, but I think he's already starting to outgrow them so I've been on the hunt for new ones for him. I thought I'd try some Keen sandals-- Zach has had a pair for years that he loves, and summer shoe with the toe protection sounds like a really, really good idea for a still somewhat unsteady toddler. So I ordered them, and then they came, and they fit ok except apparently my kid inherited my wide feet (when I tried to measure his feet again using the Piperlime.com printout, it says his feet are in the "extrawide" category)and so while he seems to have plenty of toe room, the rest of the shoe is too tight across the top of his foot and already leaves indentation makrs when he wears them even for a short while. Boo.

So now I'm debating all over again what to do. I'll be at the mall tomorrow so am thinking of just going to the Stride Rite store and letting them help me figure out a proper fit for him. And of course, we're trying to reign in spending a good bit since things at Zach's work are, um, slightly unsteady and, well, you never know. Which leaves me wondering if the different types of shoes really make that big a deal as far as helping foot development and walking, and if I shouldn't just get a cheap pair at Payless. There is a Stride Rite outlet sort of (not really) nearby, but I think I'd spend in gas whatever I might save on price. Or go with another pair of Pedipeds? Doesn't help knowing that I'll probably go through this all over again every 2-3 months as his feet keep on growing. *Sigh* Anyone have recommendations of good, (cute?) reasonably-priced shoes that are good for fat baby feet?

We went to D's 3rd swim lesson today. He's getting more comfortable with the water and the place in general, which is great. Today he even accidentally got his head down in the water, and while he seemed surprised and a bit shocked he didn't cry or seem upset. I may have to look into pools we can go to the other days of the week to help him practice things like learning how to kick.

11 comments:

  1. Does Keen not offer any wide sandals?

    I don't know anything about baby feet or shoes. I think D has very beautiful feet, and you should not say they're fat. Because baby feet are cute no matter how fat they are.

    When he gets older and has wide feet like his Aunt Criss, we can make fun of him all we want, but not while he still has cute baby feet.

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  2. Jackie2:26 PM

    While he's just starting to walk and his feet are growing I would go with the Stride Rite shoes if you can afford it. I did that with my three girls. I loved knowing that the shoes fit properly.

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  3. Just know that while his feet are growing, they are molding into the shoes he wears. If you let him wear bad shoes, the bones could begin to change. That's something I learned the hard way with KEDS.. I had no idea but my feet did not grow so well because of the shape of the shoe..

    Sorry for now recommendations. You can always say I think we will keep looking to the sales person though!

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  4. We have always had to buy not only wide, but Extra Wide shoes for our oldest, and it seem the only place we can find them are at Stride Rite. Sandals are a bit easier though, especially the velcro kind that stretch a bit on top.

    Also, in response to your reply.. my youngest gets into everything and I can barely keep up with his mess making, so I can relate! Just finally at the age of 3 is he Finally (with a lot of reminding) beginning to put things back where they go. It's not that he doesn't know how, he just chooses not to. It's a process for sure! Your little one will get there eventually. :) And the idea of teaching my children at home is incredibly intimidating.. thankfully I have found such amazing support through blogging!

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  5. I agree with Expat Traveler. Aaron and I both have feet with some issues, too, which we think also came from the fact that we didn't have "good" shoes growing up. Our moms did the best they could, and I don't think they really knew differently then anyway. But I've read about the importance of good shoes early on (and barefeet whenever possible, too), so I'd avoid Payless.

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  6. I would go with Stride Rite as well. They are expensive. When we went and had Dana fitted, they suggested a 5.5 even though there was like 3/4 inch of space. But, she walks great in them and has room to grow. Her's are sandals with toe protection, so I am sure they have some similar boy style ones. Although it would be cute if D and Zach matched.

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  7. Stride Rite is the way to go if you can afford it. They are great at fitting kids with wide feet. (No, I never worked for them -- I used to sell shoes at Penney's -- but I ended up sending a bunch of customers over to them because I just didn't have the shoes their children needed.) As for the pair of shoes that are tight and leaving marks on him -- please, please don't let him wear them anymore. Proper fit is so important in kids' shoes, and poorly fitting shoes (both too small and too large) can really damage their feet.

    (Sorry, off my soapbox now!)

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  8. Thanks, everyone! We went by Stride Rite today and bought him this pair:
    http://bit.ly/PzwJR

    They're sized 5.5Wide and seem a bit on the large side, but he walks fine in them and this way maybe they'll actually last through most of summer. I'd like to buy him a second pair to have a bit of variety, but don't think I can justify it especially knowing he'll keep outgrowing shoes every 2-4 months anyway. Oh well.

    (And the Keens are in a box, getting shipped back)

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  9. Yeah! Glad you found something that worked!

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  10. glad to hear D is enjoying the water. I can't wait to get E back in this year.

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  11. This is late--but See Kai Run are also good for wide feet. Maybe you could find the second "dressier" pair there: www.seekairun.com (or www.tinysoles.com).

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