Shoes for Toddler - Tempe,AZ

My mom and grandma always said that you have to have good shoes to learn how to walk with developing feet, so we always buy good shoes. I personally, and my daughter, love the See Kai Runs. They are having a 50% off sale right now online so they end up being between $20 and $30, they are worth it though!!Stride Rites are good, but they are not as soft, and when they step on you, softer is better!

Look at consignment stores. I found the See Kai Run shoes very cute and they had the flexible sole to help my little guy get a good foot movement/flex.

I would look at Payless. My pediatrician said that as long as I bought something that had a good arch, then it was fine. I know that some folks swear by them, but I REALLY could not see buying $50 Stride Rite shoes for my kids....still don't. As fast as they outgrow them, it just doesn't make sense to me.

I spend money on my son's feet by buying stride rite shoes because they are better for their feet, the soles are more flexible and ease the walking and help their feet develop better. If your daughter is not in shoes for most of the day (day care or school style environment) then I guess the Target ones are ok.

When my son was this age, I would go to Payless and the local thrift stores and local consignment shops. And if I went to Goodwill and local thrift stores and local children's resale places, I'd look in shoes the next size or two up. So I'd look for a nice & cheap pair in sizes 5 and 6 b/c you only know she's going to grow! I'd buy Stride Rites on sale if they were $8 or less, and in good shape. I held on to a pair of shoes for 2 years b/c I couldn't pass up a 50 cent pair of fake-crocks at a garage sale.

(The staff at Payless will measure your daughters feet for you!)

I only take my girls to Stride Rite for their everyday shoes but Target or Payless for dress shoes. I really like Stride Rite because the staff measures and checks the fit of the shoes too - plus I feel their shoes are of good quality. We actually went and bought new gym shoes for both daughters today - our total was just under $100 but worth the money in my opinion!

I did get Stride Rites for my daughter, but at a Stride Rite outlet store, so they were around $30. She didn't outgrow them THAT fast - it was around 6 to 8 months before she needed the next size up and they were still in great shape.

both of my sons had fat feet, with no arch.

Stride Rite was the best shoe around....lasted forever. I bought at the outlet.

& as for sizes: every single shoe has to be tried on! Even same brands can run differently, depending on the factory.

Try Ross or TJ Maxx or Marshalls - they sometimes carry bobux soft shoes, and always carry lots of regular toddler tennis shoes/boots/sandals/slippers. I actually just scored a pair of Stride Rite shoes for my son at Ross for $13 - these are originally $55 shoes!! They also carry Carters, Oshkosh, and Polo brands at way below store prices.
Good luck on your search!

Make sure the shoes have a good arch and Target, Payless, consignment shops and yard sales are all fine and you can get top dollar brands for a sizeable discount at the last two. Sizing varies even withing brands, you'll just have to try them on her.

Stride Rite used to replace the shoes if they wore out before your child outgrew them. Then they changed their policy and stopped doing that. You already pay more money for Stride Rite shoes than they are worth, and the whole reason for using them is now gone. The last time I used them, I had bought a pair of leather sandels for my son, and the 2nd time he wore them, they broke. I had been buying shoes at that particular store for both my kids for several years, and they wouldn't replace those brand new shoes. I never bought from Stride Rite again and I tell everyone who mentions buying toddlers shoes this.

I would go to Payless. I don't think that Stride Rite's shoes are any better anyway.

Dawn

I love Stride Rite but the full price, 50 dollar ones are nuts. This is the perfect time to buy shoes! I just bought one pair for spring for my son for 24 and another pair for the fall for 19. I would not go anywhere else. You just need to shop the deals and buy in advance.

I've spent a lot of time squishing baby shoes.
Stride Rite SRT are super soft and great support. My son was not an instant walker like my DD-he needed good soft shoes.
It's been my experience that the outlets have an abundance of tiny sizes-never have my DS's size.
Though! Target actually has some nice soft shoes for girls-just completely lacking in the boy dept..
HTH!

I got my kiddo some at Walmart and they are great. He loves wearing his shoes, and best part? Only $10! I have seen some really cute girl ones too.

If you have a Burlington Coat Factory, they also have some adorable ones!

At this age it's very important to have a very flexable shoes. Check out ebay.....i love squeaky shoes....they are soft and flexable and oh so adorable:)....and under $20
http://www.ebay.com/itm/270744089231?var=570019413860&amp...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280775385346?var=580057099133&amp...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pink-Big-Butterfly-Mary-Jane-Sque...

Another vote for see Kai run! The absolute best kid shoes I've ever seen. They always have some on sale, and sounds like they have a good sale right now. You like comfortable shoes that bend with your foot, they do too!

I am a mom of 1 and I had a hard time spending money on shoes that my daughter is just going to grow out of so quickly. That being said, I do buy her stride rite shoes only beacuse I want her feet to develop well and I found that most other brands dont bend well so kids seem to be stomping instead of bending their foot when they walk. They measure their feet and usually recommend buying a halif size larger so that they last a little longer. We have a stride rite outlet that I go to also, or a nordstrom rack. Good luck, my advise would be to spend the extra so that you are getting a good quality shoe for her feet to develop with.

Try Nordstrom Rack! Lots of good quality kids shoes for reasonable prices.

For the most part, my son (now 4) went barefoot in the summer or just wore gripper socks for warmth in the winter. It's the best for your feet! Of course, there are many times as a toddler gets more active, walking more and being carried less, that shoes are a necessity!

We always - and still to this day - buy year-round converse and vans canvas sneakers from Zappos (LOVE ZAPPOS!) and summer sandals from Target. I know that the expensive shoes are great and don't wear out, but seriously, how much wearing out can a 20 month old do before they grow out of them?

Even now, I am still buying a complete new set of shoes every summer/winter b/c his size has changed. So I spend about $130 annually for brown and blue sandals; flip flops; brown (or green), blue and black sneakers; slippers; and shoes for soccer. I almost always get the same ones or similar, just the next size up. Unless you are saving them for the next child, I think any shoes over $20 for a kid is way too pricey.

My mom sometimes buys a pair for him at Payless. We don't wear leather and they have a lot of synthetic/cruelty-free options at a good prices that of course he never wears long enough to wear out.

If it doesnt skeeze you out, I would recommend childrens consignment or retail shops. I am cheap when it comes to the kids shoes because they get horribly beat up at preschool. Not all shops are created equal so shop around until you find one that has the quality of merchandise you like. U can often find shoes that look barely worn and of all sizes.

I go to the stride rite discount store at AZ Mills. I paid $40 for stride rite for my daughter's first pair of shoes at the Chandler mall before I discovered the discount store. My daughter out grows stride rite before they fall apart like all the other shoes we have tried...payless, target, etc. I never pay more than $25 and we've been going their for years now.

You can try Marshalls, I always find good, even brand shoes usually less than $20.

6pm.com has very good shoes and you can look only on the "sale" or "clearance" part of the website and always do a google search at retailmenot.com or couponmountain.com for discounts or free shipping.

And ebay, You can find used shoes very cheap, just make sure you really read all the information/description to make sure that even they are used they are in very good condition. I bought a pair of very expensive shoes for my girl but at less than 1/2 the original price, they were used but looked like new but I have seen shoes in extremely bad condition!

Hope to have been of help! HAPPY 2012!

Go to one of the second hand children's stores. You can find lots of good quality, lightly used shoes for reasonable prices.

I've had good luck with PayLess SmartFit. You can also look for sales on Stride Rite. I just recently found a store where they sell kid shoes for $20 that are one or two pairs of a brand vs having a wider selection. If my DD fit those shoes, I could have gotten StrideRites for $20!

Just make sure you try shoes on so that you know what your kid fits (my DD is a 6.5-7, depending on the shoe) and what will support her foot. Some are not worth the cost savings.

I loved the Squeakers we bought for my son. You can get them with or without the squeak in them. They are a good shoe for a bargain price. Check them out online.