Did you child hate their Striderites?

[lfp2n]

After much deliberation we hit Striderite last night. I'm not sure if C'ville Striderite is the only one staffed by morons but we even though we were the only people in the shop, the 16 yr old assistant was not very interested in us. I spent more time trying to get DDs correct shoe measurement than she did. Anyway I digress, she was a 5XW but it was really hard to stuff her little feet into the Guppies and she couldn't get the Katys on at all. They are long enough but her feet are a little pudgy on top and I'm not sure they are wide enough.

So we put the shoes on last night, she hates them and screams and will only crawl not walk. I'm pretty sure they don't hurt, I think she just doesn't like them. This morning she was interested in carrying them so I put them on again, and she walked fine for a few minutes then she decided she hates them and now refuses to wear them at all. Do you think this is normal toddler behaviour or are the shoes uncomfortable. Are there shoes that are wider than XW, comparing her feet to the other babies at daycare I'd have guessed they were quite small, aren't all babies feet pudgy, who can be buying the regular width shoes?

Lucy DD 3/03

[daisymommy]

Striderites are the ONLY shoes that Josh will wear or walk in without crying "Owwie" or tripping all over the place. Has she worn other shoes before this happily? Maybe it's just that style of shoe that doesn't feel good on her feet. We have only bought Stride Rite tennis shoes, not sandals though. For sandals we LOVE the ones from Lands End. Very soft and flexible, and only $14.50.

ETA: Oh! The girls prints are on sale on the overstocks page for only $7.99! http://tinyurl.com/2qamb

Solid colors:
http://tinyurl.com/25bky

[lfp2n]

The only shoes she's worn up til now are Robeez so I suppose the whole sole thing and stiff leather is a shock. I'll have a look at the LE shoes, at that price she can have more than 1 pair of shoes at a time!

Lucy DD 3/03

[octmom]

Lucy,

No help on the shoes, but I just wanted to tell you that I am in Cville too. I spotted a Foods of All Nations reference in one of Shannon's posts a few days ago and when I responded, she mentioned that there are a couple of other Cville moms here.

edited to remove personal info-- check your e-mail :)

Jerilyn


octmom
DS, October 2003

[cinrein]

We had a similar thing happen when I bought Anna her first pair of "real" shoes---before that she only wore Robeez/J&L. She refused to walk in the Stride Rites, so back they went. I ended up getting her shoes from Preschoolianw, which have a much softer sole, though still offer protection on outdoor hard surfaces. Check them out and talk to Jeff if you have any questions---he is great to work with.

BTW, after wearing her Preschoolians for a month or so, Anna was good to go in any shoe. I guess it just took some getting used to the harder sole.

Cindy and Anna February 2003

[khakismom]

Also, kids need to get used to carrying around extra weight in their feet. If they've worn soft shoes, SRs are heavier and it takes some getting used to. Kathleen did the *exact* same thing your DD did when she got her first walkers. When we first put them on, she refused to walk and would only crawl. We had to set her up with her push walker. Once she did that back and forth a few times, she got the hang of it and the shoes.

[calebsmama03]

Caleb HATED SR shoes too! And no, you're not the only one whose SR is staffed by morons! I got almost no help there, and we, too, were the only ones in the store! Anyway, I second the preschoolians WMS variety. They are PERFECT! There is a 20% off code through June ( bypopulardemand ) which takes the sting out of the price. Caleb will actually now sit down and hand me his shoes (he'd never even worn Robeez before so he hated shoes and would just scream).
Good luck!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

[jdst1]

We had a similar experience w. our first Striderites. Isaac has an XXW foot and had only been in Robeez. We tried the running shoes w. velcro which were the only model in his size at that time. He cried, and wouldn't walk. I couldn't find any other XXW brands (though I didn't try Preschoolians) so I searched for other models and ended up w. a lace one that didn't bother him at all. And the sandals are also fine on his foot.
So... I'd hold out for a shoe that she doesn't complain in.
BTW- we also had no help from the store personnel but I figured that's par for an outlet store.
Judy

[kaitlinsmommy]

Well, Kaitlin's feet are actually narrow so it can be hard to find shoes that fit.

She reacted the same way when we got her first shoes. She just didn't want shoes on her feet & cried the first couple days. I just told her that she only had to wear shoes when we went outside. After a couple days, she got used to them and was very comfortable in her SR's (although her Merrells are my fav).

[August Mom]

I do think I would try another style or brand. DS has always liked his SRs, but I do think babies have shoe preferences, even when they are very young. DS had been wearing Robeez. He needed a larger size and my store didn't have it in the style I wanted. So, I bought Bobux instead. DS hated them! He screamed everytime I put them on. So, I ordered a larger size Robeez on-line and he was happy as a clam. So, I would guess they just don't feel good.

Also, IMO, I would not start out with a sandal as a first "real" shoe. I know some will disagree, but I think it's important to have better support and better fit (with greater adjustability with laces) with a first shoe. JMO.