What to do when DD won't walk in shoes

[mastry]

My 10 month old DD started walking about three weeks ago. So, yesterday I went to Stride Rite to buy her first pair of "real" shoes. However, once they were on her feet she just stood there frozen. (It was pretty funny actually!) I don't think she knows what to do with them on her feet. Instead of walking she just dropped to the ground and started crawling.

Should I wait a little longer to buy shoes or will she just have to learn to get used to them?

[SAHMommie]

I would get her some soft shoes like Robeez, Preschoolians etc. The soft shoes are more like walking barefoot. It is hard for them to walk with a heavy shoe on their feet. Try the SR shoes every now and then. She will get used to them eventually.

SAHMommie

[DebbieJ]

Get her a pair with a softer sole. Robeez, ShooShoos, Preschoolians....there are others.

We love our Preschoolians here. DS walks, runs, jumps (well, kinda) with no problem!

~ deb
DS 12/03

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

[khakismom]

Kathleen did the EXACT same thing when she started to walk at 10 months. I mean, exactly! I could've written your story! :)

We ended up picking her up out of the SR store, because she wouldn't walk, and came home, where she still wouldn't walk. I had the idea to give her her little push toy. She loved walking holding onto this thing pushing it from one end of the family room to the other. Well, once she started walking with her push toy, she forgot how heavy her shoes seemed. You might give her whatever she likes to push around and see if she'll do it.

If babies learn to walk barefoot, which they should do, then it's tough to life the extra weight of a shoe.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. :)

[Niki_n_Abby]

I'd return the SR shoes and get a pair of soft shoes like Robeez, or if you want something with a rubber sole, Pedoodles or Preschoolians. My dd wore Robeez until she was 2 and now wears Pedoodles. We LOVE them both. Both are very soft, durable and really good for her feet since they offer protection but are light, soft and don't restrict her feet - just like walking bearfoot. She's had a pair of SR before, but they are stiff and heavy and she didn't walk natually in them. In soft shoes she walks very naturally and hardly ever falls/trips.

Niki

[supersparkee]

WOW - this *exact* same thing happened to us, at 10 months as well! Except Eva cried and just stood there with the shoes on her feet. She was obviously so distressed that I got her out of the store ASAP!

We stuck with soft shoes like Robeez until she was just over a year old and had really mastered walking. Then we moved to Bear Feet, which have a really flexible sole, and high-top tennies from Baby Gap, which aren't as flexible but boy were they cute, cheap ($13) and she can't pull them off! It took her about a week to get used to wearing hard-soled shoes and how she is totally fine with them. Actually, she is more than fine - she is obsessed with shoes now, LOL!

So, similar to PP's, I'd say stick with the soft shoes for a while. We only moved to hard-soled shoes when we knew she would be spending more time walking outside on playgrounds and sidewalks.

[Vajrastorm]

Aine started walking at 13 months. It wasn't until 16 months that we put her in hard soled shoes, and she only wears those when she needs more protection. She spends the vast majority of her shoe-time in soft shoes like Robeez.

We're ordering a pair of See Kai Run through the co-op right now. I have high hopes for them. They are soft and flexible, with a rubber sole.

[mastry]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I actually did buy two pair at Stride Rite before their buy one get one half off sale ended, but I think I'm returning them. I've put her in both pairs and she won't walk in either and now has started to cry when I put them on her (they seem too tight...I think they sized her wrong).

I think we'll try the Robeez. Do you all have any suggestions on where you can find a good deal on them? I checked Ebay, but it seems that people are paying more on Ebay (with shipping) than what they're going for at Stride Rite ($25).

Do the Robeez make their feet hot? We live in the Atlanta area and with the Spring approaching, I wanted her to have some closed toe sandals, so her feet wouldn't be hot.

I really hate to put shoes on her at all...I love those cute little baby feet. Thanks again!

[tiikeri2]

Robeez (and other soft-soled shoes like Jack and Lily, StarShoes, etc.) make shoes that have cut-outs so they offer better ventilation and sort of look like fisherman sandals.

Have fun shopping! :)

Kay

[dules]

We had this problem (Sophie is still just cruising not walking at 15 months). Robeez are great but she slips in them on our hardwood floors so we decided to get some very flexible-soled shoes.

We went to a local store that "fitted" her to a flexible white classic walker in a wide width. She would NOT wear this shoe. She'd cry, pull it off, etc.

I ordered her some ECCOs from ShoeBuy.com because I had a code, and lo and behold she LOVES them. Signs "shoe" for them every day when I get her dressed. They are such a better fit for her foot, which is not wide but has a high instep.

I brought her back to the local store with the shoes they sold us in the box and Sophie wearing the ECCOs and the salesperson agreed with me that the ECCOs were a better fit for her foot.

If she was fitted wrong, she's very likely to cry and be upset...so definitely have the fit checked. And Robeez, Jack & Lily, etc. are adorable shoes so a pair of those certainly wouldn't hurt, lol.

Best,
Mary

[mastry]

I don't know if it was the fit or what, but she did not like them!

I bought her a pair of Robeez yesterday and I'm in love! Not only are they ADORABLE, but she walk in them just like she does with bare feet (actually better than bare feet because she doesn't slip on our hardwood with socks on).

Thanks again to all of you for the suggestion! You came through for me again!

[mom2aidan]

If you're looking for more Robeez shoes, you can check out Daffy's(if there's one around you). I found them there in December for $14.95 and I ended up buying 2 for my DS. He loves those shoes!