This post may contain affiliate links, these are shown with a *. If you click on the link I may get a small referral commission, this does not affect the price you pay.
Before we had our first child, it never occurred to me that we would need to buy shoes that would fit and last the very moment that he was able to walk.
That was until as soon as he could put one foot in front of the other my wife said that we would have to boot an appointment to go to the shoe store to get his keep measured to buy his first pair of shoes.
I didn’t think much of I, that was until my wife said that she had booked a shoe fitting at Clarks and she had started to show me shoes asking which I liked.
Like going for a meal on a first date, my first reaction was to look at the prices of the shoes rather than the shoes themselves.
All I knew was that as soon as she saw a pair that she liked that would be it and there wouldn’t be much more conversation had about the matter.
Spoiler Alert!
While I don’t think that cheap toddler shoes are bad, they shouldn’t be bought as a shoe that your little one wears all of the time.
Are cheap shoes bad for toddlers?
Due to the way that toddlers’ feet develop, the NHS recommends that you buy shoes when they start walking by themselves and then they only need them for outside use.
How quickly will your toddler’s feet grow?
According to Clark’s, your child’s foot grows 2mm a month up to the age of 3 and then from 3 to 5 grow at 1mm a month, which doesn’t sound a lot, but could mean that you’re buying a new pair of shoes approximately every three to four months.
Can you measure your toddler’s feet at home?
If like me you aren’t a huge fan of going into town, you might be tempted to measure your toddler’s feet at home, either by using a tape measure or a printable.
Why not, there are plenty available and all you have to do is put your child’s foot on it and follow the instructions.
If you are going to use a paper measuring gauge, the one from Start Rite is probably one of the better ones, otherwise, you could buy a measuring gauge like the ones that they use in the shops.
I wouldn’t trust myself. I’m one of those that could measure something three or four times and still order something that is 12 inches too small.
You might also be tempted to have your little one’s feet measured somewhere like Clark’s and take that measurement to buy cheaper ones.
Be careful when doing this, like clothes, different shops will differ in size. So a size 4 in Clark’s might be different to a size 4 in Asda or Sainsburys or one of the cheaper shoe shops.
Is barefoot best for toddlers?
As your child’s feet are constantly growing, walking around the house barefoot is perfectly okay, it’s only when they walk outside do they need adequate footwear to protect their feet.
The NHS say that you should allow your child to go barefoot as this allows your little one’s foot to strengthen and get the ‘grasping’ action of their toes.
How much do parents spend on toddler shoes?
I can only speak from experience here, but when we brought our first pair of shoes, I think that we paid £40.
This was a shoe that was sized and made of leather so we were confident that it was a pair that was going to last.
Leather shoe with grip, velcro fastener.
Where to find the best budget toddler shoes?
While budget shoes might not be recommended for your child’s feet, there are places where you can get good quality toddler shoes that help with your child’s foot’s development without the huge price tag.
How to choose the best shoes for your budget
Take your time
Don’t rush to buy your toddler’s new shoes just because they’ve taken their first step.
Wait until they are steadier on their feet and while they are finding their bearings this gives you time to put some money aside, if you haven’t already, to put towards their first pair of shoes.
Set your budget
While buying their first pair of shoes is a great milestone, don’t get swept up in all the excitement and spent your money buying three pairs of expensive shoes because you think that they will look cute in them.
Set yourself a budget and maybe even consider setting yourself a sinking fund for when you’ll need to buy more, which won’t be that far away.
Know what you need
You want to make sure that you are buying the right shoes at the right time so consider what they will be doing most of the time when they are in the shoe.
Will they be just walking, going to the park or going on walks where they might get them dirty.
Further point of consideration
While there is nothing wrong with buying second-hand clothes, shoes in one of those things that I don’t believe that you should buy, these shoes would have been fitted for that child and in wearing them, they would have become misshapen with the daily wear
When shopping for your toddler’s shoes, do you look for budget shoes?
Leave a Reply