Buying Baby Shoes

My pediatrician has said it over and over...

And, actually, my sister's pediatrician has too...

Assuming your child does not have special podiatry-related circumstances, it is more important that you buy shoes that FIT your child than it is that you buy "name-brand", high-end shoes. In other words, he'd much rather you pick up your baby's or toddler's shoes at KMart and change sizes as often as needed as opposed to buying those fancy-pants Nikes and trying to eke more use out of them.

Fair enough.

My only issue with this idea comes from the fact that in KMart (or Walmart or Target), I'M the one expected to fit my child. That's not so bad now that they're 3 and 4, walking, and talking. But... as one-year olds? It was a challenge.

My advice?

Go to a specialty store, e.g. Stride Rite, and have a professional fit your child. By all means, check out the sales and clearance racks while you're there! But if you can't find shoes to fit your budget, don't feel guilty giong to a less expensive store armed with the knowledge of exactly what size your little one needs. There is no rule, written or otherwise, that says you have to buy your shoes there just because a sales associate sized your baby's foot. As long as I'm patient and polite, I've never caught any attitude for this.

Getting a perfect fit for a minimum price? Always helpful when you're raising kids in a tough economy!
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