Tips for Buying Shoes for Toddlers

Tips for Buying Shoes for Toddlers

Your toddler will need a new pair of shoes and a new sizing about every two to four months, experts say. So before you go out and buy a dozen pairs of shoes for your little one, you might want to focus on the basics. "You really only need one, or maybe two, pairs of shoes for your toddler -- a play shoe like a sneaker, and possibly a dress-up shoe," Cox says.

When you are buying toddler shoes, each shopping trip should be treated like the first -- examine all aspects of the shoe and make sure it fits all around. And, an important tip to remember is that kids' shoes are different from brand to brand, style to style, and sometimes even from shoe to shoe, So the "trying on" experience is important.

Also, bring a pair of socks with you when you're shoe shopping for your toddler. In general, you want your child to wear socks with his shoes to prevent chafing.

Finally, when you've followed the advice of an expert shoe salesperson, and used your own rules of thumb to gauge whether or not a shoe fits, follow one last simple test when buying toddler shoes: Ask your little one to walk around in them.

Tootsies Stride Rite has been properly fitting toddlers in their Richmond, Va., store since 1985. Over the past 25 years, we have fitted hundreds of thousands of kids with their first walking shoes, and now we bring that fitting expertise to the internet. To find out more about Tootsies Stride Rite, please visit our web site at http://www.tootsiesstriderite.com or call us at 1-866-235-0626 between the hours of 10AM and 6PM eastern time.