Some days I wonder if my child is just not normal. I mean, she’s fine developmentally, but physically, nothing seems to fit her right.
Today we ventured out to buy some shoes for Cordy. I received an e-mail advertising buy one get one half off at Stride Rite, so I figured it was time to purchase some sandals pre-season.
I was expecting that we wouldn’t be the only customers in the store. I wasn’t ready for the apparent pre-school session going on in Stride Rite. The place was packed, so we signed in, noticing we were about 6 names down the list. Cordy took off to join the other kids playing with the toys. Aaron kept an eye on her, while I browsed the shoes.
Of course, I had picked out shoes to try on within about 5 minutes, but it would be another 20 before the sales associates called our name. Meanwhile, Cordy was doing her best to pick up as many germs as possible as she touched everything in the store and then put her hands in her mouth.
Out of the 4 pairs I picked out, we bought a single pair of shoes. They were sold out of one pair, another had no chance of fitting her, and the third was a little too narrow for her feet. There were no other styles we liked that were available in extra wide.
Now, I realize my daughter has chubby feet. They are wide, and they have a little fat pad on the top. I’ve seen other baby feet – her feet do not look all that different. So why in the hell can we not find shoes to fit her? Do baby shoe manufacturers use actual babies to fit their shoes?
Stride Rite is the only shoe store that sells extra wide shoes, but they only have about two styles in that width. Which means my daughter is stuck with ugly shoes. And of those two styles, one is guaranteed to be too tight in the height of the shoe, so that the little fat pad on top of her foot is bulging out like a toddler version of cankles.
Another thing about ugly shoes: Stride Rite, why must all of your toddler girls shoes come only in white, pink, or white & pink? Purple is a perfectly normal color for a girl to wear, and green and red are acceptable as well. Those of us who enjoy all colors of the spectrum really resent being forced to put our daughters in pink shoes. A little variety, please?
I think I’m nearly ready to give up on shoes for Cordelia and just wrap her feet in rabbit skins and thin leather straps. At least rabbit skins don’t come in pink.
Wow, I had the same problem with my son (and still do). He had that fat pad on the top of his foot. I would have to buy a size bigger just for them to fit.
He hates shoes, he is pretty much the barefoot contessa most of the time.
Good luck!
I feel for you – and Cordelia. I had the opposite problem as a kid, my feet were extra narrow. And I had to wear the ugly shoes because they were the only ones that fit. The good news is that it didn’t leave me emotionally scarred. Well, not totally. 🙂
Rabbit skins do come in pink, especially around easter. People are sick, you know.
You had to sign in at stride rite? Was there a waiting room full of Highlights magazines? My un-mom-ness is showing again, I never heard of having to sign in at a shoe store.
I’m sorry she has to wear ugly shoes. Um, maybe you could paint or dye the white ones?
I love Robeez! They fit awesome and for 6 months, gives kids the freedom of barefoot and the safety of shoes!!
MrsFortune – Yeah, you have to sign in. There are no waiting rooms or Highlights (LOVE that magazine!), so you just roam around the store looking at shoes and waiting for a store associate to get to your name on the list.
There’s also pressure to get through it as quickly as possible so others can have a chance to try on shoes. It’s not as bad on slow days, but weekends are generally bad.
Fun, eh?
My daughter had wide, hard-to-fit feet when she was a baby, too. And the pink…yeah, they shove it down your throat until they get older and then it’s all character crap.
I’ve basically given up myself. I bought a pair of sandals at Stride Rite, only to find out that after paying 42 bucks that they made her feet all red after 15 minutes! I called the store to ask if I could get a refund. Nope. No receipt, no refund. They’re THIER shoes!!!
I have this problem with my daughters too. They have chubby feet both in width and with the little pad bit on top and we have trouble getting shoe for them too. We don’t have a stride rite here (UK…or at least not here in scotland anyway) but I imagine it is much like our “clarks” Clarks here are the only ones that do the wider fit of shoe and they cost upwards of £25 per pair (about $43?) we have other cheaper shops but they all do just a standard width shoe so are no use to us. They grow so quickly too, out of them in a matter of weeks, mine tend to wear trainers now, they have a bit more give in them, but no use with pretty party dresses huh?
do you know about preschoolian shoes? they are awesome. http://www.preschoolian.com
They seem pricey but not really compared to stride rites. They have an online chat for you to help with sizing and they do mega-wonderful with returns (that they pay the shipping on) and they come in wide wide great big wide..my big son has to have the biggest shoe in American, or so it seems. Give them a whirl and email me if you want to ask any questions.
Jerri Ann
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http://www.acracknlife.squarespace.com
i dont have girls but it seems like everytime i go shopping for my little boys and i look over at the girls sections, everything is pink,lavender or orange!
You know, I never bought shoes at all until my kids were 1.5, but I put them in those Robeez, which might work better if Cordy’s got an odd sized foot. I realize it gets colder where you are, though, so that might not work. I absolutely LOVE the shoes/sandals at Lands End Kids online–they are cheap but really well made. That’s where I buy all the kids shoes now–lands end and target.
Sorry you couldn’t find what you were looking for–and I so agree with you–why do ALL the little girl things have to be pink??
i avoid the shoe store at all costs with my little ones.
I love Robeez too. We’ve gotten a ton of hand-me-down shoes (my sil is a shoe freak it seems) so Aveline will be outfitted for awhile. I feel you on the pink…uck. I much prefer other colors.
both of my boys have chubby wide feet and it is sooo hard to shop for them. Payless says that alot of their shoes are wides but I’m not too sure that they really are because I went there and still had problems with the shoes. Stride Rite has mainly ugly shoes so we dont go there often.
For wide or special fit shoes, or just plain fantastic soft soled shoes, you should check out Soft Star Shoes. They are made in the USA to order so they always have the size and style you want – and their customer service is AWESOME. The shoes are really well made, light weight and my kid loves ’em