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Shoes for 4-year-old's wide feet

Oct 2007

My daughter (age four, size 12.5 feet) has very wide feet (also very big for her age). We have a really hard time finding shoes that fit. Pretty much all shoes from Target are way too skinny. Even ''wide'' sandals like Keens have not been comfortable for her. We've had some luck with wide widths by Stride Rite and New Balance, but are looking for comfortable some non-sneakers (we'd love to find some mary janes, for example -- sporty or dressy). We'll take any recommendations we can get -- brands or stores. Thanks so much! Jen


We've got the same problem! I have found that our best choice has been to buy online through Zapatos.com or shoebuy.com because stores don't stock extra-wides. We have also special ordered shoes in wider sizes through shoe stores, but our daughter sometimes gets upset if we shop in stores because she can see all the pretty shoes that don't come in her size, and last time we ended up being pressured into buying shoes for her at Stride Rite that she won't wear because they are too tight. You can search by size and width online. Stride Rite and New Balance have been the only ones we've had luck with, except for velcro sandals that have a lot of flexibility and Crocs. We've had several failures trying to buy dress shoes and have never actually gotten a pair she'd wear since she outgrew the toddler sizes. Shoe-challenged as well
My son has wide feet and we've never had a problem when we've gone to shoe stores that specialize in children's shoes. I don't buy shoes at Target, though...I mostly buy from Carlins in Alameda or Howards in Walnut Creek. Nordstrom (but not the rack) has a great selection as does any actual Stride Rite store. Momma loves expensive shoes
Lands End is now offering many styles of kids' shoes in Wide -- including casual and sporty mary janes! Prices are reasonable, and returns can be made at a Sears store (saves on shipping costs). You can also try the ''search by size'' function at major online shoe merchants, like zappos.com, shoes.com and shoebuy.com. Prices are generally higher but shipping is often free -- even for returns. Holly
Go to Howards Shoes in Walnut Creek... in Broadway Plaza. They carry many brands of shoes and have many styles and colors. The staff is always pleasant... even when it is crowded. They measure BOTH feet! If the right shoe isn't in stock, they will order it for you... sometimes from one of their other stores, otherwise straight from the manufacturer. I had to order my son's tap shoes from them (no one stocks boy's tap shoes) and they placed the order, fit the taps, and then shipped them to my home for no additional charge. I've always been very pleased with their service... though the prices are a little higher, it is definitely worth it when you have special needs. Rose

Great kids shoes for holiday gifts?

December 2006

I am looking to find great, reasonably priced holiday gifts for my young nieces and nephews and thought that sending shoes might be a good option. Any recommendations for affordable, cute, baby/kid shoes? melanie


hi melanie: the following site has unique and adorable baby/kids shoes sold by a group of bay area moms: www.livieandluca.com. my 1 1/2 yr. old has a pair of shoes from this company and they constantly get compliments. they are also soft and (from what I can tell!) comfortable. you can also see their products in this month's issue of Real Simple magazine where they are featured as a ''great gift for kids''. Vanessa
Sizing is so precise and demanding with shoes -- I'd skip it, or give Zappos gift certificates. Anon
I would definitely recommend shoes at www.livieandluca.com. I got two pairs for friends' kids and they're great--cute, flexible soles, and not too expensive. Friends said they get lots of compliments. Also nice that the company is run by moms, one of whom is a local--you can order on line or call 888.LIV.LUCA lisa

Steel-Toed Workboots for a Child

June 2006

I need to find steel-toed workboots or shoes for my son. He has a small foot, so I'm looking in the size 2 to 3 range. Does anyone please know where I might be able to find footwear like this? Big 5 Sporting Goods has them in larger sizes for children, but I need smaller sizes. Thanks in advance. Amy


Give Red Wing a call. I know they have one in Alameda but I think they're everywhere Karen
Try the ''Red Wing'' shoe store in San Rafael. I don't know if they're still there, but work boots were there specialty when I was a kid, and they did carry kids' sizes. They were on 4th St. or 3rd St.... I don't remember. Otherwise, there's a store in SF called ''Stompers'' that I would call and ask if they know anyone that carries kids' sizes or if they could get them for you. They are on 8th St. I think, south of Market, and their storefront doesn't look very welcoming but they may be knowledgeable. anon

Wheel Pop-Out Shoes

June 2006

My 4-1/2 year old really wants shoes with wheels that pop out of the bottom. I'm not sure where he first saw them, but I can't seem to find them in small sizes (he wears a 12). Does anyone know where I could find some? Are they safe for a little guy to wear? JF


Try ebay. Though, I do believe Wheelies are suggested for kids 6 and up -Anon
I just saw an ad on tv for these, go to www.heelys.com. My 6 y.o. really wants them too after seeing the commercial -- power of marketing, and I am sure it only gets worse!!! Courtney

Where to buy childrens' shoes

June 2006

We would like to know where is a good place to buy children's shoes. We used to go to Cotton and Company but last time we were there, and after spending a considerable amount on clothes, the older lady who we believe is the manager asked not to return. She would not give us an explanation as to why, but obviously we have no desire to spend any more money there. kennerley


We buy our children shoes at Howard's in Walnut Creek (near Nordstroms). It is family owned. They measure and fit the shoes well, and are very customer friendly. Examples: One time my son's light up shoes stopped lighting up after a few weeks and they were very pleasant about trading them in. Other times we have found the style of shoes we wanted, but they didn't have the color in stock, so they ordered the shoes and mailed them to our home for no additional charge
mom of 2
We go to Howards Shoes in Walnut Creek. They also have a shop in Stonestown Mall in SF. They specialize in children's shoes and we've been happy with the service. They also send out coupons during the year, for $5. off, or ''buy one pair, get the second at half price'', etc. They also have a good selection of rain boots, umbrellas, rain jackets, and socks
Kim
Wow- that is bizarre, I really hope that there was a misunderstanding or something at Cotton and Co. But anyway, I like the shoes and service at Howard's Shoes for Children in Walnut Creek. They don't have a super large selection for toddlers, but the shoes they do have are awesome and they know them very well. My son's Perfection shoes by Jumping Jacks have held up for 6 months thru countless series of mud puddles, absolute drenchings in streams, hoses, and fountains, and they are still soft, flexible and wearable. My son also has long skinny feet, hard to fit in toddler shoes. The other place I like to go is the Children's shoe dept at Nordstrom's. It is hit or miss if you get a knowledgeable salesperson- the experienced ones are good. Just trust your own knowledge about your children's feet
I like good shoes, too

Toddler Girly Shoes

Nov 2005

What are the other stores to look for good toddler girly shoes (purple, flowers, glittery is best)? I did check the website first, and didn't find quite what I'm looking for. My very particular and very girly toddler needs some shoes for the winter. We got a great pair of sandals that she's worn all summer at Nordstrom rack, which is hit or miss in terms of style & size, and same thing with Payless Shoes and Ross, which often have nothing that works, surprisingly, and they aren't convenient so I can't look all the time. I went to Cotton and Co on College Ave, thinking if I was willing to pay the $$ we would at least get good service and a good fit, but I had to ask to get her feet measured, and 2 salesgirls came up with 3 different possible sizes for her shoes. I can't really do on-line, since she needs to try them on, and seems to have difficulty with the way many shoes fit. And most of the shoes at Target, for some reason, don't seem to work; the sneakers have never been a hit regardless of how pretty or girly. I'm also interested in the used places, since her favorite shoes seem to be primarily those she has found at rummage sales. Places like livie & luca would be great if they had larger sizes (currently she is about 7-8). Those girly Elefanten mary jane styles or something equivalent would work, if they fit (which is why I tried cotton & co.). Any other good shoe stores out there, or have I covered it? Or, ok, any online places with cheap shipping rates and good return policies? Any favorite used places?


I'm so suprised to hear about your experience at Cotton and Company. I've always been well treated there. Maybe you caught someone on an off (ok, WAY off) day? While at the fruitvale day of the dead event I noticed a shop on E14th that had some over the top girly shoes. they're a little grown-upy in a baptism/special event shoes kinda way but your child might really love them. I'm not sure of the name of the store or the actual address but its on E14th somewhere between Fruitvale and 34th. There are some frilly special dresses in the window along with the shoes. good luck! S
Have you looked at the Sweet Potatoes outlet on lower Solano? They occasionally have girly shoes in a variety of colors (you may be on your own in terms of sizing). And across the street and down a bit, still on Solano, is a great new consignment store called Solano Kids. They also have new shoes, and had some mary janes and boots in fun colors. Donna
Both garnethill.com and Hannaandersson.com have adorable shoes. If you can't find anything there, maybe you can get something plain and glue your own stuff onto them. You can buy/make little leather flowers (I don't know where or how), and little ''jewels'' (beads) and glue them to the shoes. anon

Comfortable dress shoes for boys

Aug 2005

My seven-year old son needs a pair of black dress shoes for his choir uniform. In years past, I've bought him black oxfords from Payless Shoe Source but every year he complains that the shoes are stiff (hard leather? not leather?) and hurt his feet and doesn't want to wear them at all. So this year I told him that I'd try to find a more comfortable pair of dress shoes for him. Can anyone recommend a store or brand (preferably online) where I can get a pair that's not more than $40 or $50? I already tried the Land's End suede oxford but my son's complaining about those too. Shoe shopping mama


Have you tried striderite?? Last year I got a pair of black Oxfords from JC Penny's that where striderite brand for my then 18 month old. He loved them and always choose to wear them over any other shoes he had including his sneakers. we got them a little before Halloween and they where on major sale but I just looked on striderite.com and they seem to run between 40 - 50 dollars. http://www.striderite.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=489&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=5&iSubCat=37&iProductID=489 Good luck Melinda
Try StrideRite.com they have a larger selection of dress shoes for Big Boys. I have always purchased my now 10 year old sons' shoes from Stride Rite stores and have had to move on to the website now because of his shoe size. You can also try Nordstroms! Hope That Helps!
My son wears the Stride Rite Cooper shoe available online at www.striderite.com. It comes in a dress black color. He walks for miles in them with no complaints even on the first wearing. They are a little pricey at $45, but much more comfortable than the Nordstrom ones we tried once. I've been ordering him a new pair every September since he turned three. Howard's Shoes in Walnut Creek will order them in for you, if you don't want to pay shipping on the Stride Rite web site or if your son needs a fitting. Been there
Try Zappos.com for shoes. Free shipping most often. internet shoe shopper
I usually end up buying my son's dress shoes at Sears, but what popped into my mind reading your post was, are you sure you're buying him shoes that FIT? I would take him to Stride Rite or Nordstrom and have his feet measured -- including the width. If his feet are wider or narrower than average, that will affect the comfort of even shoes with the best materials and highest quality construction. Holly

Online toddler shoes

Aug 2005

a while back, someone recommended an local (i think albany) online store to buy toddler/baby shoes. i can't find it referenced on the website. does anyone have the website? liz


I think the website you are looking for is http://www.livieandluca.com/.

Cute/affordable shoes for toddler

June 2005

Any recommendations out there for cute/affordable shoes for an active almost 2 year old? ellen


You can find many cute and cheap shoes for toddlers at Target/Sears/JCPenneys/Payless etc., but the question is, are they good for your toddler's feet? Because their feet are still so unformed and developing so quickly, I bite the bullet and buy more expensive and hence, well-made, shoes for my 19 mo. old son. I used to use Robeez, but he needs more support now that he is running and climbing. I have tried Preschoolians, but they did not have enough shape and made him move around awkwardly. I keep coming back to Stride-Rites, and you can find them on sale if you keep looking and sometimes they are very well-priced in Ross and Nordstrom Rack. Howard's Shoes for Children (in Walnut Creek)is expensive, but if you get on their mailing list, you can get $10 off a pair of shoes every 4 months or so. I have found that he really only needs 1 or 2 pairs of shoes at a time, as the best thing for toddlers this age is to be barefoot or in grippy-bottomed socks in the house. What I have done to cut costs is buy 1 expensive pair of shoes that he wears most of the time, and a couple ''cheapies'' that look really cute for special occasions when he is dressing up to ''show off'' to the relatives. Because his feet grow so quickly, he grows out of the good shoe before ever wearing it out. Hope that helps- Practical shoe mama
I recently had a fun shoe party by Mitzi! She came over during one of my Mom's group outings with tons of shoes and the babes tried on shoes. It was a lot of fun! She is great at finding the right sizes and answering any questions you may have. I highly recommend checking her site and contacting her. Her shoes can be found at: http://www.livieandluca.com/?%20Maybe Shoe Momma
I've bought shoes at cotton & co (nice, but very expensive). I recently went to a shoe party run by an East Bay mom and found a good alternative. Her stuff is online at www.livieandluca.com and is very cute and reasonable. I think she's also available to do shoe parties for groups. Noreen

Narrow shoes for an 8-year-old

Feb. 2005

My daughter's feet have gotten to the size where she can't find many selections in the children's shoe department. She has narrow feet, so the size 4.5s and the 5s tend to be too wide. She is a size 6 in teen and womens shoes, but the styles aren't usually appropriate for an active 8 year old. Any suggestions on where to shop for shoes for her? Shoeless in Berkeley


thought I saw kids' narrows at lands' end kids online. Chris
Try Nordstrom's. It's the only place I've consistently found narrow widths. Also, try the Nordstrom rack in Marina Square in San Leandro. Good Luck. I've walked in your shoes

4-year-old insists on wearing shoes at all times

Aug 2006

Hi, My grandson who is almost 4 has to have his shoes on all the time. (He's with me during the week) He had a fungus infection and finally was convinced that at night he couldn't go to bed with socks or shoes on, but at nap time, I have to wait until he's really asleep before taking them off. He screams when I ask him to run around barefoot or take them off for a while. In winter he has to have socks and slippers. Anyone with any suggestions, please let me know Karen


Our daughter is sometimes this way and there is nothing we can do about it to avoid the screaming. But sometimes it works to take our own shoes off (without making any demands or suggestions to her) and then raving about how good it feels to wiggle our toes. (Then we wiggle them and giggle and laugh like it's just so much fun.) Often then she will want to do the same. The alternative which will probably work over the long term is to disallow them to be on at certain times and mentally prepare for the tantrums and the screaming. Once he realizes that shoes on/off state is controlled by you and not negotiable, he will probably just give up with the willful behavior about it. Might take a while, though, and I realize it wouldn't be without some pain for you to do. Good luck - shoe-wearing stickler's mom
My son did this when he was younger. He would wake up in the middle of the night and request his shoes be put on. (I told him to go back to sleep.) He still mostly wears his shoes. I make positive coments to him if I notice he has been bearfoot for a while. For a few years now he won't wear shorts, only long pants. (he is four and a half now) He says that he doesn't like how his legs look. I think he doesn't like his skin exposed or something.

It sounds like your child might have fungus, like athletes foot in his shoes though. You might want to buy new shoes, and insist on socks. There is a foot treatment that I have bought at Berkeley Bowl called Lavalin that works well for about 5 days per application on stinky feet. It is a bit expensive $11 for a small pot. I don't know if works on fungus though, if your child does have it. Tea tree oil and GSE work great on foot fungi now sometimes shoeless


Three-year-old hates wearing shoes

June 2004

Our son has pulled off his shoes ever since we first put them on. When he turned one and walked, we put Robeez leather slip- ons on him, and those worked well. But then after that, he disliked any shoes we tried. Now at three years old, he yanks them off at every opportunity -- outside in parks and around our neighborhood, in the car, in shopping carts, in restaurants, libraries, ice cream parlors, etc. While I'm careful to get his feet measured, and I've purchased all kinds of quality shoes, sneakers, and sandals, he rejects them all. My husband tells me that he hated shoes too, but not to this extent. I'd love to hear any suggestions. amy


My two cents: My son just turned three and only a month ago we got him to wear his first pair of running shoes. We used to live in Japan, where you are always barefoot indoors, so he really hated wearing shoes. The only type of shoes he would wear were those very soft water sandals. He would wear them even in the winter (with socks). I think kids just feel more comfortable barefoot or wearing very, very soft shoes. The running shoes I got him to wear are from Payless Shoe. Yes! they were only $9 and I got them in the wide size. If this does not work, you can buy good non-slip socks that he could wear even outdoors. GAP's are good and come in larger sizes. I hope this helps. Maria
I have had the same problem with my son. For a long time he would only wear slippers, which he was happy with thru 3 and 4 years old. I would take him to a high quality shoe store, have him fitted, buy him a pair that he picked out, only to have him never wear the shoes. He has a wide foot, so I wanted to be sure that the shoes were a good fit.

Now at the ''mature'' age of almost 5 (!), he has finally picked out a pair of shoes from Payless that he thinks are superbly cool, and he wears them more willingly. He still takes his shoes off the second he can, and partly I think it's because he has hot sweaty feet, and it just feels better to be shoeless. But I can certainly sympathize with you, and I was so happy when he finally found a pair of shoes that he was pleased with.

I remember a friend's child had a similar thing of not liking shoes and during those pre-school years, he wore rainboots year round. jewel


Where do you buy shoes now that McPhee's is gone?

Feb 2001

I'd like to know, too, where people are going after the demise of McPhee's. We went to the Corte Madera Nordstrom's, and it was actually fine. I didn't notice if they had shoes for smaller children, though. I'd imagine they do. --Chris


There's a Stride Rite shoe store in Walnut Creek at the Broadway Plaza mall, near Nordstrom. Christina
If you're willing to drive into the city, there is a store that sells nothing but children's shoes. It is called Tuffy's Hopscotch. Located at 3307 Sacramento in San Francisco. The woman who opened it did so because she was disappointed with the selection of children's shoes in the bay area. Shoshona
There is a fabulous new kids shoe store in San Francisco in Noe Valley. It is called "Wavy Footprints" and it is on 24th and Sanchez? (Next to a fabulous children's clothing store "little bean sprouts"). The owners are the nicest women who show genuine love for fitting children in shoes. Many times I have been in there and one of them will entertain my son with a puppet while he is being fitted. The carry all the top of the line brands like Stride Rite and Elfanten. The have the best selection I have seen in this area. Hadley
Cotton and Company's does carry shoes larger than size four. In their new location (across the street from the old ones), the infant/toddler and older children's shoes are no longer separate. Perhaps the old maternity/infant shop only carried shoes through size four. Gail
When at McPhee's final sale, I asked where else we could shop for children's shoes, and was told that there is a store just like it in the Coddingtown Mall in Marin (or is is already Sonoma County?). One of the women who worked at McPhee's also works there. It's a trek, but to have the range of styles and expert fitting, it might be worth it. Lorraine
I have always bought my son Elefanten shoes from Germany. You can buy them at any Nordstrom. I used to work in a kid's store and sold these shoes and can highly recommend them. They are extremely soft, both the leather (in and outside) and the sole. Both me and my son loves these shoes; they never give him any blisters or other discomforts. Sometimes his dad buys him other shoes and he always ends up with blisters on his feet. Since they are quite expensive ($40-$60), I only buy him one pair of shoes until he outgrows them.

Jannette (6/99)


Decent & Affordable Toddler Shoes?

Oct. 2003

We have looked high and low for decent shoes for our 3 year old son. We ended up going to Cotton and Co. and spending what seems like a fortune for shoes. Somehow $50 seems a preposterous price to pay for a 3 year old. Anyway, we've been to target and ross and they either don't have shoes in his size, no customer service or the shoes weigh more than a pair of barbells. Am I a scrooge to think a decent pair of toddler shoes could be as little as $20-30? Where in Berkely/albany/el cerrito can decent and reasonably priced shoes be found? All the recommendations involved driving to a different county (no thanks). thank you adrian


Too be honest I am a little bit of an amelda marcos when it comes to shoes for kids but here are a few suggestions. Payless Shoes. I know there is one in the rockridge shopping center next to Longs. Hannahs kids consignment store on Solano in Berkeley has cute shoes new and used. You could try exchanging some of your kids too small clothes for a pair of free shoes. anon
Try the Sketchers outlet at Cutting and San Pablo in El Cerrito. good luck
I've always gotten shoes from Rockridge Kids. Currently my 2.5 year old son is wearing their $24 ''Weeboks'' -- great little sneakers with normal sneaker soles. They also carry another brand (''Tumbler'', I think) which run about $15. We used this brand for over a year -- they're a good, easy shoe. Christine
I like the shoes at Rockridge Kids. They are all in the back room near the windows. They don't have as big a selection as Cotton and Co., but are more reasonably priced. Also, the Weeboks are great for my 3 year olds wide feet. Julie
Payless Shoe Source. Many locations including San Pablo Ave @ Central in El Cerrito. Janet
Hi Try Old Navy - I just bought a pair of sneakers for under $20 for my almost 3 year old daughter. Target is also good. Julie
I too agree that children's shoes should not cost $50+. However, I have two things to say about this. All the shoes with decent reputations and fairly large price tags (e.g. stride right etc.) I bought for my first child are in GREAT condition for my second child to wear. All the Target/Mervyen's shoes I had to throw away after my first son wore them. Secondly, I hardly EVER pay full price for my children's shoes...I hit the Nordstrom's half- yearly and anniversary sales and get them half price! Maya
Try Payless shows anywhere. They don't always have a large selection but often there will be one or two pairs of very nice shows. I'm not an expert on how important it is to have exclusive shows for kids, but after testing the ''hot'' names and trying to figure out what's so special about them, I think that if you find flexible shows with a good sole, it's really fine. anon
Two stores at the top of Solano sell reasonably-priced shoes for kids: A Child's Place (at the corner of The Alameda) and Hannah's (which mostly sells used clothing, but they have a limited selection of new shoes). Both carry Angel brand shoes, which fit our toddler well and cost about $15-20. Also, Rockridge Kids carries some shoes, including Angel sandals in the summer ($15). Nomi
I just bought two pairs of just about brand new Nikes from a used clothing store for children for a total of $8 (size 7). Everything in the store is just about new and they have a great play area for toddlers in the middle of the store. It is located on Fruitvale, just east of its intersection with MacArthur in the Dimond district of Oakland. It's called Making Ends Meet. Best of all, if you can't find anyone who needs your kids used clothes, they will buy them off of you and give you a store credit. David
try nordstrom rack in san leandro or san francisco - good brands at low prices. or tjmax often has better selection then most ross's but also located far away, only one i know of is in dublin by the babies-r-us. or the better ross stores, like the el cerrito plaza ross is better than the emeryville one. finally, shoe pavillion. w/ all these places though if you are shopper like me you know it's hit or miss. the best luck is to check back when you're in the area and grab the good ones when you can! with our 12 year old son we buy several pairs in larger sizes to take advantage of selection and sales when we can. good luck! bargain hunter
After reading the current posts for reasonably priced kid shoes, I couldn't resist where I've had great success in buying my 2 year olds shoes - eBay! I've bought name brands (Weebok and Stride Rite) shoes, both new and used, at incredible prices. Maybe a tad more expensive than used stores when you include the shipping charge, but the advantages are I don't have to waste time shopping and the selection is outrageous! I recently did a price comparison when my son outgrew his much beloved Stride Rite sneakers with lights. I found the exact same sneakers, brand new, in the next size up on eBay which I bought for $15 + $5 shipping. I compared them to the sneakers with lights at Payless for $19.99, which were NOT leather, and while I'm sure he'll outgrow them before wearing them out, I think the Stride Rite sneakers are much better quality for essentially the same price. I've bought adorable hiking boots and Weebok leather boots with lights for as little as $5-10! Happy bidding!
I have found a number of reasonably priced kids' shoes in the bins at Rockridge Kids; usually between $15-$25 for sneaker-type shoes. They don't always have all sizes, but they do reorder frequently. Karen
I always buy my son's shoes used at Childs Play or Lauren's Closet. He grows out of them so fast, I really don't want to buy new most of the time. I've also purchased Robeez and some simple tennis shoes for him at Baby Gap which I thought were reasonably priced. Susan

Athletic Shoes for preschooler

Elizabeth 10/99

I just wanted to pass on an experience I had shopping for my preschooler's tennis shoes. I was on Telegraph with my 3 year old whose shoes had just disintegrated, so we decided to check out the new Althetes Foot that has opened there. They display kid's shoes, so I figured they could help us. We had a terrible experience. Our clerk mis-measured my child's foot and then walked off in the middle of helping us after pointing us to not very well ordered wall of tennis shoe boxes. The shoes in the boxes were not laced. There were staff standing around chatting, but no one was available to help us lace the shoes, much less fit them. When I complained, they were utterly unresponsive.

We went next door to Foot Locker. A lovely woman quickly figured out Aaron's size, whipped out 3 styles of inexpensive shoes, and helped us try each pair on. We left with a pair of shoes for $10. The least expensive pair of (on sale) kid's tennis shoes at Athlete's Foot was $25.


Shoes for a big 8-year-old

2001

I have read all the wonderful statements about the shoes for your children. My problem is that I have a 8 year old daughter that is currently wearing a womens 7 1/2 (almost at the toes). To top that off, her feet are narrow. I want her to continue looking like a little girl and not have to put grown up styles on my eight year old's feet. Please, anyone out there help me. I am thinking of wrapping them soon. (Little humor)A Parent Crying Out For Shoe Help! Renee


Try Tuffy's Hopscotch on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. They carry a lot of great European shoes that come in larger sizes Kristi
I would imagine that you can find casual shoes for your daughter in adult sizes that are very similar to kids' shoes. For good weather, "saltwater sandals", a flat sandal that is worn by many kids around here, are available in women's sizes To my untrained eye, it doesn't seem as if there is much difference between girls' tennis shoes and women's Also, if your daughter doesn't mind wearing a boy's shoe, I believe that boys' sizes go up to a 6 which is actually equivalent to a women's 71/2 or 8 Finding a dressy shoe that's age-appropriate would seem a bit more of a challenge. If you have access to a store that sells dancewear, you might be able to find a dancer's flat that would fit her. Good luck. Nancy
I'm an adult who prefers low-heeled shoes. Consequently, I know that there are a lot of shoes out there right now that are not necessarily adult-styled even though they are in adult sizes. Look especially for "mary-janes"--those rounded-toe shoes with straps over the instep that we all wore as children. They've been quite popular recently. And of course, plain tennis shoes are ageless, and you can find those at the Target or Walmart. If you can't find what you are looking for in the stores around here, consider on-line or catalog shopping. I know that the Newport News catalog (for instance) has had several styles of "ballerina flats" or "maryjanes". They also have some low-heeled boots that might be good (the sort of thing one might want for a Peter-Pan or Robin-Hood costume). One caveat is that if you order from one of their sale catalogs it is often the case that there are no shoes in any sizes larger than 5 1/2 or 6. But sometimes there is limited availability in larger sizes. And getting used to shoe shopping by catalog might come in handy as your girl gets bigger, since you can't usually find anything bigger than a size 10 in a regular store.... ;^) Good luck! Dawn

Wide Shoes

Nils 9/99
We need help finding good wide shoes for our 5 year-old son. He needs square-toed, flexible-soled shoes, for his wide, square-toed feet. We have had no luck at Carlin's or McPhees. Does anyone have a recommendation either for a shoe store, or a mail-order outfit that carries wide shoes for kids?
John
With regard to the wide shoes for the 5-year old, we have had success with Nordstrom's which carries the Elephanten line of shoes. These shoes are a bit pricey but have all of the recommended features such as flexibility in the sole and a firm part around the ankle (I forget what this is called). Generally, the salespeople in the kid's shoes are very used to dealing with kids and can work with you on getting the right fit.
ludewig
I also have two boys with wide feet. The only brands of shoes that I have found for them are Elephanten(German) and Stride Rite. THere is a Stride Rite shoe store in the Hilltop Mall and you can purchase Elephanten in Villager Shoes on COllege Ave., & Nordstrom in Walnut Creek and Corte Madera - Walnut Creek has a better selection and nicer sales people. You can also find ELephanten on the internet www.kidsnshoes.com.

Sparkly gold and red shoes

July 2002

Does anyone know where to get sparkly gold and red shoes for a three year old (preferably a Mervyn's/ Target etc. priced kinda place rather than a more expensive kids shoe store)? Thanks, Andrea


I saw both sparkly gold and sparkly red shoes in pre-school sizes at Target last week. Also Payless Shoes had white sparkly ones, but the heel seemed a little high to me for young kids. Cathy
I have seen sparkly shoes in many colors at Hanna's on Solano Avenue in Berkeley. Their prices aren't bad - perhaps not as cheap as Target, but reasonable all the same. Awaldstein
Target in El Cerrito (San Pablo & Potrero) carries those shoes. Tikva and Yoram
I saw red sparkly shoes at Target in El Cerrito last week, but the size selection was pretty bad in the sparkly shoes. You could try Target online, but also the used childrens store at the top of Solano has had them continuously (these are new shoes \) for the past year or so. They aren't very expensive. Elizabeth
Target has sparkle shoes. urthlink
I just got a used Dorothy dress and slippers at a used toy store (on Solano). The dress and slippers looked perfectly new. I would try there. I have also seen red shoes that would work at A Child's Place and at Hannah's, on Solano. Mary
Regarding the red glitter shoes (aka, the Ruby Slippers, which I have always wanted, too - great idea for a party!), I have seen them fairly regularly at consignment shops such as Lauren's Closet (Lafayette) and They Grow So Fast (Lafayette). You might check there. Lori
We get ours at Target. Approx $10.00 Vivienne

Tomato Brand Shoes

Hi there;I know this seems silly,but I am looking for a particular sneaker for my son.the vendor is tomatoe,and i've only seen them onother peoples kids!I must have them,i've looked everwhere.can anybody help?He is a size 10 1/2 (Pre-schooler ) Danielle (4/00)
I bought a pair of Tomatoe sneakers for my son at A Child's Place a while ago. As I recall, they had several different styles. The store's on the corner of Solano and The Alameda in Albany. You might give them a call. 510-524-3651 Barbara
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