Where to buy baby shoes?
Hello, could anyone recommend a store with a good selection of baby shoes? I need tiny shoes for a 10-months old who is walking a lot already. Is there any shoe store in Berkeley or around? And which brands would you recommend? Quality is a high priority...
Sep 6, 2017
Parent Replies
Unfortunately there are not many places with a big selection of kids shoes around. In Berkeley you can try Kid Dynamo (Vine near Shattuck). They carry See Kai Run's Smaller line (which is great for new walkers), as well as a few other brands of soft sole baby and toddler shoes.
I don't know what your price range is or how committed you are to going to a physical store, but thought I'd throw out a recommendation anyhow: my 13-month-old is on her second pair of SoftStar shoes, which we order online (http://softstarshoes.com/). They are handmade in Oregon, and not cheap (baby shoes are about $60 a pair; adult shoes run about $120), but very sturdy. My daughter isn't quite walking yet so the tops of her shoes get dragged all over our concrete patio as she crawls back and forth; after about 2 months, the leather shows cosmetic signs of wear but I've got no worries about the shoes 'failing.' They have several different styles and most styles allow you to customize each element by color. They also have extensive sizing information on their website, and if something doesn't fit right, you can email them photos of shoes-on-feet and they'll troubleshoot with you to figure out if you need a bigger size, wider fit, etc. (we haven't done this for our daughter but did it for me with a pair of sandals). I would recommend them to anyone. I believe they have lightly secondhand shoes available on their website for a discount, too.
I liked Stride Rite shoes at that age - they're sturdy and not outrageously expensive, since the kids outgrow them so fast. McCaulou's carries them, as well as a few other stores in the area - you can search for stores at http://www.striderite.com/.
We use Pediped - you can find them online
You can try Kid Dynamo in North Berkeley off Shattuck, or Silver Moon on Lakeshore Ave in Oakland. Definitely get on Silver Moon's email list, because they have occasional 40% off sales on their entire show selection. Look for the Stride Rite and Pediped shoes with thinner, rounded soles for early walkers: more contact with the ground, and less tripping. Robeez work too for the really young walkers, but the ones with suede soles can be slippery on smooth floors. Some people love See Kai Run, and the styles are cute, but I'm not keen on the flat soles for my still-wobbly toddler. For quality I'd focus on fit and function. Honestly, they grow out of the shoes so fast, that minor differences in durability are moot.
Golden Bug in Rockridge https://www.goldenbugshoes.com/
They are a newish business (less than a year?). We have bought shoes for my toddler daughter there. They have a good selection, cute store, helpful staff.