Less expensive kid shoes?

seeker

Sat, Jun 02 2012, 10:26 pm

I would like to get toddler DD fitted professionally but don't want to spend $80 on baby shoes. First pair we did that, second pair we did stride rite but I was not so happy with th fit or quality. Will be in BP tomorrow so I would love to take care of it while there (don't know of any good fitting stores where I live) I know about Schwartz and Tescher but all their shoes are very expensive, is there anything else?

Beach Bum

Sat, Jun 02 2012, 10:33 pm

I recently got for my DD her first pair of shoes at footsteps on kings highway and east 7th (I think) for $55. I was happy with the fit and the quaility of the shoes. Its not in bp though.

Fabulous

Sat, Jun 02 2012, 10:36 pm

If you're ok spending around 50-60. There is a store on 13th and 42nd and 43rd called La Elegante/Buster Brown and they really fit well.

imaamy

Sat, Jun 02 2012, 11:15 pm

My toddler is outgrowing his Payless right now so I shouldn't even talk, but our ped told me Robeks (sp?, the slipper like soft ones) is fine for their first shoes. They don't have to be all structured and fitted like we used to think for baby's feet.

goodmorning

Sat, Jun 02 2012, 11:52 pm

I bought my child a first pair of shoes at Shoes at Park a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to hit a sale and they were very cheap, but I don't know if the sale is still running.

happy mom1

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 12:06 am

imaamy wrote:

robeez?

seeker

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 12:37 am

bnm wrote:

Di Rubio on NU and 47 is running a sale now

Do they do a good job fitting? My DD has very narrow feet, which is why I felt less than confident about the stride rite shoes and would like her to get fitted more professionally this time, and maybe the European shoes that Brooklyn stores tend to sell come narrower...
Any idea what their price range is like?

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Robeez (and the many less expensive look-alikes) are fine for a real baby who is just learning how to walk - which frankly mine did barefoot, I never did bother with Robeez, but it happened to be summer so her feet weren't cold or anything - but once they're really running around town they do need sturdy shoes.

Six boyz

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 1:06 am

precious steps on 13 th ave and 48 street, I think all shoes are 50 dollars now. You can also try 14th ave shoe center , they always have shoes on sale. They re on 14 ave and 44 st

mommy of boys

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 2:53 am

I've been to a couple of these bp stores and I might have gotten a bit of a better price but I still feel like I do best in plain fashioned shwartz.
I find that they do fit better for my kids and they wont let me buy a shoe they feel wont fit right.
they always have cheaper shoes from past seasons especially for the babies.
Good Luck!

ra_mom

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 4:06 pm

seeker, if you need a good fit, don't skimp. It's not worthwhile.
I would rather go to Schwartz and ask them to fit my child with last year's style, sale item, cheaper, etc.
It's really not worthwhile to go to most other places.
Precious Step and Shoes at the Park I've had experiences where child's newly 'fitted' shoes were outgrown 3 weeks later.
51st St and 13th Ave tells you everything fits, even as you see the shoe gaping.
You can get decent fit at 14th Ave, Zina's, and probably at Le Elegante as well.

Btw, if you want sneakers at this time of year, they are usually cheaper than shoes.

chocolate chips

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 5:11 pm

If you have patience to go to manhattan there is a clarks shoe store there.

It's originally an english store but they are professional fitters and sell great supportive shoes. I have not yet been to the Manhattan one so I don't know prices but in England I paid 24GBP for ds first pair. Im guessing it will be around $35-40

seeker

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 10:09 pm

Thanks for the tips everyone. Today I learned that Sunday is not a good time to look for shoes in Boro Park! I ended up skipping the errand completely and hoping that DD's shoes are good for a little longer, because frankly it looked like we wouldn't even be able to fit through the door in the popular places (Schwarts had EIGHT strollers, including doubles, parked outside! And each stroller could represent a family of 8 for all I know!) and I had come into town for a few different errands... Lesson learned!!!

ra_mom

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 10:13 pm

seeker wrote:

One thing to know about Schwartz is that they have a separate line if you only have one child with you who needs shoes.

seeker

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 10:31 pm

Heh I wish I'd known that earlier today! Do they really stick to that? I wonder now how many people were there with a crowd vs singles.

ra_mom

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 11:00 pm

seeker wrote:

Heh I wish I'd known that earlier today! Do they really stick to that? I wonder now how many people were there with a crowd vs singles.

Yes, they really stick to it.
But when the place is full and there's a 3 hour wait, the wait on the one child line is still an hour long.

seeker

Sun, Jun 03 2012, 11:03 pm

Ah well, so I probably would have ended up tired and frustrated anyway. Thanks for the info though, I'm sure it will come in handy someday, especially since we didn't buy shoes!