Finally Friday: Kids’ U.S. Shoe Sizer
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When Jack started walking, we took him to a local shoe store, and I found myself completely disappointed in the experience. The women there had no special knowledge or tools beyond sizing him; they didn’t really help him try on shoes; and because Jack was so little there was no feedback on his end, either, whether the shoes fit well or didn’t. The worst part was paying full price for his little Stride Rites, mostly because we felt like we’d taken up the salespeople’s time and we owed it to them. After that lovely experience, I bought this shoe sizer and haven’t looked back. Almost every shoe we’ve gotten for Jack since then has been at least 50% off, and if there’s a question about how something fits I can pull out the shoe sizer to do a better job sizing him. It’s $19 at Amazon, and has saved us a ton more than that. Squatchi Kids’ U.S. Shoe Sizer
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Sales of note for 5/1/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 20% off select Dyson hair tools with code + select clothes, shoes & more up to 50% off
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event: 30% off your entire purchase, including new arrivals (ends 5/4) + 40% off 1 full-price item (5/1 only)
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% everything + extra 25% off
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off all sale + $19 & up spring sale
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off must-have styles + up to extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + extra 60% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Up to 25% off almost everything. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – $20+ select favorites + 40% off 1 regular-price item + 30% off everything else
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
I splurged on this sizer because I wanted to measure my babies’ feet at home and get width measurements. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X1LR08?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
I think it will pay for itself once I get two pairs on sale and will save me a lot of time taking the kids to the store over the years.
Spin off of shoe discussion – any ideas where to find traditional baby boy t-strap shoes or Mary Janes? I can only find them from a UK website and just don’t really want to spend $50 on shoes for a six month old. Does no one wear these anymore?
Thinking about buying the ASOS Maternity Debutante Skater Dress With Double Layer (will put link below) for a wedding next week. Wondering if it is very short (the model is 5 11′ and I am 5 7″ so I am finding it hard to tell) and if you think it will be flattering. I am a size 14 in ASOS and prefer more fitted maternity clothes as they seem to make me look less huge. TIA!
I’d also like to add that barefoot is best for beginning walkers. Even socks are somewhat restrictive, so if it is not too cool, go barefoot. You do not want supportive shoes for babies, but rather ones that mimic the flexibility of barefootedness and ones that allow the muscles to work and develop. I’m not saying that as a barefoot enthusiast. But, having worked at a Stride Rite store for 5 years, even that company–which was trying to sell kid’s shoes–recommended going barefoot as much as possible.
Obviously, a baby needs shoes at some point though. Some good brands other than Stride Rite for that kind of flexibility include See Kai Run, Pediped, and Robeez walkers line.
I know we were discussing this earlier this week, but has anyone used a woven wrap to carry a newborn in?
My husband and I are being slightly driven crazy by the ‘the baby needs multiple iterations of something that all do similar things’ phenomenon, exacerbated by wonderfully generous friends who have passed on some awesome baby gear; however, the fact that we will have a crib, a co-sleeper, a swing AND a rock and play for baby doesn’t seem THAT excessive… right?
We have an ergobaby and my husband really wants a k’tan for him, but I’m not sure if the same size will fit both of us. He really doesn’t like the moby wrap which would make more sense to me as it could fit either one of us. I’ve wanted a woven wrap especially for when the kid is a bit older, but now i’m thinking it should work perfectly fine for a newborn, right??
We’ll be traveling for a week later this year and staying at a rented house. There’s the option to rent a high chair there, but my 18 month old is really into sitting in a booster/on a real chair. Anyone have recs for a good travel booster seat or chair that straps onto a regular chair? We’ll be bringing a big bag to check, so I don’t mind if it’s a little bulky. TIA for any recs!
Lucie’s List suggested Livie & Luca for kiddos with wide feet. They’re available on Zappos.
I have an almost-one-year-old (eek!) with very chubby feet – they are both wide and tall, if that makes sense, but not particularly long. I feel like the woman at the shoe store put her in shoes that are way too big for her width-wise in order to get her feet in them, and just went with a sneaker in order to keep her feet in (the maryjane styles in that size all fell off her feet after a few minutes). I’m concerned that wearing shoes that are too big is going to make it harder for her to learn to walk (I would be tripping over myself if I wore sneakers a full size too big). Any recommendations for brands that accommodate cherub feet? Should I just let it go and be happy her feet are covered?
On this topic, can anyone recommend their favorite shoes that are easy to get on wiggly toddlers? (Other than Crocs) What about rain boots?
Maybe this is because I live in the burbs, but I feel like the kids shoe store is one of the local businesses that I like to support with in-person buying, rather than always going online. I get that baby shoes are another story.
Go to Nordstrom!
FYI, you can download printable size charts from several websites as well. Honestly, even if the charts say my kids wear size X (or I wear size X), with the convenience of Zappos VIP (free next day shipping? amazing!), I just order 2-4 different sizes or styles, try them all on and then ship them back – because so many things seem to not really correspond to the size charts anymore. There are currently 6 different shoeboxes from Zappos in my office right now, and I’m going to the UPS store tonight to return 4 of them.
Cute, but as someone with bunions AND heel spurs, aggravated by high arches… there’s a lot more to shoes, even kids’ shoes, then just size & length.
Good idea. I guess if you know the style that works, you can get what you want. I just figure kids’ shoes in the $40-60 range every season are a cost of doing business so that my kid has well-supported feet. I do have boys and I’ve only bought maybe one “dress” pair every other year, mostly I just buy tennis shoes and let them run around until I see their socks.
This is very timely! I need to get fall shoes for my toddler and have been wondering if making the trip to a shoe store in person would be worth it. I’ve had to return a lot of shoes ordered online when I guessed at the size. Thanks!