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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 55 Comments · by

Finally Friday: Kids’ U.S. Shoe Sizer

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Squatchi Kids' U.S. Shoe Sizer | CorporetteMomsWhen 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 (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

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Comments

  1. KJ says

    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!

    • K. says

      So, I worked at a Stride Rite store for 5 years while in high school and college. We had a lot of training that we had to do and I feel as though I offered a helpful service to parents. However, not all kid’s shoe stores are like that (and I suspect, not all Stride Rite stores are like that either).

      Shoes, like clothing, are not consistent in sizing. Typically, you need to go up 1/2 a size from what a kid is measuring for sneakers, 1 whole size for boots, and keep the same size for dress shoes, BUT, we’d have certain models that we knew, from experience, you had to go up 2 whole sizes from what a kid was measuring.

      Additionally, kids with super wide feet or super narrow feet need shoes that fit. Certain shoes come in narrow and wide and certain brands run wider or narrow than others.

      I also think a store that does good measuring and fittings would be able to tell better than parents about things like width and leaving enough room for growth without being too big. Honestly, I can tell if a shoe fits a child properly just by looking at how it creases in the front when a child walks and a lot of shoes are not sized correctly by parents.

      I know I sound like a complete snob! I also know that many times a parent can size their child’s shoe correctly just fine and that children can grow out of a size seemingly overnight (feet grow in spurts, not gradually). But, there are advantages to finding a show store where the employees are highly trained in how to do fittings.

  2. Special says

    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.

  3. Meg Murry says

    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.

  5. kc esq says

    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.

    • rakma says

      Totally agree. Also, our local Stride-Rite is generally good about pulling multiple shoes and sizes to fit DD’s wide foot, and encouraging her to run around to make sure she seems comfortable in them.

  6. KJ says

    On this topic, can anyone recommend their favorite shoes that are easy to get on wiggly toddlers? (Other than Crocs) What about rain boots?

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      Our MomoBaby are pretty easy to wrestle on my wiggly one year old. They’re velcro, and faster and easier than ties or sandals. I found some sale pairs on Amazon for about $12.

    • NewMomAnon says

      My kiddo had a pair of (awesome) rain boots with handles on the side. She was just over a year old, so she struggled to get them on herself. I think she could do it now though. They were not the easiest thing for me to cram on her feet (Crocs and her sneakers are much easier) – I had to get her to point her toes into the boot and then flex to get around the curve.

      I found that the structure of her Stride Rite sneakers actually makes them pretty easy to get on, as long as I loosen the Velcro straps first. The worst are her sandals and water shoes, because you have to hold the fabric open and wrangle her foot into them.

    • Babyweight says

      Tsukihoshi with all velcro closures. And they are machine washable! If you have a girl, the Mary Jane style is the bomb.

  7. just Karen says

    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?

    • MSJ says

      My one year old son has the same problem of tall and wide feet! He’s not walking yet so I haven’t yet bought shoes but I haven’t been able to get a good size for him using the stride rite measurer.

    • K. says

      Width of shoes includes the circumference of the foot. You need xw shoes or probably even xxw shoes. Walking shoes by Stride Rite come in xxw. I don’t know about other brands. By the time children are in toddler sizes, they tend to only have xw.

    • anon says

      stride rite– they go up to double wide, which is what my daugther needed when she was 1. She was a 3WW and is now a happy normal footed toddler with a 7 regular.

    • anne-on says

      Not sure if they make girl’s brands, but Keens and Pedipeds were both nice and wide to accomodate my sons chubby, tall feet.

  8. Philanthropy Girl says

    Lucie’s List suggested Livie & Luca for kiddos with wide feet. They’re available on Zappos.

  9. Travel booster or high chair says

    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!

    • KJ says

      We have always used this as our highchair at home and while traveling and like it a lot. The seat back folds down to make it fairly compact. My one caveat is that it has scratched the veneer off the dining room chair it sits on, so you might want to put something between the seat the chair. My first thought is a towel, but that might make the seat slide around, so maybe a cut up piece of rug padding?

      http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Deluxe-Booster-Seat-Brown/dp/B00CSAWJPO/ref=sr_1_9?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1441982957&sr=1-9&keywords=booster+seat

      • RDC says

        We just used this at my parent’s house with a towel between booster and chair — didn’t think it slipped around at all. But my guy doesn’t climb up and down by himself so that might make a difference.

    • NewMomAnon says

      I found some on Amazon that are essentially big beanbags. The one I just got yesterday is Safety1st; it’s molded plastic, so it would be bulky but light for travel. It has straps that can be used as carrying straps too. My kiddo loved it when I pulled it out of the box. We’ll see how she feels about it today.

      Alternatively – my kiddo LOVES standing on chairs at the kitchen table. I really only bought the booster so I could strap her in (she wanders while eating otherwise). And I have fond memories of phone book and couch cushion “boosters.”

      • Meg Murry says

        Nice! I like that one. FYI for the OP, I’d give it a few test runs before bothering to pack it – if the kid won’t sit in it at home, I wouldn’t bother to haul it on a trip, at least not one that involves checking packed luggage. We have the Fisher Price one above, which we like a lot (and has gotten some good use for a while, and held up through 2 kids).

        Can you ask what you would be renting? Its distinctly possible that what they say as “renting a high chair” is in fact a booster that is strapped to a chair – just like I was suprised when I was offered the chance to “rent a crib” somewhere that it was actually not a crib at all, but a mediocre pack and play.

    • OP says

      Thanks for all the recs!! I had seen that Munchkin one on Amazon so we will try that out in the event they don’t have actual boosters for rent. And great idea re making sure she likes it before we schlep it with us!

  10. Woven wraps? says

    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??

    • NewMomAnon says

      I think your husband is right to steer clear of the Moby – I had one and didn’t like it. They are hard to tie just right (not too tight, not too loose), and hard to transport because of all the fabric. They also stretch out while you’re moving around, so you have to re-tie. It seems like the Boba wrap was better than the Moby as far as the stretching, and people love their k’tans….I ended up using a homemade sling (just a big fabric tube folded in half) quite a bit. I love my Ergo and my Boba Air now.

    • Pigpen's Mama says

      I had a K’tan for my little one and loved it when she was under 9 months or so — we now use a Beco (Becco?) Gemini (she’s 1 yr and about 20 lbs) and I like that — it doesn’t need to be clasped behind your back, like the Ergo, which I couldn’t do.

      Spouse and I used the same size Ktan — it was stretched out a bit after he used it, but that was fixed by a wash.

    • lkl says

      We are pretty minimalist as far as baby gear goes, but this is a time when I would say to go for both the k’tan (sized for your husband) and wrap for you. If budget’s an issue, you can probably find either one used on your local parenting listserve. You definitely want something that you find comfortable and your baby finds comfortable — it makes your quality of life much, much better. Of course, babies vary, so you won’t know what your baby likes until he or she arrives.

      Are you sure you can’t share a k’tan? We were able to share; we are the same height and have similar waist sizes, but my husband lifts and is much bulkier than I am so I was surprised that the same size worked for us.

      (Re: iterations of items — We borrowed a cosleeper and in retrospect I would have skipped it, since we moved the baby to his own room after less than two weeks. But because it folds up small, it was good for travel during the first 3 months. We ended up with a rock-n-play AND a bouncy seat, which seemed like overkill, but the baby wouldn’t tolerate being put down anywhere but the rock-n-play for about five weeks before growing into the bouncy seat/accepting playing on the floor. So we only used the rock-n-play for less than two months, but I seriously don’t know what we would have done without it during that time. Bouncy seat was useful if we wanted him to be somewhere where he could see what was going on, before he could sit up on his own; I might skip it next time. We didn’t have a swing. FWIW, we also found the play mat to be totally unnecessary.)

      • MDMom says

        I posted yesterday about the K’Tan- I love it. I recommend having some sort of soft carrier for when the baby is really little. You can get whatever makes sense to you value wise based on how you expect to use it.

        We also have a million somewhat redundant baby containers- pack and play (used as downstairs diaper changing station), rock n play bassinet, rock n play sleeper, cosleeper, crib, bouncy seat and swing. Some were hand-me-downs/gifts, some we bought. Honestly, if you have the space, it’s not a bad problem to have. You don’t know what will work and babies change so much that what works one week might not work as well the next, so it is awesome to have the flexibility/space to try different things, assuming you don’t mind your house looking at first glance like a Babies R Us. Case in point- unlike lkl above, we get so much use out of bouncy seat (it’s just a $20-30 basic one, not one of the fancier versions) and the play mat. Baby slept in cosleeper for 2+ months when he just came home from hospital. He sleeps in rock n play bassinet now because he is so damn active in his sleep that he sleeps better in something that cradles him. We are transitioning him to the crib now for naptimes. The only thing I didn’t use much was the rock n play bassinet, which I still use to toss him in while I get ready in the morning because he likes that he can kick and rock it back and forth and bat at the mirror. We don’t use the swing much either. We also have an indian baby hammock type of thing that we don’t use much either because baby just didn’t take to it. Yes, I live in a baby sleep device museum.

    • MSJ says

      Yes, can totally use woven wrap from the start. There is just a sharper learning curve Vs stretchy wraps. We then supplemented it later on with a framed backpack which we use all the time.

    • POSITA says

      For so much of this stuff it’s not something that the baby needs, it’s for your convenience.

      IMO, if your husband really wants a wrap so that he can snuggle and wear the baby, I’d go for it. My husband loved using our Moby because he felt so close the the baby. Bonding with dad is so important. When my dad visited (a classic hands-off dad to me growing up), he tried the Moby with our newborn and he love cuddling and felt super special to be wearing the baby all by himself. I’m sure the K’Tan could create the same effect, if that’s his preference.

      At the same time, if you want a wrap, I also wouldn’t hold out. They are little for such a short time, it is nice to snuggle them close while giving your arms a break. You certainly don’t “need” a wrap, but if you can afford it and would use it, there is no reason to deny yourself on principle. Look for secondhand options–there are some good deals on local listserves.

      • OP says

        I’m encouraged by all the people who say that the same size K’tan fit both parents. My husband and I are both tall and he’s all shoulders while I’m (currently) all… um… chest…

        Thanks for making me feel like I’m not some bizarre baby stuff hoarder- and we certainly do have the space and are very lucky that cost of carrier isn’t really an issue. I think I will just go with the plan of getting a K’tan which will hopefully fit both of us, as well as getting a woven wrap which I’m going to accept will have a steeper learning curve but will also have a longer shelf/useful life.

        • lkl says

          You’ll be able to tell if the K’tan is too big for one of you — my mom tried to use ours and she was just swimming in. And as someone above said, my husband looooves cuddling the baby in the K’tan. It’s just so snuggly.

    • Anonymous says

      I might be too late, but if you are willing to learn how to use a woven wrap, they are the most flexible baby carrier out there. I have used a woven from 2 days old to 2+ years. My husband doesn’t wrap, but we could easily use the same wrap. Best of all, in my mind, wovens are snuggly but so supportive. I highly recommend them. You can teach yourself the basics with some YouTube videos. Practice with a stuffed animal first!

  11. K. says

    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.

  12. JMDS says

    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!

    • MDMom says

      How far along are you? If you aren’t showing much, this might work well. But otherwise I think the shape of this dress will make you look bigger/wider. It’s the short loose skirt that concerns me. Seems likely to give you a tent-shape. But you are quite a bit taller than me, so if you have long legs it might not have the same short and wide effect that I’m thinking of. Impossible to say more without seeing dress or you in person!

      • JMDS says

        34 weeks, so I’m showing, hah. I am a terrible online shopper, I can never tell what will look good. I think it might be back to the drawing board.

        Any recommendations for wedding dresses at this point in a pregnancy?

        • RDC says

          I found nice options on figure 8 maternity, and they have free returns so you can try a few.

        • B says

          My favorite, most-worn dress this pregnancy was from Loft maternity. It looks like “my” dress isn’t in stock anymore, but they have a few other options and I think the sizing should be good for you at 5’7″ (I’m 5’5″ and I’m always just slightly too short for their regular sizes but too tall for their petites).

        • Clementine says

          So, I was in this same situation of looking for a dress to wear to a wedding while pregnant and bought a dress off ASOS I was SURE would look great. It didn’t work well. It added 20+ pounds and just didn’t work…

          I decided to end up wearing a black stretchy sheath dress with 3/4 sleeves (it’s from Seraphine) which is just in general my favorite maternity dress. I’m wearing it with fancy shoes and doing my hair nicely and wearing dressy jewelry and ya know what? I look great and perfectly dressed up.

          Here is the dress I have: http://www.seraphine.com/us/black-maternity-dress.html

      • JEB says

        I found that dresses like this made me look like a tent. I’m similarly sized, and I thought that fitted maternity clothes were much more flattering, since they still gave me some shape. I agree with someone who mentioned a fitted stretchy sheath. You could get something like that in black (even just from Old Navy or Target) and dress it up with jewelry and shoes. You’d get a lot of wear out of it for other occasions as well.

    • JMDS says

      Thanks ladies. I have the Isabel & Ingrid shirred tank dress in black, and I think I may just make do with that and buy myself some new colorful jewelry.

      The ASOS stuff looks so cute, but I think you are right that it is not going to be flattering.

  13. Onlyworkingmomintulsa says

    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?

    • mascot says

      I think those are going to be a tall order. At 6 months, we didn’t really use more than crib shoes or maybe those white hightop leather walkers for Santa pics. Maybe try Amazon or the fancy baby boutiques?

    • Babyweight says

      Looking for super traditional kids clothes? Boutiques in the south tend to be my go-to for this kind of stuff.

      http://littlemonkeytoes.com/infantshoes.aspx has what you’re looking for, I think. It’s a Mobile, Alabama boutique. And Mobile is probably the last bastion of traditional conservative men’s footwear. (Think white Bucks Easter through Labor Day.)

      My daughter wears traditional MJs a ton. Primigi (on Amazon) is great, as is Elephantito (also on Amazon).

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