A Kids Shoe Christmas Wish List

This year, interestingly, each of my girls put on their Christmas list letters to Father Christmas a pair of shoes.  For Lara she has asked for a pair of black patent lace up boots and for Holly, a pair of pink sparkly slip-on shoes.  Just to complete the set, even I've put a pair of shoes on my list...all be it running shoes!

Because we've all gone a little bit shoe crazy, I've been putting together a Christmas list of shoe ideas for the girls and here are my top 6 ideas of fun, show-stopping shoes that my girls would love to receive as gifts this festive season.

1.  Number one on both girl's lists is a pair of black lace up patents boots.  Paired with a brightly coloured set of shoe laces, these are all the rage at school at present.  I found a bargain pair at Shoezone for just £12.99 so I wouldn't mind risking the inevitable scuffs at this price.

2.  Next up is a pair of Heely roller skate shoes.  I haven't seen anyone wearing these for a couple of years but Lara really fancies a pair.

3.  Sparkly slip-on pumps.  Ballerina pumps regularly feature in ranges of kids shoes these days and they look so tempting as they are easy to slip on and off; I'm sure that they are highly impractical for a 3 year old but they make a perfect combination with a party dress.

4.  A pair of Nike junior running shoes.  Both of my girls want to run like Mummy and I've learned that even little people, if they want to run and avoid injury, need a specialist pair of running shoes.

5.  Holly saw these Gruffalo slippers while I was browsing online for something totally different.  Neither of my girls normally wear's slippers so these would be a bit of a novelty.  Actually... I think I may need a pair of these.

6.  Frozen snow boots.  We first bought snow boots for Holly his time last year and, despite having not seen a flake of snow all year, I've been surprised at how much she managed to wear the boots so I'm not afraid to buy a her a new pair this winter and how could anyone resist a pair of Frozen now boots?  I found these ones at Brantano.

Summer Crocs We Love

This weekend we've been camping.  A new experience for all of us.  The girls have spent the entire weekend in their Crocs as they're so flexible for easy play, comfy evenings and fast turnaround when you have to take a late-night trip to the facilities!

The girls were sent a pair of Crocs from the summer range of children's Crocs, designed to help you #FindYourFun this summer.

Holly's Crocs are a pair of Girls Creative Frozen Clogs with a solid panel over the top of the foot showing her two favourite heroines, Anna and Elsa!  There are sparkly snowflakes and lettering across the foot and on the foot strap.  Holly was speechless when she first saw them and has worn her Crocs more or less non-stop each weekend as they're sturdy enough to be suitable for almost anything we throw at them during a normal weekend!  On our camping trip, they were so easy for Holly to slip on and off whenever she went in and out of the tent.  She was equally happy climbing trees in them as she was racing off across the fields.

Frozen is just one of the children's themes you'll find on Crocs this summer, look out for Minions, Star Wars, Turtles and Hello Kitty.  The Frozen clogs are available from an infant size 4, through to a junior size 1.

Lara's Crocs are a thing of beauty.  And, once again, Lara would quite happily live in these if she were allowed to wear them to school!  The brightly coloured butterly and heart design isn't the only feature of these traditional Crocs that appeals to Lara - they light up as well!  These are CrocsLights.

CrocsLights clogs are available in a number of bright children's designs and they feature a series of LEDs around the butterfly design which light up as you walk.  I had thought that our light-up shoe days were behind us and was surprised to see that CrocsLights were available in larger children's sizes (they are available from size 8, upto a junior 3).  To be very honest, I think both Lara and I have been far more impressed with the design of the shoes than with the lights!  On most sunny days you can't even notice the lights but during our camping trip, as the light dipped you could see the lightning flash of LEDs travel around the band on the shoes as she ran across the field.

These CrocsLight butterfly clogs are a beautiful, comfortable shoe that is light and flexible and perfect for summer days, holidays and... I can now confirm... camping trips!

The CrocsLight butterfly clogs cost £34.99 and the Creative Frozen Clogs cost £26.99 are are available from crocs.co.uk

Start-Rite Shoes - a School Shoe Update!

4 weeks into term and I thought I would update you on how Lara's Start-Rite Shoes are coming on.

Firstly, as suspected, Lara refused to wear her shoes for the whole of the first week of term.  This is not unusual for Lara who is VERY fussy when it comes to shoes, clothes and underwear!  I think Lara was a bit wary of the squishy heart under her sole as she had never felt anything like it but after convincing her to try the shoes one morning on the walk to school, she realised that it was actually incredibly comfortable and was an instant convert!

So, the school shoes have been worn every day for three school weeks. There has been hopscotch, skipping and a new found passion for walking to school with Daddy.  Lara loves these shoes now.

Week one

Week two

Week three

The shoes are coping well.  There is a bit of wear on the very tips of the toes which makes me think I may need to polish them some time soon (not something I'm in the habit of!!!).  We have also already had a shoe casualty with one of the little shoe charms having sheered off; Lara saved the charm in her book bag but it wasn't recoverable so I'm going to have to find her another charm to clip into the side of that shoe.  There are a couple of loose threads but the shoe structure is sound and the shoes still look smart, with no unsightly creases in the leather.

You can find out more about fitted shoes and foot measuring from Start-rite on facebook and twitter.

Playtoes Pram Shoes Review and Competition Winner

Yesterday my tiny little niece took her first ever flight.  11 hours.  Ug.  Thankfully, she had a pair of these very fun, bright pram shoes by Playtoes to keep her entertained on the flight.

Playtoes asked us to be some of the first to try out these wonderful fun shoes and I volunteered by 5 month old niece to be a tester.  The Playtoes butterfly shoes arrived in a very groovy presentation pack and made a wonderful gift.

Playtoes are currently available in either a blue bumblee design or these pink butterfly design shoes.  The shoes themselves are a very soft pram shoe designed for pre-walkers from 3 months upwards to keep feet warm and protected when you are out and about.  But Playtoes are so much more than just shoes...

The shoes are designed to stimulate your baby's senses and at 5 months old, my niece is just at the age when she will discover her feet.  This is a time for exploring sounds and textures.  The Playtoes shoes have lots of different textures such as soft, leathery, crinkly, smooth. The shoes have rattly bits and crinkly scrunchy bits.  The butterflies are attached with velcro and are designed to encourage your baby to pull them and tweak them as they discover their feet.  Reaching down and exploring those feet is great exercise for small muscles that are just starting to learn to work hard!

I love the attention to detail - especially the cute embroidery at the back of the heel.  And I think the shiny toes and high-contrast black and white soles are both strokes of genius which I know will attract a baby's attention.  And it is nice to know that, with all the excitement going on outside the shoes, that the inside hasn't been neglected - the lining is a really soft cotton.  I really hope that the Playtoes pram shoes provide enough entertainment during that long, long flight!

Playtoes cost £22 and are available direct or through amazon.

A couple of weeks ago I ran a competition to win your own pair of Playtoes pram shoes - the winner was Catherine Miller.  You can keep uptodate with Playtoes on the Playtoes Facebook Page or follow Playtoes on Twitter .

JD Sports Kids and Infant Trainers Review

I have felt a bit sorry for Holly when it comes to shoes - Lara wore her shoes for such short periods of time that they all became hand-me-downs for Holly to wear so we were very excited to be approached by JD Sports to review a pair of their infant trainers; It makes a change for Holly to have a pair of shoes all of her own!

The other thing I have really noticed as a second-time mummy is that I am a lot more mellow about measuring Holly's feet. With Lara, I used to rush to the shops strictly every 4 weeks to get her feet measured but with Holly it tends to be more of a gut feeling when she is ready for a new pair of shoes. This is probably bad of me because I know how delicate little bones are but it is partly a reflection of how much more in tune with tiny feet I am now than I was before.

I chose Holly these Nike Rift Infants Trainers because they looked like they would fit like a glove - and they do. These Nike trainers are quite unlike anything else I've seen. They have a firm toe area and sides but the foot is actually held in place across the top and back by a stretchy fabric which can stretch to exactly fit your child's foot. The end of these Nike infant trainers has a harder toe area to protect against scraping.

I am a big fan of easy-fasten shoes for children (buckles and laces seem so impractical at this age) and these Rift trainers have a Velcro-style fastening across the top and across the back to allow you to get them tightened up just right. At first I think I was making them a bit too tight for Holly's feet as I could see marks on her feet after she had taken them off. Now though, I'm finding them perfect because I can get them just right.

Holly is going through the stage of removing her shoes at EVERY opportunity.  I remember Lara going through this stage so I know it is short-lived but my goodness, it's frustrating!  When Holly isn't sitting down in her buggy or car seat she forgets about shoe removal and runs... she runs and runs.  Hours before writing this blog post I witnessed Holly run the full length of a superstore about 8 times while wearing her new Nike trainers and I struggled to keep up.  I've a funny feeling Holly may run for Britain when she is older. 

The Nike Rift is available in this white and fuschia pink design or in white and grey - I think the design of shoe would suit a girl or a boy.  They are available in infant sizes 4.5 to 9.5 and cost £25.  This is cheaper than many of the trainers I nought on the high street for Lara when she is younger so I think JD sports offer very good value for the quality of their infant trainers.

Barratts Shoes Review

Now that Lara seems to have settled well at school it is time to pick myself up and think about me again for a bit. And Barratts must be on the same wavelength because they asked me to take a look at some of their new arrivals to see if there was anything that would make the school run a little more glam.

Now, if you've met me recently you will know that glamourous isn't really where I'm at on a normal working day.  Practical yes, Glamourous.... well... the less said about that the better.  But that doesn't mean I can't do smart, does it?

I have a whole host of events planned in the coming months so when I browsed the range of women's shoes on www.barratts.co.uk I knew it would make sense to chose a pair of smart shoes that could see me through the winter.  These Natures Own Patent Toe Cap Court Shoes are like the little black dress of shoes!  Simple yet timeless and I can picture them working with Christmas party dresses just as well as they would with my work trousers.  They have a gentle heel which suits me well and the main fabric is a suede effect which contrasts well with the shiny patent toe cap.  At £28 I was really impressed with the quality of these shoes.

I also chose these very lady like wellies for the girls.  In our house wellies are almost always gungey green but these Butterfly Print Rubber Wellington Boots (£10) for little girls are traditionally shaped but with a fun butterfly design in dark pink and blue.  The wellies are available in children's sizes from 10 all the way upto junior/ladies size 5.

I was really surprised by the range of welly boots for children and adults alike on the Barratts website - even for adults there are around 50 different designs and styles.  Who knew wellies could be so much fun???  These wellies are certainly a long way off the quality levels of a pair of Hunters boots but then they are also a long way off the price tag! They aren't as rigid as I would hope for from a pair of wellies and the colouring around the point where the sole joins the boot is a bit messy but I still think they are good value for money.

You can find out more about the affordable range of shoes for all the family on the Barratts Facebook Page.

Sports Shoes - Getting Lara Active

Lara is about to start school.  I like to think that Lara's local council-run, church-supported primary school is a little different from many others in that they really encourage use of their outdoor space and a LOT of their everyday learning is done outside in the grounds of the school where possible.

To me, this is a wonderful opportunity for Lara.  Lara is a very bright girl and will quite happily sit and read, write or draw for hours but she does take a bit of encouraging when it comes to getting active.  The silly thing is that if you can tempt her out of the house, away from the television or the dining room table (where she does lots of her crafting and writing) then she absolutely loves it!

Mind you, she will moan.  While we were away on holiday in Cornwall recently we did try to get out and about in the fresh air every day.  One day we walked with both girls to the top of Carn Brea, the most westerley hill in England (with some truely stunning views of Lands End, the Isles of Scilly and the whole of the Penwith penninsula).  Lara more or less ran all the way to the top of the hill.  She enjoyed the invigorating climb and the wind rushing through her hair but when we reached the top, the first thing she asked was when she could go back to the cottage!  Sigh.

Thankfully Lara did spend much of her time at the cottage playing tennis with her Auntie and Uncle!  I think she just needs a little encouragement to get active and I'm hoping that her new school will inspire her.

A year on from the incredible Olympics 2012, SportsShoes are trying to find out whether Britain's success in the Olympics is still inspiring our younger generation. Back then, the government promised to support the Olympic legacy and invest £100 million into primary school sports. While I think that Lara's school are good at encouraging getting outdoors, I've not heard much about their PE lessons. The school received a payment from the government this summer so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they spend it on encouraging the children to get physically active.

One of my new year's resolutions (you may remember?) was to get out and about with the girls at least once a week. In general, I think we've kept this promise for all but two weeks of the year. As a special treat for her start at school, SportsShoes sent Lara this pair of adidas junior response running shoes from their junior sports shoes range to give her that added incentive.

Lara loves them and I think she got the message - at our local park she ran pretty much 1000m the full length of the park and back again on the first day that she had the trainers. SportShoes sell proper sports kit for children rather than just mildly sporty stuff with characters on it! These are Lara's first real sports shoes (and also her first lace up shoes... eek) and I think she has taken them quite seriously! So there, one way to encourage your children to get active is to get them a pair of shoes for the job and the excitement will inspire them!

Holly's First Shoes

Holly is walking confidently now all around the house and at nursery and so we decided that it was time for her first pair of shoes. I had been hoping to put off the purchase of her first pair of shoes for as long as possible as I know that tiny feet are better left shoe-less to allow their foot bones to develop properly but the fact is that Holly, at 10 and a half months, wants to be walking everywhere.

Around the house we usually leave Holly barefoot and if we are going somewhere in the buggy, or visiting somewhere indoors and I want to keep her feet warm and protected then I put her in a pair of soft-soled shoes. But out and about, I felt she needed a pair of smart shoes to wear.

We took Holly to our local Clarks store first thing on a Saturday morning (to avoid the rush!) and let the girls loose. Holly had her feet measured; they were ever so slightly smaller than Lara's first shoes were but then Lara was 14 months old by then). Holly found the whole experience fascinating; she tightened her toes when the shoes went on which made it very hard to fasten them. Then she chased her big sister around the store.

You can tell from her smile that she was having fun.

Holly came away with a personalised height chart too!

Clarks Autumn / Winter Children's Shoes Review

Clarks' Autumn and Winter range of children's shoes are now out and, every evening when I drive past our local Clarks store, and every lunchtime when I wander past, my eyes get caught by their scrumptious range of winter boots for little girls and boys.

Clarks very kindly sent Lara a voucher so that she could buy a pair of clarks kids shoes from the new autumn/winter range. Shoe shopping on a busy saturday afternoon is my idea of a nightmare; there is simply no way I could ever work in a shoe shop and remain civil during the saturday rush but the staff in our local Clarks in Wokingham were impeccable and remained calm and helpful throughout the whole experience.



I really really wanted Lara to have a pair of warm, snuggly boots. We tried these gorgeous brown roll-top boots and these funky blue suede ones. In fact, Lara tried on about 8 different pairs of boots and seemed to be in her element. However, I think we have come to the conclusion that Lara has inherited legs the same shape as her mother and will therefore never be able to fit into boots without restricting her blood supply.



This didn't deter the cheerful staff who could have brought Lara boxes of shoes to try on all day! Thankfully, the Clarks autumn/winter range offers a lot more than just boots. For girls there are a range of pumps in sparkly colours and for boys there is a wide range of leather shoes.

We chose Lara a pair of purple nubuck leather shoes from their Bugglies range. They have a cute butterfly motif and embroidery and the simple velcro fastening keeps them tight on her feet and is easy enough that she can put her own shoes on now. As a bonus (for her, not me) Lara's new shoes came with a sheet of bugglies stickers!



We consistently go back to Clarks for Lara's shoes. Not just because of the modern range (and patient staff in our local branch) but because we know their shoes have been designed specifically for tiny feet and they are shaped to help support the bones in the feet during the delicate growing stages. I have on two occasions bought shoes for Lara by mail order (something Clarks won't even let you do for such young children) and have been disappointed by the support they offer and the comfort and fit. At Clarks, I know that even if I order online, Lara's shoes will be professionally fitted to her in store.

I think that the next pair of shoes on our shopping list is going to be a pair of snuggly winter slippers for Lara.

The Sunday Review – Crocs Chameleons Colour-Changing Shoes

These Crocs Chameleons are quite possibly the coolest thing Lara has ever been asked to review!

Crocs Chameleons are new this summer – they change colour in the sunshine. When exposed to UV rays the shoes change from one relatively pale colour to a different, brighter colour. Lara's bright yellow Crocs change from yellow to a deep bluey green.

The Crocs Chameleons turn heads. Lara gets loads of comments from people she meets, and when they see the magic trick take place in front of their eyes, most people are in awe! It only takes a couple of seconds for the transformation to take place.



I'm not convinced that Lara has quite grasped the wonder of her Crocs. She calls them her “yellow shoes” and every time we go outside and the colour changes, I point it out to her and she shrugs and carries on with whatever she was doing. Oh well.... I'm impressed, even if she isn't.

Crocs Chameleons are a limited edition and are available in both their traditional-shaped translucent clogs, and in their Shirley sandal. Crocs Chameleons start from a UK size 4 (teeny tiny, Lara's feet were never that small!) and go all the way up to a junior size 3. They cost from £34.95.

The Sunday Review - Clarks Pram Shoes

Image courtesy of Clarks

One of my team of mummy & daddy reviewers became a Dad for the second time a few weeks ago. His gorgeous little boy seemed like the ideal person to review the new Pram Shoes from Clarks

Clarks are well known for their First Shoes range for crawlers, cruisers and little walkers but until now, if you had turned up in a Clarks store with tiny weenie feet you'd have been turned away because real, rigid shoes are not good things for small, growing feet. Clarks have just launched a new range of soft, flexible Pram Shoes to buy online that ARE designed for tiny feet – to keep them warm and protected when your baby is out and about in the pushchair.

Both myself, and my Daddy reviewer, Ignacio liked the shoes. They're very soft and squidgy so there is no guilt associated with putting tiny feet into cramped shoes. Unlike any other leather pre-shoe I've seen, the Clarks pram shoes are held onto the feet using a very small elasticated draw-string toggle instead of the more common fixed elastic around the ankle. This is a great feature because it means that the shoes can be tailored to your own child's feet – you can tighten the draw string a little for really tiny feet, or loosen it as they grow bigger.

The Clarks pram shoes come in a range of colours and all feature a small, subtle emboridered design on the front. You can buy them in sizes for 0-3 months, 3-6 months or 6-9 months. Ignacio found the 0-3 month shoes to be a bit big for his newborn baby, even at their tightest fitting but that means that there is plenty of room for tiny toes to wiggle and that there will be several months use out of them yet.

The pram shoes come in a smart presentation box that allows you to see in to the contents inside. They would make a gorgeous gift for a newborn.

Clarks still believe that barefoot is best, but when you're out and about, you may just want the little extra protection and comfort that a pair of leather shoes offers.

The Sunday Review – Inch Blue Shoes

Lara has been spoilt with a couple of pairs of the gorgeous leather shoes made by Inch Blue.

Lara has been wearing what I would term 'real' shoes for several months now. Before she walked, Lara wore soft leather shoes if we were going out somewhere where I felt she would need to keep warm, or where I knew she would be scrabbling around on the floor. Even now, I try to keep her in soft shoes such as Inch Blue's as much as possible as they allow her feet more freedom and don't restrict growth.

Inch Blue is a welsh family business who make handmade shoes for babies of an incredibly high quality. When I compare Lara's Inch Blue shoes with the cheap equivalent we bought from ebay in the spring, I am astonished at the differences. The Inch Blue leather is soft and thick – comfortable and supportive rather than just a flimsy wrap around the feet. The Inch Blue colour has lasted Lara's wear and tear unlike her old ones where the pattern flaked off within days of wearing them. The shape of the Inch Blue shoes is so much more exacting and more dainty – her old ones are very clown-like and not as beautifully tailored to the natural shape of the foot.

Inch Blue care about their materials, they care about their designs and they care about the environment – which is why their products start at around £17 for a pair of shoes and aren't found for pennies on ebay!

Lara has two pairs of the incredibly lady-like Mary-Jane shoes in pastel colours. We love them. When I chose them from the Inch Blue website I had a very had time deciding. They have a wide range of fun designs for girls and boys from 0-4 years old. Sadly, Lara can't have one of every pair – there just isn't enough room for that many shoes in our house!

Lara loves wearing the Inch blue leather shoes around the house to keep her toes warm. I think she particularly likes them because she is able to take them on and off herself – the small piece of elastic that holds them in place is that bit more manageable for her tiny fingers than buckles and velcro on her bigger, more formal shoes.

One of my favourite items on the Inch Blue site is the wintery Cwtch boots. Available in pink, blue and brown these little sheepskin boots are stylish, practical and lovingly handmade, hence the name 'Cwtch' which means 'hug'.

Go and take a look at the shoes on the Inch Blue website – I think you'll be surprised by the range! They have some wonderful festive shoes in stock now such as reindeer, snowflakes, robins and angels. They also have some beautiful gift sets that would make any new parent happy.

Lara's First Shoes - Another Mummy Milestone

Lara wears... a t-shirt dress by Green Baby

Another milestone in Lara's life. Her first real pair of shoes! Lara has been wearing slip-on shoes for some time now but I decided that now that she has been walking for a few weeks that it was time to get her measured professionally! We chose a quiet weekday afternoon and went to Clarks in Bracknell. The staff were lovely, polite and efficient. The shoes we chose weren't as expensive as I had expected but I won't be buying loads of pairs given that they advise you to come back in 6-8 weeks!

Lara loves shoes. They are one of her most favourite things! She could spend hours playing with shoes. A whole shop full of shoes was like heaven on earth for her! she kept pointing and saying "shoes" and then turning and pointing in a totally different direction and saying "shoes".

Within minutes of wearing her new shoes Lara's walking improved. These new, heavy shoes help her balance and give her confidence.

Lara is a big girl now!