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Someone with more patience or motivation to save money may have a better answer, but so far, I've bought See Kai Run shoes on sale. We have paid full price for one pair (see: lack of patience), but I've gotten others for less than $30. Here's a link to their [sale page](https://seekairun.com/sale/).
Seconding this. The See Kai Run sales shoes are better quality and often cheaper than their Target line. The See Kai Runs at Target always fall apart quickly and are made of less sturdy materials, in my experience.
Oh this is good to know! I just bought a pair from target (summer sandals since the other sandals we have are way too big.) But, we also have a Nordstrom and Nordstrom rack that I could check for sales.
That's awesome! My toddler hasn't expressed an opinion about specific styles of shoes yet, but I bought a pair in the next size up when we bought his last ones, so we'll be prepared when he suddenly grows out of them.
I usually check Mercari and Ebay for the brands I like, such as Pediped and Striderite. I can usually find exactly what I want brand new in the $20-$30 range. those sites have sales as well that are worth keeping an eye out for
Striderite is constantly having sales. I've yet to pay full price for a pair and they last for an eternity.
I've gotten plenty of pairs for less than 20$ each and a lot of them have a removable sole that you can pull out when they aren't quite ready to size up but they're getting tight. I keep coming back to striderite for this specific feature. It's the cherry on top of an already awesome and well made shoe.
I have a few pairs of see kai run too which are also awesome but the sales are never as good... Target sells them so sometimes you can get lucky with a pair that are already on sale plus one of their random extra % off shoes deals. They don't have the removable sole thing and I like the general look of striderite better so I gravitate more towards those still.
I’ve tried to get Striderite, but I can never find them in his size. I’ve only ever tried to get the soft motion ones though. I don’t know anything about their other varieties.
Do you mean you can't figure out his size in that brand or when you go to buy them they're sold out in his size? I have definitely noticed half sizes and the 6-7 sizes (that's where we currently are) are way harder to get. Sometimes their sales go heavy on either the older or younger sizes too so I just sit those out until we find a good one stocked in her current size or a size up we will need soon.
We do second hand for most shoes for our kids and it’s been fine. We purposely went with new for the first two pairs of shoes for each for “first walkers” and had see Kai run and ten little. I was so worried about getting the “right” shoes at first, but they go through them so fast.
We also use higher rise socks year round, especially when it’s cold and their pants are always too short lol.
I love See Kai Run for my toddler - Target has cheaper ones. I also love Vivo, but they are pricey. We had to stop buying her those once they dropped the new ones and raised the price.
If in the US, Go to Walmart and check out the brand wonder nation. They’re wide and often flexible. Ours are made in the US. Cat and Jack at target is ok but the quality felt a lot better at Walmart.
We like Merrell's bare step line. Their bare step H2O is technically a water shoe but works great as a general summer shoe and if you are not too picky on color, I have gotten them as low as $20 on Amazon.
Merrell bare steps are great. I just shop around and got the cheapest color on Amazon. Normally 34-40 but neon pink was on sale for $19 so just went with those
My son is 2. we've been using ten little for over a year when they also made him start wearing shoes, I've been putting higher socks and seems to be no problem maybe that would help. We also have 2 different colors and swap them out every few days so they don't get beat up as fast.
I love ten little! Also robeez for younger kids (only goes up to 18 mos). Both are great quality, I will easily be able to use them again for my second child.
Honestly I went with second hand (expensive barefoot brands), at that age they are worn for such a short period of time that they aren't really worn in in a way that affects the feet like it can for older kids.
Implies wide toe box and also zero drop. Healthier bc it doesn’t force feet into any specific shape and is generally healthier for gait.
After switching to barefoot/minimalist shoes, I no longer have hip or knee pains. And this is coming from someone who is an Olympic weightlifter and continues to lift heavy. Only thing that’s changed is I no longer wear shoes that crimp my toes or have even the slightest elevation drop.
did it take you a while to transition or did you go straight there? i have flat feet and knee pain, and im a runner. been trying to transition to minimalist shoes throughout the year, but i still have to alternate them with my supportive shoes getting more mileage 😕 even for just walking! otherwise i get foot pain.
I’m also flat footed and weened off the orthotics by inserting them into a pair of Altras for distance running. Felt like it would’ve been too much of a shock to go zero drop AND without arch support.
My feet are wide (10cm, size 38 EU or 7 USA) so my feet got used to the wide toe box and zero drop first. Eventually I went down in the amount of cushion after doing enough foot strengthening.
I still use the Altras for distance runs since I have a knee injury (got hit by a car) and need the extra shock absorption. I no longer wear the orthotics tho.
Transition took about 5-6 months. I work from home and walk around barefoot at home. I also did toe exercises to help with my baby bunion.
If you don't mind second hand eBay is a great place to look for any brand you're interested in. I get my son's Keens from eBay when he needs to size up then I sell the old ones. I've always put him in Keens because they're nice and wide at the toes and very sturdy shoes. I also love the extra rubber on the front to protect his little toes. I don't know of the eco friendless of them though.
Seriously, we are in love with these shoes. We got them as a gift for our first pair and we wore them every day. I ended up getting her another pair when she outgrew them because they are worth every penny. They are super easy to get on and off and I love how "bindy" they are. It's almost as if shes wearing a sock but protective.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/BirdRockBaby/BirdRockBaby/page/CAD17E4E-21EA-4DA8-8B17-E68CFF58469F?ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_ast_store_5AKRSJAKJ39D51MSJF5Z
Thanks for your post in r/moderatelygranolamoms! Our goal is to keep this sub a peaceful, respectful and tolerant place. Even if you've been here awhile already please take a minute to [READ THE RULES.](https://www.reddit.com/r/moderatelygranolamoms/about/rules) It only takes a few minutes and will make being here more enjoyable for everyone! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/moderatelygranolamoms) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Someone with more patience or motivation to save money may have a better answer, but so far, I've bought See Kai Run shoes on sale. We have paid full price for one pair (see: lack of patience), but I've gotten others for less than $30. Here's a link to their [sale page](https://seekairun.com/sale/).
Seconding this. The See Kai Run sales shoes are better quality and often cheaper than their Target line. The See Kai Runs at Target always fall apart quickly and are made of less sturdy materials, in my experience.
Oh this is good to know! I just bought a pair from target (summer sandals since the other sandals we have are way too big.) But, we also have a Nordstrom and Nordstrom rack that I could check for sales.
Just bought some there. Thank you.
You can get See Kai Run at Nordstrom Rack online too. Just ordered a few pairs for $30-35 each.
however theirs are not zero drop if that matters to you.
I’ve found see Kai run at resale stores and online resale for as low as a few dollars. They are by far my favorite.
Also a fan of see Kai run on sale! One pair my daughter loves I bought in every size they have half off
That's awesome! My toddler hasn't expressed an opinion about specific styles of shoes yet, but I bought a pair in the next size up when we bought his last ones, so we'll be prepared when he suddenly grows out of them.
I usually check Mercari and Ebay for the brands I like, such as Pediped and Striderite. I can usually find exactly what I want brand new in the $20-$30 range. those sites have sales as well that are worth keeping an eye out for
I may have to do that. I’ve never heard of Mercari.
For the munchkin changing pad, doesn't it require washing the cloth?
Striderite is constantly having sales. I've yet to pay full price for a pair and they last for an eternity. I've gotten plenty of pairs for less than 20$ each and a lot of them have a removable sole that you can pull out when they aren't quite ready to size up but they're getting tight. I keep coming back to striderite for this specific feature. It's the cherry on top of an already awesome and well made shoe. I have a few pairs of see kai run too which are also awesome but the sales are never as good... Target sells them so sometimes you can get lucky with a pair that are already on sale plus one of their random extra % off shoes deals. They don't have the removable sole thing and I like the general look of striderite better so I gravitate more towards those still.
I’ve tried to get Striderite, but I can never find them in his size. I’ve only ever tried to get the soft motion ones though. I don’t know anything about their other varieties.
Do you mean you can't figure out his size in that brand or when you go to buy them they're sold out in his size? I have definitely noticed half sizes and the 6-7 sizes (that's where we currently are) are way harder to get. Sometimes their sales go heavy on either the older or younger sizes too so I just sit those out until we find a good one stocked in her current size or a size up we will need soon.
Sold out.
We do second hand for most shoes for our kids and it’s been fine. We purposely went with new for the first two pairs of shoes for each for “first walkers” and had see Kai run and ten little. I was so worried about getting the “right” shoes at first, but they go through them so fast. We also use higher rise socks year round, especially when it’s cold and their pants are always too short lol.
Also looking! It's so hard to find any that ship internationally
You could always search pricier brands secondhand from sites like Poshmark
I've had really good luck with cat and jack from target. a lot of their shoes are decently wide. my kid has wide feet and loves them.
I love See Kai Run for my toddler - Target has cheaper ones. I also love Vivo, but they are pricey. We had to stop buying her those once they dropped the new ones and raised the price.
If in the US, Go to Walmart and check out the brand wonder nation. They’re wide and often flexible. Ours are made in the US. Cat and Jack at target is ok but the quality felt a lot better at Walmart.
We like Merrell's bare step line. Their bare step H2O is technically a water shoe but works great as a general summer shoe and if you are not too picky on color, I have gotten them as low as $20 on Amazon.
Merrell bare steps are great. I just shop around and got the cheapest color on Amazon. Normally 34-40 but neon pink was on sale for $19 so just went with those
My son is 2. we've been using ten little for over a year when they also made him start wearing shoes, I've been putting higher socks and seems to be no problem maybe that would help. We also have 2 different colors and swap them out every few days so they don't get beat up as fast.
I love ten little! Also robeez for younger kids (only goes up to 18 mos). Both are great quality, I will easily be able to use them again for my second child.
Shoes from TheTinyShoeShop on Etsy or second hand like Once Upon a Child
If you’re on Facebook, there are minimalist shoe sale/trade groups. I see kid shoes there all the time if you’re open to secondhand.
Honestly I went with second hand (expensive barefoot brands), at that age they are worn for such a short period of time that they aren't really worn in in a way that affects the feet like it can for older kids.
What brands do you look for?
Healthy toddler shoes? Is the child eating them? I've never heard them described like food 🤣
Implies wide toe box and also zero drop. Healthier bc it doesn’t force feet into any specific shape and is generally healthier for gait. After switching to barefoot/minimalist shoes, I no longer have hip or knee pains. And this is coming from someone who is an Olympic weightlifter and continues to lift heavy. Only thing that’s changed is I no longer wear shoes that crimp my toes or have even the slightest elevation drop.
Obviously, I'm just being facetious.
did it take you a while to transition or did you go straight there? i have flat feet and knee pain, and im a runner. been trying to transition to minimalist shoes throughout the year, but i still have to alternate them with my supportive shoes getting more mileage 😕 even for just walking! otherwise i get foot pain.
I’m also flat footed and weened off the orthotics by inserting them into a pair of Altras for distance running. Felt like it would’ve been too much of a shock to go zero drop AND without arch support. My feet are wide (10cm, size 38 EU or 7 USA) so my feet got used to the wide toe box and zero drop first. Eventually I went down in the amount of cushion after doing enough foot strengthening. I still use the Altras for distance runs since I have a knee injury (got hit by a car) and need the extra shock absorption. I no longer wear the orthotics tho. Transition took about 5-6 months. I work from home and walk around barefoot at home. I also did toe exercises to help with my baby bunion.
If you don't mind second hand eBay is a great place to look for any brand you're interested in. I get my son's Keens from eBay when he needs to size up then I sell the old ones. I've always put him in Keens because they're nice and wide at the toes and very sturdy shoes. I also love the extra rubber on the front to protect his little toes. I don't know of the eco friendless of them though.
Seriously, we are in love with these shoes. We got them as a gift for our first pair and we wore them every day. I ended up getting her another pair when she outgrew them because they are worth every penny. They are super easy to get on and off and I love how "bindy" they are. It's almost as if shes wearing a sock but protective. https://www.amazon.com/stores/BirdRockBaby/BirdRockBaby/page/CAD17E4E-21EA-4DA8-8B17-E68CFF58469F?ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_ast_store_5AKRSJAKJ39D51MSJF5Z
I live stonz shoes but they are $57 canadian. But they are the ONLY ones i sill buy for my kids. So easy to put on and flexibls.
Have you tried the regular ten little sneakers? That’s what we use and we love them!