Pros: Good quality leather, flexible construction for healthy foot development, soft sole allows SB to walk more "naturally," cute styles!
Cons: Suede sole is not waterproof, in-sole is not cushioned.
I bought SB this pair of soft-soled Robeez shoes as a pre-birthday present (view shoes on Robeez site). In case you're like me, a newbie to the wide world of pricey toddler shoes, here's a quick description. They're kind of like moccasins in that the whole shoe is made of soft leather (the sole is made of suede, to be exact), which makes them less restrictive on growing feet. Apparently, soft-soled shoes are better for pre- and beginner walkers than rigid shoes, because their flexibility allows for healthy foot development and proper walking. Toddlers grip the floor with their toes for balance when they first start walking, and the soft sole allows them to feel the floor, so it's the next best alternative to walking barefoot. The Robeez have a gathered ankle, so they don't slip off easily, and the suede sole seems to provide a pretty good grip on the floor (i.e., no slip-n-falls).
This information may be all well and good, but the question is how well do they work for SB.
SB has two pairs of shoes - these Robeez and a pair of Stride Rite sandals. SB has become a pretty proficient walker over the last month, but he still stumbles now and then, and I noticed that he does a lot less stumbling with the Robeez. He seems to have a more natural gait with them. I think it's because of the whole "feeling" the floor thing. They slip on pretty easily (except for when SB so conveniently curls his toes) and are roomy enough for his wide, chubby feet, which is a big plus. :) (SB is 12 months old, and I got the 12-18 months size for him.) Also, the leather is good quality. It doesn't hurt that they look very cute on his feet, too. :) Robeez actually offers a lot of cute shoe styles. Check out some sample girl styles and sample boy styles.
One thing to note is that the sole doesn't have any cushioning - it's just one layer of suede. This is good in that SB can feel the floor, as mentioned above, but bad in that it doesn't provide much support for walking over anything but smooth or semi-smooth terrain. I think the shoes are fine for walking over things like the wood chips on playgrounds, but probably not anything bumpier than that. Also, if the sole gets wet, the foot also gets wet pretty quickly - i.e., they're not made for toddling around after it rains. I also wonder if they would make SB's feet hot if he were walking on hot asphalt with them, though I have yet to check that out. [Note: Robeez just recently came out with a new line called Mini Shoez, still with soft soles but designed to look more like a "real shoe" as opposed to a moccasin. The soft soles in this line are water resistant, and the shoes have cushioned insoles. That solves the issues I mentioned above, but unfortunately, they seem to run smaller than the original Robeez. According to the Robeez site, this line comes in sizes up to 18 months, but the 12-18 months size is equivalent to US size 4.5-5, whereas the original Robeez 12-18 months size is equivalent to US size 5.5-6.5. Strange, no? Anyway, that rules out that option for SB.]
Overall, they are a thumbs up for SB, primarily because of their comfort points and the fact that they allow him to walk more naturally and don't constrict his feet. I should note that I mainly bought these shoes for SB to wear inside the home, though he does wear them outside on our patio on occasion. He primarily wears the Stride Rite sandals outside, because they have a sturdier rubber sole (though still flexible), which I thought he needed since he is now walking here, there, and everywhere, including over pebbly terrain.
Btw, Robeez now makes not only soft-soled shoes but also shoes with a flexible rubber sole, called Tredz, for intermediate walkers. I was originally going to get him a pair of those instead of the Stride Rite sandals, but I wanted to have him try them on first, since they are more structured shoes and his chunky feet may have trouble squeezing into them. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a store near me that carries them. That's one issue with a lot of these soft-soled/flexible-sole shoes. I realized after some web surfing that there are a bunch of brands that make these types of shoes (I listed some of the more popular ones below), but a lot of them are either sold online or at boutiques or other small retailers. If you live in a city like NYC, I'm sure it would be easy to locate a nearby store that carries the brand you want, but in my little FL town, not so easy. So if you're the type that wants a try-on before you buy, you may be out of luck. I originally was thinking about going for either Robeez Tredz or PediPeds or See Kai Run shoes, but I didn't want to take a chance on the size. In the process of hemming and hawing, I did a lot of web searching to see what's out there in the realm of soft-soled/flexible sole shoes, and here are some of the ones I found. If you're interested in these types of shoes, hopefully you'll have more luck finding a nearby retailer.
PediPeds:
A lot of moms seemed to be recommending this brand on the forums I visited, along with Robeez, but I was hesitant about them, because some moms mentioned that the leather (not suede) sole is not very skid resistant and can be slippery on smooth surfaces like tile or even wood floors. One mom mentioned that her toddler kept slipping in them when walking around the mall. Unlike the Robeez Soft Soles line, though, they have cushioned insoles, so they provide a bit more protection in that area. They also have a Flex line - shoes with flexible rubber soles like Robeez Tredz for more advanced walkers. Gotta say, though, that the boy styles are not as cute as the Robeez ones. Retail price of original Pedipeds: $32
See Kai Run:
Really cute styles, but they seem a bit pricier than Robeez or PediPeds. They have 3 lines: Smaller (their new line of soft-soled shoes with non-slip rubber pads), See Kai Run (shoes with flexible rubber soles for the intermediate walker), and Eleven (shoes with sturdier leather uppers for the more active toddler/kid). Retail price of Smaller (soft-soled shoe): $32
Preschoolians:
They have 4 levels of shoe wear - from "Crawlers" to "Adventure." They also have a Design Your Own shoe option where you can customize shoes using various style and color choices. Retail price of Crawler (soft-soled shoe): $29.95
Bobux: Similar styles to Robeez. Apparently, this is the "original" soft-soled shoe brand. Made in New Zealand, they are constructed of what they call Eco-leather, which is supposedly buttery soft. Like the other above brands, in addition to a soft-soled shoe, they have an intermediate and advanced walker shoe line. Retail price of original Bobux: $26.50
Ministar by Bobux: I just found out that Target carries a more inexpensive line by Bobux called Ministar. They are made of leather with suede soles just like the original Bobux, but I assume they are made of a lower quality leather given the price difference. Based on the reviews I've read on the Target website, most moms think they're great, but several complained that the suede soles wore out very quickly (one mom said they got holes after about a month) and that the colors faded or bled. Some said that the quality is poor compared to Robeez, but it sounds like they are pretty good for the price. Retail price: $12.99
Pedoodles
Puddle Jumper Shoes
Stride Rite
And last but not least, here are some forum posts that were helpful to me in my search for the right soft-soled shoe:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=927340
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/archive/index.php/t-711998.html
Retail Price of Robeez pair above: $27.95 (retailers like Amazon, Piper Lime, and Zappos carries them)
NOTE: Amazon.com currently has a deal for $10 off $50 orders of Robeez shoes (as of 10/24/08).
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