Hector’s feet grow at the rate of knots. I mean I knew kids’ feet grew fast but I hadn’t anticipated that he’d be the male version of the next Imelda Marcos.
Since February we’ve gone through three pairs; his original and first proper set of walkers, some snazzy velcro numbers for school, some summer sandals and we’re now on his current pair of buttersoft grey shoes which are doubling up for all eventualities until he grows out of them. That said there is some really gorgeous boys’ Autumn footwear in the shops right now which is making me experience a case of itchy fingers and making me want to succumb to buying the boy a pair of Autumnal boots.
Today then I’ll be sharing my round-up of my favourite boots and shoes that are available to buy right now! I’m conscious from feedback given by you lovely lot in previous footwear posts that most of you would prefer to see shoes from brands that fit to the child’s feet rather than purchasing off the shelf. With this in mind I’ve ensured that the majority of products showcased here are from specialist shoe shops for littles. I’ll admit though that there are a couple of ‘fashion’ items included today too.
Boots
It’s not Autumn without a new pair of boots (this is what I tell Ste anyway!) and I’ve had my eye on these classic brown leather lace up boots from Start-rite since before Hector could walk. Admittedly they aren’t cheap and yes I agree that if I were to purchase them then it might look as if he might burst into singing ‘who will buy this beautiful morning’ at any given moment but I still love them nonetheless.
If they’re that little bit too Victoriana for you then the lace-up Colorado boots from the same brand might be up your street. Available in black, brown, a mole grey, tan and blue there’s literally a colour for every occasion. Whilst the outer material is suede the lining of the shoe is made from leather to absorb moisture and help keep feet dry.
Kickers always bring to mind visions of my little sister stomping through puddles in her cherry red boots and I’d really love to get a pair of the Kick Hi Classics for Hector too. Available in eleven, yes eleven colours, I just know Hector would love the dark blue version but I secretly want the silver pair for myself.
If you like hi-top style boots then the Bounce from Bobux might be just the thing for you. Available in a beautiful colour pop red but also in brown too the style is a children’s take on the classic Basketball boot. The super flexible rubber sole is kind to growing feet too.
Some friends of ours have a little boy who is a bit older than Hector and he rocks his Dr Martens better than anyone I know. The Shenzi Softy T Toddlers are crafted in black lightweight leather and come with a clever Velcro fastening at the rear of the side to make it easier to pull them on and off.
Lastly Zara provide a bit of industrial grit to this selection with their two-tone grey boots. Made from contrasting materials the boots have a side zip fastening for a better fit and adjustable laces.
Shoes
Let’s start with the grey numbers that I’ve actually purchased for Hector which I bought from the best kids’ shoe shop I’ve come across since I’ve been buying footwear for him.
I have to say I’ve been left feeling a little short-changed by the service I’ve received in several different shops of large reputable children’s shoe brands. When a friend recommended CooShoo I jumped at the chance to go somewhere that offered a truly brilliant fitting service. Anna and Michael own the shop and their service is second to none so it’s worth popping by if you’re ever in Birmingham.
I came away with a pair of Bobux shoes called Echo in ‘smoke’. They have a velcro strap but look as if they are partly laced too with a faux elasticated lace at the front of the toe. They look smart but their tough but super flexible sole means that Hector can run and jump to his heart’s content without feeling restricted. We’ve had lots of compliments on them as well. This version from Livie and Luca is similar and comes in brown too.
I was also a bit smitten with these Camper half shoe half boot numbers when purchasing Hector’s Bobuxes but unfortunately they only started from sizes 26 which was too big even for him (though given his growing rate I can’t see it will be all that long before he can wear them!). They remind me of some boots my younger sister used to wear in the early 90s so have that vintage feeling and I love the blue and brown contrasting colours and chocolate hued laces.
Staying on the brown theme I spotted these suede zip up sneakers with contrasting grey laces from Zara that I needed to share with you. With panels of brown, orange, charcoal and light grey you can guarantee that they’ll go with pretty much every item of your little’s Autumn wardrobe. Granted they aren’t measured to fit in the way that some of the bigger brands are but at £17.99 they are that bit more affordable.
That’s the end of this week’s round-up but I’ll be sharing my top Autumn picks for boys in a couple of weeks time so stay tuned for that. Are any of you in the throes of buying shoes and boots for the coming season? What have you chosen? Why not tell us more in the comments box below…
Lolly we have such similar taste. I often look at your IG and think if I had a boy, I’d dress him like Hector. My daughter also has a tendency to look a little like the Pears advert. All blonde curls and bloomers.
But shoes and boots? Don’t get me started. She has INSANELY narrow feet and I can’t find boots or wellies for love nor money (and that is saying something). Luckily she has slowly growing feet (from a 4.5 to a 5.5 in about 14 months) but you still need a style per season! Went to John Lewis yesterday and the assistant said the wellies and boots were all too wide. The boots start at an F fitting, even in startrite on their website. We had some wider sandals but they were Velcro so we could do some adjusting. But boots are just solid fabric. Pain.
The problem with girls shoes is the insane need to add glitter to everything. Or unicorns. Or flowers. Or rabbits. I’d just like a decent pair of black winter boots in a narrow fitting. Come ON shops.
For girls with normal feet, these are the nicest plainer pair I’ve found : https://m.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-children's-isobel-boots-black/p/2905108
Ahhh Rebecca I am with you on that!!
My little one doesn’t have narrow feet, but I don’t want to put her in flowery/glittery/diamante shoes…..just a plain pair of navy/brown shoes and some brown boots please!! Infact her most worn pair of shoes to date were some boys tan sandals from Mothercare…..so many people commented on them and they went with everything…..infact I bought them in two sizes I loved them so much!
I have seen some shoes on Start Rite that I liked, but the stockist near us seems to favour ‘girly shoes’ although I’m sure they could order them? Or I could try the at home measuring? But brown boots along the same vein….cant find any!!!
Oh bless you lovely – thanks for your lovely comments re Hector’s clothes. He has a better wardrobe than me! (I blame the aunties and my mum!) I had insanely narrow feet when I was small – I can remember the pain of going shoe shopping and I had the choice of literally one pair of shoes whereas my sisters had ALL the shoes. I was the token 12 year old with lace ups whereas everyone else had chunky Kickers. Sob! That said narrow feet definitely work in my favour now I’m an adult. But I digress.
John Lewis is actually one of the stores where I found the shoe fitting service really poor hence my much needed trip to CooShoo instead. I’m not sure where you’re based but it might be worth seeing if there are any independent kids’ shoe shops near you. When I visited I actually asked the owner what Hector’s feet were like and she said that he had pretty easy feet to fit. Not too narrow or too wide. But they cater for both narrow and wide feet too so it wouldn’t have been a problem either way. It might be worth investigating…oh and there were no glittery unicorns or rabbits and flowers on anything either 😉
Rebecca, check out the Startrite Digby boots. They are my favourite for the girls in the winter. Molly has very narrow feet too but they have always worked well for her and we are lucky we have a good independent shoe shop near us who fits them for her. xxx
Thanks both. We’ve just moved from London where there were some perfect independent shoe shops to Cheshire. I asked some local Mums and they basically said no chance finding anywhere suitable but to try Clarks?! Gahahahahahahhhhhh.
I got an email from startrite about Digby but the website says it only comes in an F fitting. Will maybe just call them and ask.
I find John Lewis quite hit and miss. The Oxford Street store were brilliant for her first non walker type and basically had billions of E startrite width fittings in the sale (!!!!!) but less so in smaller JL’s.
Someone has suggested some French and Italian brands (that totally goes with our look too) so I’ll check them out and report back on the girls post I’m expecting Lottie to write in a few weeks…..
Also, can we talk coats yet? Sainsburys have a gorgeous navy cape (they’re so good for more fashiony coats IMO and it’s only £16)…..assume there will be a coat post soon?! Can you tell I’m in the mood for Autumn despite it being about a bazillion degrees?!
I’m on the case with the girl’s!! And yes to coats. Even though I am sitting here sweltering, coats are most definitely on my shopping list. x
I have the opposite – my boys feet have only grown half a size in 9 months!! He is still only in a 3.5 so it’s quite hard to find shoes that fit that aren’t ‘cruisers’ and so not really suitable now!
Lolly, I think Hector’s style is amazing!! And he’s such a gorgeous little fellow. To all the ladies looking for shoes sans glitter or sparkles etc… Try the following Brands, Ciao Bimbi, Bobux or Little Mary. I cannot abide glitter! These brands do cater for the classic style, higher back and are pretty much all leather. But, they’re not cheap, they are however, in my experience excellent quality. Edie has just outgrown her summer shoe collection and despite getting plenty of wear from the shoes, they still look like new! I buy all Edie’s shoes from an Independent Shoe shop near me. The lady has been there for 23 years!! Rebecca, apparently the brand Bellamy are supposed to cater for narrow feet. Hope this helps! Xxx
Totally just bought those Dr Martin Chelsea boots! Dirty enabling right there Lolly ???!
For anyone else tempted, there’s an eBay shop selling them for £32 delivered – limited sizes only though. I used to always have a pair of cherry red Dr Martins to see me through the winter as a kid, hope the quality is still as great as I remember!
I utterly hate Clarks shoes, Rex has only had the one pair and they were terrible quality for the money. And even though they knew they were his first shoes, we didn’t get the special treatment others seem to get (special box/photo etc)?! Not sure why but I was quite disappointed.
Independent shoes shops all the way – for anyone Leicester based, Stomp in Narborough is supposed to be fab! Xx
I’ve bought all Fern’s shoes from Stomp, Sarah. Their service and expertise is excellent.
Lolly have you checked out Petasil? They have some nice classic plain styles. beautifully made and tend to be sold in good independent fitters shops.
For those looking for plain brown girls boots, I prefer these for winter too and I’m planning to get Fern a pair of Bobux Outback in Espresso. Not absolutely perfect, but a good compromise of quality brand and unfussy styling. The gold ones are awesome but might be a bit too Mighty Boosh for every day…
Those shoes look amazing, a perfect fit for the season ahead!
Those shoes are very nice.