We couldn’t help but notice in the comments section of Lottie’s Little Girls Summer Wardrobe post that featured on the blog recently that you folks were crying out for suggestions on the Summer footwear side of things. As promised we’ve been searching high and low for the very best shoes, sandals and pumps to see you and your littles stylishly throughout the next few months all the way through to Autumn.
It’s a fairly lengthy round-up so sit back, grab a cuppa and slowly meander your way through it. We’ll see you at the finish!
Young Soles
Young Soles are my guilty (read expensive) pleasure. In fact I love their product range so much that I’d really rather like some of them for myself like their rose gold ‘Olive‘ shoes. I mean what’s not to love; they’re metallic with the cutest design and softest laces. Every day would be a party.
I digress. We’re not here to talk about my footwear fancies so lets take a look at the ‘Rosie‘ T-bars which are so blinking cute!!! Ok so they aren’t cheap but the brand do make very very good quality shoes with completely breathable materials and the ‘Rosie’ is no exception. You could almost be transported back to the 70s with their mellow yellow hues and classic t-bars. The butterfly punch detail is exceptionally sweet.
For the teeny tiny babes taking their first steps you can’t resist the Tippi in the softest dove grey. Their design reminds me of little mice faces (I’m not sure if they are supposed to or not) and they form part of Young Soles brand new product range for SS16. The sole is made from flexible rubber and the adjustable velcro fastening and elasticated back allows the shoes to be easily pulled on and off. Plus they’re light enough for the hotter summer days ahead.
I’m seriously considering purchasing Hector a pair of the Frankie Fisherman sandals because I love them that much. I can totally see him rocking them with his Zara shorts this summer or with some neon dungarees that my mum picked up for him in the Petit Bateau sale last year. The chunky buckles and classic style are right up my street.
John Lewis
I’m sure that my husband would much prefer me to buy John Lewis’ version of the Frankie sandals; they’re a lot kinder on the pocket for a start and are pretty similar in style. I think Young Soles has the slight edge though that’s swaying me in their direction. That said these sandals are adorable and you can tell that they are going to be soft and kind on your toddlers skin. Starting from £16 and available in navy in kids sizes 4-10, it’s worth making the most of this design whilst your little one’s feet are still small.
If you really fancied it you could try a spot of twinning with the kids by opting for these super sparkly sandals from Birkenstock aptly named Galaxy. They come with two buckles so you can be sure that the fit is secure and go all the way up to adult size 5. Form an orderly queue please ladies…
One popular trend that keeps popping up on my kids fashion radar is that of the paint splatter design and TOMS has got in on the action with their canvas, open-toed, multi-strap version. I like these a lot. They’re fun whilst being practical too. Although they’re available from kids size five, the velcro adjustable strap switches to a buckle fastening from size 11. Get yours here.
Although only available in a limited range of sizes I couldn’t not include this cutesy pair of girly red shoes from Bobux. They aren’t cheap but they are made from super soft leather and adorned with beautiful flowers on the front. Pair them with a summer romper for a dose of 50s style sweetness.
Zara
Zara is killing it on the shoe front. So much so that this post is rather Zara heavy and for that I sincerely apologise but there were so many gorgeous products I couldn’t not include them all and I think that you’ll agree. Where to start though??
Ok so how about with the brown leather clogs that appear first in the header of this post. Blinking amazing right? 1970s eat your heart out. The perforated detail on the toe cap is spot on and the flexible wooden-effect sole is the finishing touch. I want them in my size already. You’ll need to head over there quickly as some sizes had already sold out last time I looked.
If they’ve sold out of your desired size then you might like these beaded, tan coloured sandals instead. Zara describes the light and dark blue beading as ‘tribal’ and all I can say is I want them so badly! The lightweight sole means that they’ll keep even the smallest feet cool on the hottest of days.
Following on from the paint splatter trend I mentioned earlier, Zara have their own take on the style with these multicoloured yellow toned plimsolls with white toe cap. They’re girly without being saccharine sweet and you could easily mix them up with a summer cotton dress or with jeans. Available in sizes up to an adult 3.
Feeling boho? Do your girls want to channel their inner Pocahontas? Then these leather ballerinas are for them. These are for slightly older girls since the sizing ranges from 10.5 to size 3 but I’m adoring all the attention to detail such as the matching topstitching.
Staying on the Pocahontas theme…you can’t go wrong with a bit of fringing especially when it comes in electric blue and on your toes! Pair with this jumpsuit or this bib front dress for the utmost in sartorial style.
For the older boys then these contrast plimsolls in blue and suede brown are cool enough for him to wear without an eyeroll but practical enough to cope with pretty much every eventuality they’re likely to come across. I quite like the blue hued camouflaged soles as well….
If you’re looking for simple sandals then there’s a plethora to choose from; all simple and made well. Buckle up with these chocolate grecian inspired beauties or go for more coverage with this nubuck pair with a cork sole and rubber track tread.
Zara was actually the only place where I found black sandals too which granted aren’t colourful but they are practical especially when it comes to hiding dirt and grime. These leather sandals have a nubuck finish and a hook and loop ankle fastening for easy on/off action.
Lastly I couldn’t not mention the lemony goodness that are these shoes. All the heart eyes right there.
Sainsbury’s
I’m guilty of forgetting about Sainsbury’s for kiddies clothes and shoes which is silly really because both the quality and the prices are actually very good indeed. When I spotted these coral jelly shoes I was instantly transported back to my own childhood and the beach and the smell of hot suncream. Essentially all good memories so I implore you to indulge in some for your littles too.
If you’re looking for a Converse lookalike for your littles then you can’t go far wrong with these red lace-ups starting from £8.00. Available in sizes from baby size 4 all the way to adult 4s, you can be sure that these will see you through all the activities you have planned for the summer.
Next
How cute are these chambray TOMS! They come with an elastic V-notch at the top of the shoe for a comfortable and secure fit and a rubber sole for durability and extra climbing/swinging/running/jumping grip. The colour of the fabric is gorgeous too and you just know that they’ll look perfect with a pair of denim shorts or a pair of dungarees.
For the younger girls who need a bit of floral action in their life, I present this set of white flower-embellished sandals complete with beading and a handy velcro strap. Also available in brown and in pink and in sizes up to kids size 12. Who said you can’t have style and practicality.
Perhaps you’re after something less girly and perhaps a touch more traditional? Next have just the ticket with their scalloped leather two strap sandal with buckle fastenings. The pattern actually reminds me of my old white school socks that we used to wear pulled up to our knees in the Summer when we were small. Available from £18.50 in sizes up to kids size 12 and in no less than six colours. Mint is my favourite.
M&S
Granted I’m not exactly there just yet but I imagine that choosing clothes and shoes can be a bit of a battle when kids get older. How do you negotiate that minefield between their personal style and something that is practical and reasonably priced and that you like too? We’d love to hear your tips and advice on this topic by the way. In the meantime we’re loving these grey lace-up trainer brogues which tick the practicality and style boxes for older boys’ summer wardrobes whilst making you smile too.
Dorothy herself would be proud of these ruby red cat cross-bars with velcro straps. Perfect for little girls looking to sport something a bit smarter away from the beach. I love the sweet cat themed embroidery on the toes and you can be sure that the shoes will last all summer long with their grippy sole.
Phew! What a huge round-up. Hopefully there’s been something in amongst this post that’s caught your eye for the holidays ahead. I’m seriously considering investing in a pair of jelly shoes for my own Summer wardrobe this year….I’m not too old yet am I? Why not share your favourites in the comments below…
I’ve just bought these sandals from Bobux for my 22 month old boy – https://www.bobux.co.uk/roamer?colour=navy. The price makes me want to weep but I’m still too nervous to put his little developing feet into any of the non specialist stores’ shoes especially when I’m sure he’ll be living in these for the next few months. Am I being too cautious?!
I would do the same Martha. At such a key developing age and particularly while they are still getting to grips with walking I’ve always made sure my children have at least one main pair of properly measured shoes… and then I’m not always that cautious about extra pairs of wellies, sandals, trainers if they’re spending less time in them. I do still get my older childrens feet measuerd and fit properly too, which is probably pointless with my son who has a 10 min walk to school and then changes into plimsoles for the day but my eldest daughter walks 40 mins uphill to get to her school and stays in hers so it seems more necessary. The price does make you weep… I can’t even think about how much it costs evertime one of mine goes up a shoe size. Having kids into sport and dance means there is around 15 pairs of specific and extortionate shoes to replace each time and thats before you start on nice shoes, party shoes, everyday trainers etc. Ouch. I’m going to make sure Niema is into none of that and either sticks to barefoot activity like yoga or karate… or else she can stay home and eat mars bars and play on the x box to save me a bit of cash… but she can totally have those first pair of zara sandals. They’ve been sitting in my basket for a while now and the sun is shining today so I think she needs them.
They’re gorgeous Martha! It was around 2 years with mine that I started buying supermarket shoes but always had them measured regularly (and like Lauren I grilled the shoe fitting people so much I now feel like I’ve had training!) and they always had one pair of Clarks as their ‘main shoes’. Clarks Doodles are amaaaaaaze for summer, they’re £20ish, super light and can be work with no socks AND GO IN THE WASHING MACHINE. Praise be. I always felt and still feel a bit silly buying multiple pairs of shoes but little girls who love princess dresses and muddy puddles definitely need choice. Apparently. *eye roll*
Maoibh your comment about girls needing choice made me laugh; clearly we learn that we need ALL the shoes early 😉
Ahhhh Martha they are super cute!!
Re the specialist shoes and developing feet, I’m on pretty much the same page as you. I’m a big start-rite fan (decent shoes and accurate fitting) and I’ve probably learnt that from my mum in turn. Put it this way I was still being measured up for ‘proper’ school shoes at the age of 13 whilst all my friends were prancing about in much more fashionable shoes; I had zero street cred!
I think as long as you’ve got your little’s feet measured up properly so you know what size and width to buy for and that you’re buying a pair that are well made you can’t go far wrong. I always ask questions when Hector gets measured i.e. what attributes to look for when fitting a shoe, how it feels to us when it’s the right fit for them, is he narrow/wide in the width and so on and so forth. His first pair of shoes were start-rite but they didn’t stock his particular style in the shops so I had to get him measured first and order them online afterwards. Since I’d asked all the relevant questions when he was being measured I knew that they were a good fit for him when they arrived in the post.
Looking after developing feet is so important so I don’t think you’re being unnecessarily cautious – well that’s my opinion anyway…
I didn’t comment this morning because I was thinking the same thing. I strongly believe shoes should be fitted and none of the above except Bobux are width fittings. My daughter has a narrow foot (E) so even some startrite shoes don’t come so narrow (and their sizes are small anyway). It’s worth noting that just because you have them measured in one place it doesn’t mean they will be the same somewhere else. Clarks and Startrite are at least a half size apart (Startrite are smaller) but it massively depends on the style e.g a T-bar can be fitted narrower.
Clarks Doodles do come in a width fitting though.
I’m also slightly gutted about the number of buckle styles. My daughters the same age as Hector and putting her own shoes on and off now which we’ve been told to encourage so buckles are just impractical. I know Bobux are Velcro but I’ve been told their fit is better for a G or a wide fitting foot.
*wails* I’m exactly where I started
That’s what we’ve been told too Rebecca – Hector is a 4.5 in Start-rite but I’m told he’s a size 5 elsewhere and is a G width. I can feel your pain on the narrow feet agenda though – although Hector is wide, I was an E and at some stages even a D when I was smaller meaning that I had a choice of only one or two choices of shoe at a time. My sisters were both much wider and I can remember my mum saying ‘you’ll be glad of narrow feet when you’re older.’ Suffice to say she was right!
Anyway I’m going off topic.
Like Amanda – I think if kids have a pair of shoes that have been properly fitted which they wear the majority of the time then that’s ok. I’m not worried about Hector wearing his wellies (which he loves) or a shoe that probably doesn’t fit quite so precisely if it’s something he’ll wear little and sporadically.
So your dilemma then….you’re looking for a summer shoe, that caters for a narrow foot that your daughter can put on and take off herself. No buckles. Any particular style?
i’m viewing summer shoes as an investment like winter shoes rather than a temporary shoe like a welly. Mainly because if I’m paying £50 then she’ll wear them daily!
I like the Bobux kind which are part shoe and part sandal
http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/bobux-children's-jump-rip-tape-sandals/p2491810?colour=White&un_jtt_v_pdp=yes&un_jtt_v_from_product=un_product_20#page_loaded
I thought they’d be more practical for nursery if they have a closed toe?
Looks like we’re all on the same page. I love all the zara shoes but don’t personally rate the grown up versions as great quality so was a bit worried about putting Anna’s little feet in those even if they are super cute. All of Anna’s shoes so far were either clarks or startrite apart from a pair of jelly sandals from next last year. I can totally see us rocking a matching pair of birkenstocks though.
When Frankie was learning to walk, I had her feet measured and she wore “specialist” shoes. Now I have a Clarks foot measurer thingy (that’s the technical term) at home and regularly measure her feet myself. She has my square, wide, little feet and at 4 she’s still a size 7 and that really limits what we can buy her.
I find it really difficult get her “proper” shoes in her size that aren’t baby-ish. So, we get a lot of our shoes and trainers from M&S as they’re wide and comfy and not flimsy – she had a pair of Zara sandals last year and they didn’t support her at all, so they went to the charity shop. I also like Next as they’re sturdy.
She’ll be going to school (sob) in September so we’ll be back at Clarks/JL for “proper school shoes”!
And being a size 4 myself, we twin all the time as I can wear kids shoes !
Holly we have the equivalent foot measurer thing but from Start-rite. Hector is currently a 4.5 G in Start-rite but I’m told that elsewhere he would be a 5. That said his feet haven’t grown since we last had him measured at the beginning of February (not sure if that’s unusual or not?). I have small feet too – a size 3.5/4 but I’m not sure if Hector would want to wear leopard print flats 😉
Frankie’s feet grow slowly too – she’s been size 7 for ages. I’ll worry when she topples over her too small feet 🙂
Totally echo Maoibh’s Clarks Doodles tip – they are fab and wash really, really well too. They are really soft but supportive too and can be worn without socks if it’s hot.
In fact I bought them because of Amy’s comment on my RMF post about first shoes for Elle 🙂
x
A timely post for me! We’re off on holiday in a couple of weeks and Fern’s sole pair of leather boots which have thus far been a fantastic all-purpose buy won’t do! I agree with all those above who are reluctant to stray beyond the high-end properly fitted and constructed brands. That’s not to say I stick to Clarks and Startrite, god no, Clarks selection is shocking (sort it out Clarks) and Startrite only have a couple of styles which appeal. I think until Fern is at least 2 I’ll be continuing to get her fitted at an independent specialist and stick to the likes of Bobux, Petasil, See Kai Run, Livie & Luca etc which is a shame as I agree, Zara have some beautiful styles, but while her feet are so teeny and vulnerable I’m just being PresciousFirstBorn about it and can’t bring myself to put her in anything less.
Have you come across Angulus yet? Their Fisherman sandals are BEAUTIFUL, although I’d prefer a buckle, they’re very nearly perfect…
A timely post for me! We’re off on holiday in a couple of weeks and Fern’s sole pair of leather boots which have thus far been a fantastic all-purpose buy won’t do! I agree with all those above who are reluctant to stray beyond the high-end properly fitted and constructed brands. That’s not to say I stick to Clarks and Startrite, god no, Clarks selection is shocking (sort it out Clarks) and Startrite only have a couple of styles which appeal. I think until Fern is at least 2 I’ll be continuing to get her fitted at an independent specialist and stick to the likes of Bobux, Petasil, See Kai Run, Livie & Luca etc which is a shame as I agree, Zara have some beautiful styles, but while her feet are so teeny and vulnerable I’m just being PresciousFirstBorn about it and can’t bring myself to put her in anything less.
Have you come across Angulus yet? Their Fisherman sandals are BEAUTIFUL, although I’d prefer a buckle, they’re very nearly perfect…
Oh my…if only my bank balance allowed me to buy all Angulus shoes – they look amazing. Anna has recently become very picky when it comes to shoes and will only wear two pairs we currently have. If I only as much as take her cute mini hunters out of the draw she throws herself on the floor and cries until I put them away. The same goes for two pairs of mary janes from clarks. I’ve just ordered some bobux sandals and hope she will take to them.