baby shoes

Baby shoes are so irresistible and cute- Claire and Audrey probably have more shoes than the average adult. I am no stranger to buying shoes, but baby shoes are a whole different world than adult shoes- some things I have learned:

-Don't even bother with shoes when your baby is less than 6 months old (unless you can take the pricey plunge and buy moccasins from freshly picked, more on that below). They won't stay on their feet. Instead, invest in some Trumpette socks. And no, I'm not crazy for suggesting that you spend $5+ per pair of baby socks- these are the only socks that would stay on the girls' feet, and are so cute you won't even miss the teeny tiny shoes.

-Think function over fashion. The girls own keens and crocs. I never thought I would buy either of those brands in my lifetime. The girls got the keens handed down to them, and they actually stay on the girls' feet! And they can run around and play. These are our go to summer time shoes.

-You probably only need 1 pair of casual shoes, perhaps 2 if the kids are in daycare and play outside a lot. Favorite brands include toms, sperrys, and minnetonka moccasins. I haven't been able to tank the plunge, but freshly picked has some of the cutest moccasins out there! Audrey has a pair of knock offs and they actually stay on her feet! Jane and GroopDealz both have offered similar moccasins, but I keep on missing out on the sales. Apparently one of the sellers is going to be offering them on Jane again soon, so I am going to stalk that website daily. Also, check out your local bait shop to get a good deal on the minnetonka moccasins.

-If you choose the color wisely, you only need one pair of dress shoes. I love metallics and colors! We've owned a few pairs of basic black shoes over the past 18 months, but I much prefer adding a pop of color- check out hanna andersson and crewcuts for inspiration. Baby gap has been our main source of dress shoes- I try to purchase them when they are on sale, but we also use our dress shoes for every day, so I don't mind spending a little extra for something really cute.