Okay, we’ve talked baby shoes here, and here. Now how about mom?

Pregnancy does a number on your tootsies. Added weight, swelling/edema cause the wide “Fred Flintstone” feet. Your back is out of whack, your center of gravity compromised and you need good support. And just forget shoes that need to be tied, buckled, zipped, or anything that causes bending over. Slip-ons baby! The problem is oftentimes the clunky look of “comfort shoes” make you thankful that you can’t see your feet. Very much function over fashion.

With my first pregnancy I got by on some well-worn and not so pretty Merrell slip ons. I swore the next time I was pregnant, that I would invest in some new, quality, supportive comfort shoes. And so the hunt began.

I tried a few department stores to no avail. Harried salespeople juggling boxes running back and forth to the shoe room.  I know several pregnant moms who swear by Schuler Shoes. (Sort of the Stride Rite for grown ups). And another who swears by Sven’s Shoes - a haul from the metro up in Chisago City.  My husband grew up in Fargo and has stories of sporting goods store Scheels. Well, found out there’s one in Eden Prairie. We went and checked it out. Three other preggos were there circling the comfort shoes when I arrived. Hmmm…I must be in the right place. I tried on several pairs and was surprised that I fell in love with the old 1970’s punchline “Earth Shoes.” They aren’t as ugly as I recall and really ideal for pregnant women.  Then I also was crushing on some cushy Dansko’s. But “ouch” on the wallet to buy both pairs. Then Peter said “What about checking out the clearance room?” Clearance Room? Apparently Scheels is fabled for their clearance room. Found it. Found a pair of Earth Shoes (Mary Jane’s) and Dansko’s that I loved more than the ones I originally tried on. And the best part? The price for both pairs didn’t even hit 3 digits. Super score!

What were your favorite shoes when you were pregnant and where did you shop for them?

 

Today’s article in the Star Tribune features shopping for baby/toddler shoes along with helpful hints for finding the correct fit. It also reminded me of the shoe-shopping post that Chris wrote a few months ago. 

This article has prompted me to go get Ben’s piggies professionally fitted. Where do you shop for shoes in the Twin Cities - any recommendations?

In Sunday’s paper Sara Glassman writes about the evolution of this boutique that caters to mothers - Hot Mama!

Owned by Megan and MikeTamte, this innovative store in Edina and Woodbury combines fashion with a kid-friendly environment. Mom can shop while little ones play and munch on animal crackers. They feature both maternity and “cool mom” clothes.

Okay, admittedly the prices are more than the Liz Lange clearance rack at Target, but I have a friend who swears by the maternity pants she purchased there. She wore them throughout her pregnancy and they didn’t wear out. She felt comfortable and stylish the whole way through.

What is it about little pink shoes that turns us into mush and makes us surrender our wallets helplessly? Startribune.com’s Chris Havens guest blogs about shoe-shopping for his toddler. The pope would approve.

 

My wife and I must be suckers.

Last week, at the Shoe Zoo in Uptown, we stared at $80 shoes for our youngest daughter. Eighty bucks for shoes that fit in my left palm! For shoes that would need replacing in nine months! For shoes whose name I couldn’t pronounce!

But they were cute. They were sturdy. They were European.

Maybe we were falling prey to the store’s spell: multicolored walls, adorable mini-person shoes, balloons, helpful employees. It wasn’t our fault.

We had a nice-sized gift certificate, after all.

Now, we’re not cheap, but we try to spend wisely. I can’t remember the last pair of $80 shoes we bought for ourselves. New tires for my rickety, old VW (may it RIP) cost less.

But our oldest daughter, she’s 4 - ahem, pardon me, 4 1/2 - got a pair of $40 shoes when she became ambulatory. We swore it wouldn’t happen again. And then we went back. A few more times.

Most of those shoes are still around and ready for the youngest to use when she gets bigger (yes, we know many experts warn against hand-me-down shoes). We’ve also purchased $20 shoes elsewhere for our oldest daughter that lasted only two months.

With the second girl, we tried putting it off as long as possible, but she insisted on walking not long after her first birthday (December). And once they get moving, kids don’t stop.

With walking comes a whole new set of parental worries: the threat of falling down the stairs because Daddy forgot to close the basement door, grabby hands that come from a sudden increased height, twice yearly trips to the shoe store.

Our girls’ pediatrician says he prefers that children go unshod for as long as possible because it helps strengthen foot muscles and develop balance. We don’t dispute this, but we also don’t think it’s a good idea to let the tot walk barefoot outside in January, or March for that matter.

Some camps say kids don’t need shoes until they’re into the later stages of toddlerdom. Some say kids need shoes only for outside play. Some say “Oh, they’re so cuuuute! Buy them.”

But when the Robeez are too tight and the kid gets antsy, it’s time for shoes.

We dashed off to Minneapolis late Monday morning, the toddler armed with snacks and at peak energy. We looked at different styles and brands and all the colors and darling daisies and funny frogs decorating the little shoes. High top, low top, lace-up, Velcro, leather, synthetic, hard sole, flexible sole.

No, we didn’t buy the $80 pair. After watching our daughter totter and stumble through the first two pairs, we settled on a tiny set of flexible, Italian-made shoes - Geox - that apparently help the little tootsies breathe easily. Hey, if this brand is good enough for the Pope, it’s good enough for our child.)

The shoes cost $54. Or $14, after the gift certificate.

We’ll see how long she wears them. Maybe, just maybe, we’re not the suckers we thought we were.

(Link: What the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society has to say about choosing children’s shoes.)

This mama really shopped around! Freelance writer, Megan Kaplan, takes you on her journey through the maternity months. She shares how she grew and what she wore here.

Photo Gallery by photographer, Tom Wallace.

My clothing budget was tighter than my waistband when I was pregnant. I made frequent spins around the Target and Old Navy clearance racks and depended on hand-me-downs from friends. I second Megan’s recommendation of Nu Look consignment store on 50th & Penn. Lots of quality maternity pieces for decent prices.

How about you? Any additional maternity clothes must-haves, secrets, favorite items, shops or web site recommendations? Do share.