By April VanDeGrift of our Personal Care/Clothing Department

Finding shoes for kids can be difficult. When I'm shopping for a shoe for my kids I want them to be comfortable and stylish. Over the years, I have found it hard to find shoes for my seven year old girl. Most of the styles at the stores I've been to are garish, plastic and uncomfortable. My daughter is always happy to receive a new pair of shoes but after a day or two of wearing them she gets an uncomfortable blister and refuses to put them back on. For this reason we decided to bring in Eleven Collection children shoes.

Eleven is a sister company to See Kai Run shoes for toddlers, and I have been so happy with them. I immediately purchased a pair and to my surprise there has been no discomfort for my daughter! The styles offered by Eleven are city chic, sophisticated and functional. The style my daughter wears is called Allessia and is a red Mary Jane with a ruffle, cute enough to wear with a dress but sturdy enough to wear to gym class. I love that these shoes are made from quality leather with flexible, durable rubber soles and come in sizes 9 (for a three year old) thru 3 (for an eight or nine year old).

My son still wears See Kai Run shoes, we've carried them for 4 or 5 years and they are still a favorite brand amongst our customers. They offer a flexible sole for optimum foot development for toddlers and are city chic like their sister company Eleven Collection. When looking for a shoe for a small child it is important not to constrict the foot, never let a child wear a shoe that doesn't fit properly and to find a flexible sole. Recently, we started carrying See Kai Run Smaller and they are so cute and a good option for those first walkers. It's important to let a beginning walker go barefoot as much as possible. When outside, on the pavement or somewhere where you don't feel comfortable with the cleanliness of a place, the soft leather sole of Smaller is a good option.

Now that we've talked about shoes I want to point out that we have baby and toddler socks as well. Of course barefoot is always best but not always practical during our colder months. It is so important to find a sock that is not to small or the foot can be constricted and the development hindered. But while you're looking, why not check out the cutest socks ever from babylegs?

For questions or help with shoes or socks, please visit the Health & Beauty/ Clothing department or call 472-4533.