Welcome
Shoe Baby Shoe brings you shoes to support your child's first steps, even before they actually take them. Aside from a current trend of soft-soled shoes and sock-like booties as child's first footwear, imitating barefoot walking, there is always a need for traditional firm and supportive first baby shoes. Leather shoes with the correct shape for the anatomy of a child's foot, ankle height, with a flexible but firm sole, comfortable for a child to wear but at the same time safe to use and supporting the healthy development of a child's feet. Not all babies will necessarily need this type of shoes but many would benefit from wearing them, and in many cases, wearing correct footwear in the first years will prevent the need for therapeutic footwear later in life. In some countries with a long tradition of shoemaking, the trend of soft shoes for babies never quite took off, and traditional supportive, firm baby shoes are still being made and used as "normal" and "proper" first footwear. This allows us to bring you our "first baby shoes" and keep them affordable.
Please note that our footwear is not intended for therapeutic or medical purposes. If in doubt, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist.
Our Story
During our baby son's first physiotherapy session, our lovely therapist Annie said: "Your son will need supportive shoes, made from leather, ankle-high and firm, helping him to find his feet." And then followed: "You can't really buy them in Australia." According to Annie, we would need to pay $300 for a pair of imported therapeutic shoes, or buy them a little cheaper from overseas. There was nothing else available on the market even if we wanted just "normal" shoes. Our son didn't need actual therapeutic shoes, but not wearing correct footwear then could lead to him needing them soon after, and mainly, it could also mean that we are putting the development and health of our son's feet at risk.
After initial panic and questioning, Annie suggested that we try to have our relatives in Europe find the smallest size of shoes available and ship it. We also realized that being originally from former Czechoslovakia gives us an advantage over most other parents of young children in Australia when it comes to their footwear - this advantage being the countless generations of shoemakers and a tradition of very "proper" footwear for children which seemed to fit our therapist's description of a firm, supportive baby shoe. Then our very first "first baby shoes" arrived, completely delighted us, our son and - more importantly - Annie.
While our problem was solved (Mum was more than happy to keep buying shoes for her Grandson), we thought of all other parents of children for whom physio is only one of many therapists they meet. The parents' plate is full, their patience may be wearing thin and their budget is getting tight. Sourcing a non-descriptive pair of shoes in a size they are not sure about from overseas while facing a language barrier and high shipping / payment processing costs only causes additional stress. For some, paying $300 for a pair they can buy in Australia is also not an option and if it is, it may seem like a waste if the child doesn't actually need therapeutic footwear.
After several weeks of research and endless phone calls and emails to Europe, Shoe Baby Shoe was born in first half of 2014, to help other parents find the right shoes for their babies without the price tag. We found several models of suitable shoes and after some time settled on a range favoured by our physiotherapist Annie and her colleagues, affordable, with a good availability of sizes and the manufacturer willing to accommodate very small batches of stock. In 2015, we also added sandals after frequent requests from parents and larger sized boots as some of our little customers outgrew the main supportive range. Now we really can support your baby's first steps - and a few more!