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"Pre-Walkers" vs. "Early Walkers" vs. "Walkers?"

KGskyKGsky member
in Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
I'm not sure I'm understanding these terms.  DD has only been walking for about a month, but she definitely is walking.  She took her "first steps about 2 months ago, but she's full-on walking now.  She's also capable of bending over and picking something up off the floor from a standing position, as well as getting up from sitting without holding on.  Pedi said she needed soft-soled shoes, but I thought those were for Pre-Walkers.  She's definitely walking.  She can walk out the door of our apt., onto an elevator, ride the elevator to the bottom, walk off the elevator, down the hall, into the lobby and out the door.  That's a walker, right?  But since it's only been 4 weeks, is that an early walker?  The shoe thing is confusing me.
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Re: "Pre-Walkers" vs. "Early Walkers" vs. "Walkers?"

  • MominatorMominator
    I used the soft soled shoes when DS was a "new" walker and for about the first 2 mths or so. From what I understand, babies are born without arches for in their feet and that wearing hard soled shoes in the beginning can inhibit them from forming. That is also why you are supposed to keep your LO barefoot as often as possible when they are learning to walk. DS has been walking for about 3 mths now and I still keep him barefoot all the time at home and only put shoes on him if I have to in order to go out.
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  • Jaimers375Jaimers375
    Sounds to me like she's an early walker, Stride Rite makes the Natural Motion Shoes that are specifically for Early Walkers, the soles are soft, but with support/treads.
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  • KGskyKGsky member
    Hmmm...I'm pretty sure she doesn't have arches in her feet...she's been wearing these hard-soled sneaks my mom bought her.  Think I'll get her some striderites...even though they will break the bank.
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  • 618mom22boys618mom22boys member
    My DS sounds like your DD.  He started walking April 8th.  Up until this weekend I let him walk around with just socks on.  My whole family was bugging me about him never wearing shoes.  SO I fianlly gave up and went and got him some shoes.  But I still let him walk around the house and outside in our yard barefoot. 
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  • funchickenfunchicken member

    I don't understand the various shoe stages either.  Frankly, I'm not sure what a pre-walker is supposed to be.  Aren't all babies who aren't yet walking pre-walkers?

    This is what I did:  We spend a lot of time outside.  Since the ground is kind of uneven and DD was still doing the tiptoe walk sometimes, I bought her some Robeez Mini-shoez--they're as flexible as the regular Robeez, but they have a waterproof sole for outdoors.  She wore those for about 2 months.  A couple of days ago, I got her some sneakers at Stride-Rite.  The soles are a lot more bulky.  They still bend in half, but they pretty much look like "real shoes" to me.  I was worried that they would trip her up, but so far she's doing fine.  

    You could always take her to a store and try out some different shoes and see how she does in them.  When I put the sneakers on DD, she bolted out of the store as soon as I put her down, so I figured she could handle them :)

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  • KGskyKGsky member

    image618mom22boys:
    My DS sounds like your DD.  He started walking April 8th.  Up until this weekend I let him walk around with just socks on.  My whole family was bugging me about him never wearing shoes.  SO I fianlly gave up and went and got him some shoes.  But I still let him walk around the house and outside in our yard barefoot. 

    Love the blue teeth!  I try to let her walk barefoot as much as possible, but only indoors because we live in the city.  Don't want baby cutting her foot on a crackpipe! (ugh!)

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  • BrewtowngrlBrewtowngrl member
    Guess we did it wrong.  DS has been in hard soles since he learned 4 months ago.  He is barefoot in the house, but he isn't in the house much. 
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  • crystalpopcorncrystalpopcorn member

    I took DS to Stride Rite to get pre-walkers for his first birthday.  His feet were too big for pre-walkers (they stop at size 5).  He ended up getting walkers or early walkers.  They are still very soft.  He is now a full fledged walker, and wears them whenever we go outside.

    FWIW, he also has a pair of crocs sandals. They are not soft soled, but he isn't in them very often.

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