Erin has a thing a for shoes, they sparkle and shine at her but I won’t let just any shoes sit proudly on her feet. We have been through too much with DDH and bendy feet to undo the thousands of pounds she has cost the NHS to put right. Therefore we only have a few pairs and she wears them well. Erin has also had a bit of a growth spurt in terms of her feet, for a long time her feet were very small and it was thought that because she didn’t walk that her feet didn’t get squashed out. Now however she runs and jumps much like her peers (all be it a little slower) and we are making up for lost time.
However although Erin herself loves new shoes she is the first one to be barefooted when she can, she takes her shoes off the minute she is indoors. For a long while after spica she didn’t like wearing shoes, I guess they felt restricted after months of not being able to wear anything on her feet. Buying shoes is still emotional for me and I don’t think anyone can quite understand how it makes me feel unless they too have endured months of spica cast and operations.
We were recently invited to review some Vivobarefoot shoes. These shoes are a little different and I did some reading up on them. This Youtube clip is one of the best I have seen (and I’ve read alot about children’s feet!) for explaining why the correct footwear is so important for feet development.
Likewise this newspaper shares the Vivobarefoot philosophy.
Erin loved the shoes when they arrived, partly because they were bright pink – her favourite colour alongside purple and also because I don’t let her have new shoes very often! The style I selected are called Pink Neo Velcro. As I only get brands that I trust or have been recommended by her surgeon, physio or podiatrist. They were given a really good wearing at our recent Butlins break and they were fab. She wasn’t asking to take her shoes off as soon as she could and she wore them without complaining her feet were tired (she frequently tells us her feet are tired) therefore I was really pleased. They are practical too as they work with her feet. This picture shows her wearing them in action!
For someone that really does ensure that Erin is wearing the correct type shoes I really rate these. Not just for children with hip and feet issues but for all children. Children’s feet really need care and attention, their little bodies are constantly busy and having growth spurts. Just think of all the weight those little feet carry around and how hard they work.
Disclosure: I was gifted the vivobarefoot shoes for the purpose of the review.
4 Responses
They look lovely and it’s a bonus that she seems to feel ok in them 🙂
My daughter complains a lot about her feet, I’ll get a pair of these to try her with. I wonder if they’ll do SPD compatible shoes in the future?
They are such cool shoes, I often wish they made kids shoes in grown up sizes!
Emma, can I ask a few questions about these shoes. DD had Hypermobility snd also juvenile arthritis. I really struggle with shoes as she is a 4G before her ankles swell and just can’t get kids shoes big enough. I end up buying adults which gets very expensive and also hard to find flat shoes/boots suitable for an 11 year old with mobility issues.
What I’m asking is do you know if theses are they wide fitting and suitable for problem ankles?
Has Erin got on ok with them?
Only boots I can find that are suitable and fit are a pair of £110 boots from Clarks. Breaks my heart to spend that much on a pair of boots that will effectively last a couple of months until her feet grow!
Look for quality cheaper alternatives!
Hi Candace I have emailed you!