Walking shoes for Pipsqueaks

[ValarDisneyus]

Hi everyone! I'm planning my family's first trip to WDW! (First for all of us!) My daughter is 4, she wears toddler size shoes. Can anyone recommend shoes to buy or brands to avoid when getting her a good pair for Disney?

Thanks in advance! (And have a magical day!)

 

[wdwjeffc37]

Any good quality tennis/walking shoe will be good. You need to get them at least two weeks before your trip and have her wear them a lot. They need to be good and broken in by the time you get to Disney. You will do an incredible amount of walking and uncomfortable shoes are a killer to having a good time. Be sure to bring band-aids or moleskin just in case.
You can try and plan your park days to minimize some of the walking by use of FP+. Heav a great trip!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

Thanks! We're going for Valentine's day and I think the shoes will be Christmas presents, so she'll have a month and a half or so of playground romping in them before we go. I also reserved a stroller for us, so that should be good. (I can't imagine a four year old walking from sun up to sun down and being super happy about it, but then we've never gone to Disney World before, so I suppose I could be wrong.)

Honestly I was thinking stride rites might not be awesome, with the super hard bottoms that are supposedly good? Won't she want something flexible and breathable?

 

[hildarumpole]

Keen Kids Newport H2 sandals are my son's favorite. He's 12 now and has worn them on every Disney trip since he was 4. He even wears them with socks in cooler weather as long as he can until snow falls in winter around here. He picks out a new color every year. They're comfortable, durable, and waterproof. Blisters and rubbing have never been a problem. We also like the toe protection, especially with crowds. Keen has lots of cute colors and patterns for girls.

 

[kmb584]

Stride Rite and Keen Kids have been fantastic for my daughter.

 

[owensamo]

My DD has always had small feet, and we had her in Stride Rite shoes and sandals and New Balance sneakers at that age.

 

[Habbott]

Honestly I was thinking stride rites might not be awesome, with the super hard bottoms that are supposedly good? Won't she want something flexible and breathable?

Toddler stride rites are very flexible. Around size 9 they start becoming more like other kids shoes. I get them for my son, and loved the smaller toddler sizes. Last pair of sneakers we got for him were saucony. I would happily buy them again.

I don't like keens, I found them heavy and clunky. For sandals we do tevas.

 

[husker-mouse]

Our DS2 has always worn either Stride Rite, Pediped or See Kai Run. Lately we lean more towards Pedipeds because we like their summer styles and colors. We love that they are washable, durable and that my DS thinks they are his most comfortable shoes. Hope you find the right shoe! Good luck

 

[mamabellefortwo]

Skechers makes some very lightweight tennis shoes. We've had good luck with them because they aren't as heavy as some other brands. They tend to run narrow, which is good for my DD's, but if your child has wide feet, they may not be for you.

At 2, we also loved pedipeds, however is lean toward the line that has a sole for that age & for extended park walking. Good luck!

 

[cruisingtwins]

Stride ride flex something they are awesome

 

[ValarDisneyus]

Thanks everyone! We all do have slightly wide feet, but I'll definitely have her try on some stride rites and keen sandals. What retailers carry the Keen ones?

 

[ccarter]

My DD and I are taking DGD 6 and DGD 2 for a week on 12/27 and they will both be in keens. The 6 year old wore them on her first trip to WDW when she was 3 and they were awesome, no issues at all. They both have them now as summer shoes but are getting new ones for the trip because they both need the next size up. Just last night my daughter found great selection and fantastic prices at 6pm.com

 

[hildarumpole]

Thanks everyone! We all do have slightly wide feet, but I'll definitely have her try on some stride rites and keen sandals. What retailers carry the Keen ones?

Keens are perfect for my son's fat feet. We order his shoes from zappos.com. They offer free shipping both ways. Sometimes I order a couple sizes and return what didn't fit. It's a lot less hassle than going to multiple stores only to find they are out of his size in the color/style he wanted.