The shoes. I don't include pricing below, because it's prone to varying, but prices for the shoes I list below ranged from $10 to $40. I consider $20 on the high side, but reasonable for toddler shoes. Really -- they need something simple to cover their feed that doesn't bind or constrain (or slip!)

We started out with Robeez at the recommendation of my sister-in-law. Aren't they cute??? Noelle outgrew them before she really wore them out (or before she progressed beyond toddling and needed something with a more serious grip.
I knew she needed a rubber sole, but wanted flexible, so the next pair of shoes we tried were http://www.preschoolians.com. There were a few gotcha's: her feet are wide (aren't all toddler feet wide?) so the first pair I ordered, a plain mary jane, wouldn't fit and I had to exchange them for a different style, a "sport mary jane" They wore out before she outgrew them. The strap was an odd design. Instead of being stitched on one side and velcro/buckle/snap on the other, there was a piece of elastic that ran (and rubbed) through a d-ring. Finally, the shoes were just a bit pricey and their web site is a nightmare. I would have tried another pair but couldn't find a style I liked that I was confident would fit her feet.
Next I stumbled across a brand called http://www.pedoodles.com. I tred their "1-2 years" shoes which had an interesting sole of leather with rubber non-skid inserts. Oooooh, bad idea. Within a few weeks, the leather had worn away and there was a big gaping hole in the bottom of one shoe. I can't recommend these for toddlers on their feet all day! In addition, the design had a separate piece of leather inside the shoe. This would not stay affixed in one of the shoes and kept moving around and coming out. Another disappointment.
At the same time as I got the pedoodles, I found the http://www.beeksqueaky.com shoes in a local store and gave them a try. They lasted a bit longer and were quite popular with the younger crowd. And plus, mighty convenient when grocery shopping . . . They, too, started falling appart before she outgrew them (noticing a trend here?) We got these in a hot pink. I don't think the flowers survived more than a few weeks, but the shoes lasted a lot longer
I found these Papush toddler walking shoes at http://www.overstock.com and really liked them. Good price, too and they've lasted a while (in good shape still and she's just outgrown them!) The sizing is confusing, though. Sadly Overstock no longer has them, although it does appear you can get them at http://thebabyoutlet.com
So, it turns out that those squeaky shoes are made in China and that lots of people sell them. I found great pricing on both leather and brocade versions at http://www.borninmommysheart.com. No half-sizes, unfortunately, but they'll do! Some other good sources: http://www.TinyBirdsOrganics.com, http://chinadirectstore.com (and their ebay auctions)

A few other brands I didn't check out, but which looked promising include:

See Kai Run
Pedoodles Next Steps Collection
Puddle Jumpers (hmmm, these sure look a lot like the inexpensive squeaky shoes above!)
-- HeatherSherman - 06 Feb 2006
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