I always had Clarks shoes as a child as my mum was a firm believer in wearing good quality shoes while your feet develop to prevent problems when you are older.

Clarks are a well known shoe brand and you can get the shoes in the shop which you will find on a lot of high streets or online. My daughter got her first pair of shoes for her first birthday. As she was only crawling and starting to stand she had to have cruising shoes. These particular shoes have soft flexible bottoms which protect little toes while crawling but also allow for foot support when your child takes their first steps. The first time I took my daughter I was pleased with the selection of shoes. I decidwd against pink as I notice most little girls seem to have pink shoes. The lady measured my daughters feet and then brought put a selection of shoes for us to try on. In the end we settled for a white pair which were half leather half patent and hadlittle silver dots and glittery bits. The shoes had a buckle which was was made of plastic and easy to fasten. I was worried thag white shoes would get dirty however the bottoms of them were easily wiped. My daughter crawled for the whole time we had these shoes so the toes took the brunt of the wear however as the toes curl upwards to protect your little ones feet they still looked good after 4 months wear. The second time we went to Clarks my lazy girl still didn't walk so she had to have anpthwr ceuiaing pair. Clarks say there should be 3 months growing room in the shoes so I didn't mind paying £26 again. This time we picked a leather pair in 'anthracite' which was a lovely purple colour. The shoes fastened with velcro and had little flowers sewn on them, the lining of the shoes was also floral. Clarks still stock this particular shoe which is called 'ida'. Again the shoes had a flexible sole. My daughter started taking some shaky steps after we bought these. I felt confident her feet were well supported. The soles even though they are bendy are quite cushioned . The bottoms have a bubble type pattern on them which provides a little grip on slippery floors. These shoes lasted us just 2 months as even though my daughters feet hadn't changed size she was walking confidently so needed the next shoes. These shoes took a bashing the leather was scuffed in places but luckily Clarks stock polish for all of their shoes so even though they were an unusual colour there was polish available. The only downside to these shoes is that as they were velcro my daughter liked to remove them and throw them!

Once my daughter was walking confidently we were ready for the next shoes which are 'walking' shoes. These have harder soles and the woman in the shop advised these were necessary once your child can walk 10 or more steps confidently. This time we had a wider choice of shoes there were more styles and colours and much to my daughters delight light up shoes! This timw we chose a black patent style. After last time we chose a buckle style to avoid losing them! The shoes have pattern bottoms which my little girl loves they have monkeys and hearts all over the bottom. The heel of the shoe has three red hearts which light up as she walks. The shoes also have flowers embroidered over the front. These shoes are still hardwearing as they still have a slighyly upturned toe to avoid scuffs. My daughter was a late walker so she is only now confident to have walk outside. After month of daily wear they look as good as new. The lights fascinate her and I have caught her hitting the bottoms with her hand to make them light up. The most recent shoes cost £30.

We love Clarks shoes. They come in a variety of sizes and width fittings. They are more expensive than other shoes but as they are worn daily I think it's worth the extra price. Everytime we have been in the shop the staff are helpful. There are a good range of colours and styles so there is something to suit all tastes.