I think I've been had.
I thought that my child could have one pair of sandals for the summer. Apparently, her feet think differently.
My daughter's poor big toe was hitting her pink sandals to the point of almost curling. That's when I realized, ok, I can't hold out.
I'm into quality. Shoes are super important to me for the tot as I feel quality shoes equal good balance and good development.
But I'm also cheap and the idea of buying $50+ shoes that will only last 2-3 months tops drives me bonkers.
It also drives me nuts that you can't really buy shoes in advance at this age because you really don't know why size their feet will be.
The topper though is that every shoe company has their own sizing chart. Are you kidding me? They really don't make it easy for a parent to buy shoes.
Well, I measure my kid's feet at home with this foot chart doodad I got from one of the brands we buy. Then I convert it to inches or centimeters and use that as a guide.
Still I also get the foot measured at a store for good measure.
Then I hunt like a crazy one for sales and deals.
I do this usually before the start of the new season so that TG has the right feet apparel for the season.
Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of time for her second pair of sandals.
So I resigned myself to the knowledge we'd hit a SR and just pick up a pair for the rest of the summer.
I have this thing about SR. I don't like their shoes. I don't know why. Maybe it's the style. Maybe it's the lack of color. Maybe it's just a psychological thing. I will however, use them as a end of season back up. They are cheap enough and they are easily accessible.
So we went to SR for a quick run in and out to get a pair of end of summer sandals for TG. Well, we get there, they measure her foot. I ask them to measure both as they grow at different lengths and the lady kept trying to tell me to calm down and that she will do both. Now, I must have sounded rushed as I was so I apologized and let her do her thing.
DH: I think this one is an eight.
Saleslady: No, you look on the other side. She's a 7.
DH: But she is a 7 now.
Saleslady: Different shoes have different sizes.
DH: Oh, Ok.
Saleslady: Buy her a 7.5.
Now, I will be honest. I measured my child's foot the week before and I calculated in my head she should be an 8 but I was in such a haze and rush I chalked it up to my math being wrong so I didn't question it.
Well, my kid maybe the only kid that hates shoe shopping. It's not that she dislikes it but she really doesn't like to try on shoes.
We finally picked a pair she seemed to like it and I asked DH to check to make sure the toes felt good. We brought them to the register and we paid $38.00 for them. Usually we get a cheaper cost pair at SR but we were in a rush so we paid and left.
Now I'm having remorse over the shoes. I really think she's an 8. I had her try the shoes on again and her toes only have maybe a quarter inch room from the tip.
DH at first thought I was being neurotic. I think he still thinks I am as he woke up at 3am and found me at the front door with a measuring tape and 3 pairs of TG's shoes. Now he says he is going to see if he can exchange them.
I feel like we were had because that measurement was clearly off and I feel like she told us to buy a size that just fit her now so that we could come back sooner to buy another pair. I don't know why I feel this way instead of her just making an honest mistake but it's just a gut feeling I've been having for a few days. It may very well be my feelings about SR to begin with so I tried to keep quiet about it.
Because she's sans shoes now, except for rain boots and water shoes, she's wearing these hand me down Land's End sandals that are a little too big for her but the straps keep them nice and snug. I honestly don't know what size the LE sandals are but she walks fine with them and I prefer the extra room so they may actually fit. Worst comes to worse, she's wearing those bad boys until September.
