We were recently asked if we would like to review a pair of Skeanie Shoes and we were of course happy to oblige. MissB is developing a bit of a shoe obsession (like her mummy) and loves getting new shoes. All I needed to do was print off their sizing chart from the website and choose which pair of shoes we’d like. We opted for these lovely looking red riding boots as I thought it would be nice to have something different to what every other child at MissB’s nursery is wearing (we like to be different :) )

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When the boots first arrived, I was amazed at how lovely, soft and flexible they were. I was initially a little concerned about the thin soles of the Skeanie Shoes but having read the following on their website, it makes sense…

“SKEANIE shoes and boots are designed to nurture and protect little feet, hand-crafted from high quality eco-leather. At birth, feet are mostly cartilage and the last bone doesn’t form until the child is about 3 years old. Even throughout childhood, their feet are soft and pliable, making them prone to damage from abnormal pressure, such as ill-fitting shoes.

More than 80% of foot problems, bunions and injuries are a result of misshaped and inflexible shoes! Research shows that soles over 6mm thick prevent approx 80 percent of a child’s foot flexibility, hindering a normal step sequence.

As well as providing room for natural growth, SKEANIE’s soft soled shoes allow sensory feedback from the ground, which is especially important for little ones learning to walk and getting to know their surroundings. Research shows that young ones who wear flat, soft soled shoes have improved proprioception, balance and foot and ankle strength.”

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The minute MissB saw her new boots, it was love at first sight. They were straight on her feet and we had difficulty persuading her that she couldn’t wear them in the bath. As soon as she was out of the bath they had to go straight back on with her pyjamas. We did manage to get them off her to go to bed though thank goodness :)

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Of course the true test of any pair of shoes is whether they can handle the adventures of MissB. She has been wearing them every day to nursery for the last week and they are bearing up well. MissB is not the daintiest of little girls, if there is something to climb on or jump in, she will and so her shoes need to able to withstand a lot of abuse. The only small issue I had was that the insole of one of the boots came out on the first day of wearing them but I just put this back in and it hasn’t fallen out again.

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The red riding boots sell for £39.99 which I admit is more than I’d usually spend on a pair of shoes for a toddler but if the research is correct and they really are better for their feet than more traditional thick soled shoes then I guess it’s worth it :) We will have to see how long the shoes last in comparison to more traditional shoes but unless I waited 4-5 months to write this review I can’t tell you that just now – but so far so good :)

Skeanie currently have a competition to win a pair of Skeanie Shoes over on their facebook page, simply enter your details into the competition tab and you never know you could win a pair for your child :)