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12-month-old9-month-oldbabyfootwearinfant caremillennial mom
Baby wearing soft-soled booties sitting on a hardwood floor

The Barefoot Myth and Why You Actually Need Baby Slippers

It was 2018, and I was standing in a ridiculously overpriced baby boutique in downtown Seattle wearing leggings that hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine in at least a week. I was holding my lukewarm vanilla latte in...

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12-month-oldbaby shoesdevelopmental milestonesfirst walkersfootwearinfant health
Priya holding a flexible baby boy shoe in a messy Chicago apartment

The brutal truth about buying baby boy shoes for early walkers

My mother-in-law showed up on a Tuesday with stiff leather high-tops because she said my son's ankles were going to collapse without support. An hour later, a mom influencer on my feed claimed that putting anything other than raw, unbleached...

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11-month-oldfatherhoodfootwearmillennialnatural fibersorganic
Dad holding a tiny sheepskin winter boot next to an 11-month-old baby.

Dear Past Marcus: The Truth About the Ugg Baby Boot Obsession

It's 4:12 PM on a rainy Tuesday in late November, and you're sweating completely through your flannel shirt while crouched on the mudroom floor trying to shove an angry, curled-up infant foot into a ridiculously expensive miniature sheepskin tube. You're...

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11-month-oldbabybaby clothesbaby shoesfootwearparenting humor
Dad holding an 11-month-old baby wearing tiny flexible sneakers at a park

A clueless dad's guide to buying Nike baby shoes and apparel

We're at Washington Park in Portland, and the temperature is exactly 62.4 degrees. The sky has that flat, gray, overcast quality that makes for decent smartphone photos, which is great, because I've dressed my 11-month-old son like a backup dancer...

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11-month-oldbaby shoeseco-friendlyfirst walkersfootwearparenting humor
A pile of baby shoes never worn sitting next to a barefoot 11-month-old

Baby Shoes Never Worn: Why Barefoot Is Always The Smart Move

I'm currently sitting cross-legged on the floor of our hallway in Portland, staring at a plastic storage bin filled to the brim with tiny, immaculate, aggressively rigid footwear. It’s raining outside, the house is hovering at exactly 68.4 degrees because...

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12-month-oldbaby shoesfirst walkersfootwearorganic clothingpediatrician
A barefoot baby pulling to stand next to a pair of flexible first walker shoes.

The Real Deal on Finding Walking Shoes for Babies

I was standing in the middle of the Target shoe aisle with my oldestβ€”who's now four and still an absolute terror, bless his heartβ€”when I realized I had three completely different voices echoing in my head about what to put...

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Babyearly developmentfootwearorganicsummer play
A stressed mom holding a tiny pair of baby sandals next to an iced coffee.

Dear Past Me: A Messy Open Letter About Buying Baby Sandals

Dear Sarah from last May, You're currently sitting on the cold linoleum floor of aisle 14 at Target. You're wearing those embarrassing faded black leggings with the tiny hole near the left knee, holding a venti iced cold brew that's...

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90s nostalgiababy shoesearly developmentfootwearmillennialstyling guide
A frustrated toddler sitting on mulch wearing unlaced baby blue Jordans and holding a Kianao blanket.

Why I Regret (And Still Love) Buying Baby Blue Jordans For My Kid

It was Tuesday, 2:14 PM, and the sun was absolutely baking the squishy rubber flooring at Centennial Park. I was wearing leggings that hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine since Sunday and an oversized Nirvana tee with a...

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90s nostalgiaBabyfootwearsafe playtoddler shoes
Toddler wearing small cork sandals on grass

The Great Debate Over Baby Birkenstocks And Tiny Cork Sandals

My mother-in-law sent me a link to some terrifying, Victorian-looking orthopaedic boots at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday, insisting the twins needed them the second they pulled themselves up to stand. That same afternoon, my NCT mateβ€”a lovely woman who...

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