's New Shoes

August 22, 2004

Hmmmmm.....that was very interesting to me. It is funny how one task

can be completed in such different ways. Your reply was helpful. I think it

is interesting that you experiment with the strap tightness like that. Let me

know what you figure out.

Kaitlin's toes don't really reach the bottom strap so it doesn't make

a difference how loose or tight it is. I keep the middle strap the tightest

and the top strap looser because her calves looked like they were growing

faster (in width) than her ankles. The top straps were never that tight on her

either, I mean I can always put a finger between the strap and her leg. But the

way her legs looked reminded me of how her thighs would grow around the cast.

Like, I could always see a grow line after the cast came off. It is the same

with the shoes, but it isn't swelling. Maybe they come up further on

her because they are so big in comparison to her legs?

I see what you are saying about pulling the middle strap taught before

settling the tongue, I kind of try to do that, but the tongue is so big

compared to her foot that it's difficult. I thought about trimming the shoes,

but

what if I trim them and when she grows into them there isn't enough leather

later? Was that ever a problem for you after you trimmed Everett's shoes

before? Do his heels sit against the back/bottom of the shoe completely?

Kaitlin doesn't stand yet (or sit really) she is 5 months old. I wish

I had a 3rd hand too! She won't stay off of her belly for longer than a few

seconds and while I have no problem sticking a diaper on her backwards, I just

can't get the shoes on that way no matter how hard I try! :-)

Freeman

August 22, 2004

:

Ha, Everett likes to chew on his straps too - it hadn't occured to me that was

why the old straps were stiff on the ends (and easier to buckle cuz of it).

Maybe I need to dip these new ones in jelly or something.

Ya, and you're right about the little cleats!

The way I'm finding to apply these new shoes is to seat the foot, then strap in

the toe strap real tight first. Then I smooth out the tongue best I can, pull

the strap over it - well, this is hard to describe - I smooth out the tongue,

then pull the middle strap more up and then over, so it's already good and tight

before I lay it down on the tongue. This way I " m not bunching up the tongue as

I pull the strap across it. I hold all that real secure and use my 3rd hand (I

WISH! HAHAH!) I told it all secure as I can as I slip the end through the

buckle and reach the right hole. We had to add holes, too. What I am trying to

avoid is having the leather strap pull directly across the tongue because of the

friction created by leather rubbing across leather.

I pretty much do the same with the top strap - lay it all in place then pull

the strap up and then over the top rather than just skidding it across where the

fiction causes the leather to bunch up. I'm going to give it a few days but

then I may do some trimming. I trimmed some away from the first pair. This is

only our 2nd night in these shoes but I THINK I am noticing that if the toe

strap and the ankle/leg strap are good and tight the middle strap doesn't have

to be as tight...not sure, still experimenting. Does your child stand up yet?

I notice the shoes fit differently between a sitting position and standing

position (better in a stand).

The potential good news is that with our last pair, they broke in rather quickly

and were a breeze to apply once they did.

Hope some of that helps.

s.

Re: Re: what do you think?

Thanks for the reply. We got the 's a few weeks ago. We must

have the new design also. I never saw the old type and I wasn't sure if he

had redesigned them since we got them. They are like high tops..I agree with

the part about the leather bunching up. I can never get the tongue to the top

strap to lay flat unless it is over the middle buckle and I don't think that

is where it belongs. Can you get it under the middle buckle without buckling

the middle buckle second? (does that question make sense?) The tread is

painful...kinda like getting kicked with little cleets. I haven't had difficulty

with the buckles, but maybe it is because Kaitlin has sucked on the leather

straps so much they are hard on the ends and easier to pull through. I know

that sounds silly, but I can't figure out how to get her to stop sucking on

the darn things. Her shoes are a bit big and the straps dangle a few inches..(we

had to add extra holes if that tells you anything) so she puts her feet up

and bats at the straps or sucks on them. Any suggestions for that one?

Freeman

August 23, 2004

Our first set of shoes were HUGE. Everett was about 2 months old by

then, but he's also a small baby by nature. He had about an inch between his

toe and the end of the shoe so wrapping that tongue around his foot was

impossible, there was simply too much tongue. I shortened it. He wore those

shoes for about 8 or 9 months (I dont' keep the records like some parents do

regarding all this stuff) - but the shortened tongue never caused any problem

because it was all so form-fitted by then where the leather had shaped to his

foot.

What size are they? Did you send him measurments and he still made it that

huge? It might concern me if the toe strap wasn't working on the toe-area to

hold the foot in place. I notice this new pair has a size 2 stamped on ours.

As for the heel being seated all the way back, no it doesn't. Never did in the

previous pair either, especially at first, in fact I could slip a pencil through

those holes in one side and out the other never touching his foot - but I notice

as he stands in them now the heel does go down and in better. I figure if the

heel is seated when I strap them on and then it moves away a little bit once I'm

done it is probably OK....this assumption being based on the fact we just went

though those 8 or 9 months like that and Ponseti said Everett's feet were doing

very good, I think he even reduced our hours a little earlier than he reduces

some babies. We picked up our shoes in Iowa the other day. Mr. and

Dr. Ponseti both saw the way the old pair fit when we arrived and how the new

pair fit when we left, so I guess I feel comfortable that they'll be OK.

If it matters or not I don't know, but sitting down the old pair fit perfect,

when he stood (and he stands quite a bit) his toes hung over the edge. Maybe

try getting your girl on her feet with your 4th hand (haha) and see how her feet

look in them when she bears weight. Does she not like to sit up? I found the

bar helped Evertt sit up. He's always like to be upright though, he's been

standing nearly since birth.

This morning one foot had the pink area on the top of the foot and around the

front of his leg slightly - still nothing worrisome but it just tells me I still

haven't found the exact place to buckle them yet.

I think this whole process is a lot of hit-n-miss. I miss the ease of the old

pair, but I remind myself that they weren't that easy that first week when we

got them.

Good Luck.

s.

Re: 's New Shoes