livie and luca

one of my favorite "splurge" items for my toddler is shoes. while i try to get most of his necessities re-used and re-cycled, i always splurge on brand-spanking new shoes. why? mostly because his little feeties will be in them everyday and i want him to be comfortable and steady on his feet. ok...the real reason is because i find toddler shoes overwhelmingly adorable and i can't help myself. i haven't bought myself a new pair of shoes in over 5 years, but this little guy has a bucket full of them! i know lots of parents think shoes are a waste of money because kids outgrow them so fast, but that has not been my experience. in fact, my little guy's feet aren't growing fast enough to get into the new shoes he has waiting on him...but enough about that.

my current favorites are from a great bay area company called livie and luca. i just adore this company! if you haven't seen their designs running around your local playground yet, you must check them out. from their website, "livie and luca shoes are made from the softest leather, allowing the feet to breathe. they also have a super flexible and lightweight sole, which helps with stability and coordination as they navigate the playground." their baby and toddler shoes run from american size 3.5 to size 10 and generally fit pre-walkers to preschool aged children.

at my house we love the hoots design...and since anything owl themed is all the rage in the fashion world these days, your tyke will be super-styling. i also find them educational, as it is very fun to practice the sign language for owl every time you put the shoes on! but if owls aren't your cup-of-tea, don't fret! they have designs for budding chef's, mini businessmen, and zany zoologists....but the soccer designs are sure to have your little fan screaming "SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!"

and if their fresh and funky designs weren't enough, they are also a company with a conscience! visit their site for all the ways they are treading lightly. a few of my favorites are: reusable cloth bags are used to package online orders, non-toxic glue is used in the production of the shoes and each month, 10% of the profits from their online sales go to a unique charity.

please do check out livie and luca....a smile is sure to follow!

*amy