Why Robeez?
By: R.J. Ramzi
My Mother, being the sentimental type, likes to keep mementos of my childhood. One day she took her box of mementos out and as I was looking through each item I came across a pair of my little booties. I was very intrigued by them, especially now that I'm a father. These particular booties had soles that were as hard as a rock. I mean you could barely even bend them. I guess back in the day soft soles were not important, but let me tell you, according to my wife, they are all the rage now! From the first day that Cohen was born, all we heard from our friends were that we had to get him a pair of Robeez (and by the way, that's pronounced Rob, as in Robert; and Eez, as in ease), the greatest soft-soled shoes on the market. Neither my wife nor I had ever heard of Robeez so we went to the source, the Internet. We did a quick little Google Search and found some great information on Robeez, such as:
As your baby's feet are developing, walking barefoot helps toes get a better grip and develops foot strength. And contrary to popular belief, a baby doesn't actually need support from shoes. The foot's muscles are well equipped to do the job.
While being barefoot is best, sometimes it just isn't practical. Your baby's tender feet need protection from rough surfaces and cooler temperatures.
Soft soles allow movement so the foot can be flexible, while still offering a protective, comfortable layer. Robeez suede soles are also skid-resistant, while the leather is flexible, soft and breathable.
This information was backed up with quotes from podiatrists, pediatricians and several other research institutions. After reading all this, I wondered if Robeez were some sort of special "unattractive" baby shoe, but as I perused the Internet, I learned that they are actually some of the best looking shoes I've ever seen. They have so many design choices for both boys and girls, including cherries, puppies, cupcakes, pastel flowers, party bows, lady bugs, frogs, tulips, baby chicks and several colors of sandals, which are great for summer.
Given all the benefits of Robeez, it's clear that we need to get a pair for Cohen. So now comes the tough decision of which ones. Will it be the frogs or the puppies? Maybe both as my wife says, that way we can match them with different outfits. Next thing we know Cohen's going to have more Robeez in his closet than we have shoes in ours. I doubt my parents were this fashion conscious with me when I was a baby.
