Sole Mates

Aidan wears: Kid and Kind new rainbow long sleeve shirt, $34.95, augustboutique.co.nz; Little Flock of Horrors patch leggings in grey marle, $58, lfoh.net; Vans classic slip-on in black and white checkerboard, $69.90, smithandcaugheys.co.nz.

Tatiana wears: Je T’aime Maman zebra tee, $30, visit Je T'aime Maman Haute Cuter on Facebook; Carbon Soldier Piha pant, $64.99, kidrepublic.co.nz; Mini Melissa IT shoes in black, $89, kizclub.co.nz; Diamante bear headband, $14.90, Seed Heritage, Auckland.

Aidan wears: Timothy short in O’Brien blue, $32.95, and Star Wars Yoda cap, $18.95, both from Cotton On KIDS; Feather 4 Arrow Radical T-shirt in Caribbean, $34.95, augustboutique.co.nz; Chooze control shoes, $74.95, bugalugz.co.nz.

Tatiana wears: Little Flock of Horrors flip skirt in seafoam teeth, $46, lfoh.net; Munster downpour tee in coral, $49.99, and Vans slip-on polka in hot coral, $59.99, both from kidrepublic.co.nz.

Tatiana wears: White spot cardigan in navy, $15, Kmart; Sweet Jane play bloomers in violet floral, $25, thefamilycompany.co.nz; Bobux precious metal sandal in taupe, $75, bobux.co.nz.

Aidan wears: Jordy short in O’Brien blue/flowers, $32.95, Cotton On KIDS; Three Bags Full stag merino top in navy, $49, threebagsfull.co.nz; Freycoo Joey toddler shoes, $49.95, twolittlefeet.co.nz.

Aidan wears: Lion T-shirt in vintage white, $29.90, Seed Heritage, Auckland; Mobi Minors pocket jeggings in true navy, $15.99, The Baby Factory; Olly trainer in white, $29.95, Cotton On KIDS.

Tatiana wears: Foil spot cardigan, $69.90, Seed Heritage, Auckland; Ricochet long leggings in ink and white chevron, $9.99, babyfactory.co.nz; Freycoo little bow sandals, $49.95, twolittlefeet.co.nz.

Clockwise from Top Left: Bobux Hiwire in flame, $85, and Bobux Tetra in aqua, $80, both from bobux.co.nz.
TOMS classic canvas shoes in navy and pink, $54.95 a pair, naturebaby.co.nz.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker in black and pink, $65 a pair, converse.co.nz.
Little Blue Lamb Birthday Boy and Birthday Girl sandals, $41.95 a pair, bugalugz.co.nz

When choosing the right shoe for your child, Julie from Bugalugz says never rely on shoe size alone – studies have found that shoe sizes are largely inconsistent, some by up to 2cm. The only reliable way to find the right size is to measure your child's feet and then measure the innersole length of the shoes you're looking at, making sure there is enough 'wiggle room'. This means about 5mm for toddlers with feet smaller than 15cm, and 1 to 1.5cm for toddlers with feet longer than 15cm, confident walkers and older children.
For more information on sizing, visit bugalugz.co.nz.

Designed to explore
Research has shown that as children transition from baby to toddler, barefoot is best for taking those precious first steps. But protecting your child's soft skin when you are out and about is also important. This is where the Bobux Xplorer shoe comes in. This innovative shoe recently won a prestigious Red Dot Award for product design, thanks to the successful symbiosis of a soft first shoe and a stable walking shoe, giving it the ability to mimic the feel of walking barefoot.
Bobux Xplorer Origin in Plaster/Black, $50, bobux.co.nz.