Buying shoes for children is a never ending battle. If it’s not trying to find the right shoe that fits your child’s abnormally large feet (just me then?), it’s the fact that shoes don’t often last a few months – no matter how often you rotate. They also don’t often stand up against an active toddler and wear thin very quick.

I’ve lost count how many pairs of shoes we’ve bought T in the past month. He has certain pairs for nursery (not including wellies!) which are usually second hand, and other pairs for ‘home-only’ or long days out, as well as one pair of ‘proper’ shoes for special occasions. It sounds excessive, but I cannot dress how quickly T destroys shoes or simply outgrows them.

Chipmunks footwear

A few weeks ago, we were invited to try out a pair of wellies and a pair of ‘proper’ boots from the extensive range at Chipmunks Footwear. Although I was familiar with the brand, I hadn’t got round to shopping with them just yet.

Whilst browsing their shop, I was really impressed with the variety available when it came to design and, to be blunt, cost! Most wellies ranged between £16 and £20, shoes and boots went up to £30, and their adorable slippers start at as little as £12! Welly designs are bright and bold – with patterns ranging from robots to pirates (or plain if you’d prefer), and boots ranged from desert-style boots to slip on simple school-like shoes.

Test Run

We decided to go with the ‘Robbie’ design when it came to wellies, and the ‘Ranch’ design when it came to the boots. When they arrived, we were automatically drawn to the quality of the boots and how well made both pairs looked. It was perfect timing when the wellies arrived, as the country had just had a ton of snow deposited overnight.

With the wellies, I was immediately drawn to how seamless they were. A lot of other wellies we’ve experienced always seem to have an obvious join between the boot and the sole (running the risk of creating tears and holes!). These were made of a thick rubber, and the bonus handles on the rims are a delightful addition to the design. It also means T had an easier time putting his wellies on himself!

A post shared by LesBeMums (@lesbemums) on Mar 19, 2018 at 4:32am PDT

Surprisingly, although I had ordered T’s current size, they’re actually really roomy – which made a pleasant change to what we’re usually presented with. I’m not sure whether this is because Chipmunks are being generous in their sizes to compensate for large/abnormal feet or whether they’re simply offering room for thick socks, but I was delighted nonetheless. After an hour in the snow we then went home, and upon taking the wellies off I felt that T’s feet were still nice and warm and cozy.

A few weeks later was when we had the perfect chance to wear in T’s smart boots. Off to a family gathering, T donned a smart shirt, some smart-casual-toddler-friendly chinos, and his new boots. Again, these felt really soft on the inside (I was worried whether boots like these would need wearing in at home to reduce rubbing, but this was not the case) and were super smart. I also appreciated the decent tread underneath as it meant T could have a play in the garden.

I have been pleasantly surprised with Chipmunks. Not that I expected to be disappointed, but when you have a toddler with awkward shaped feet you don’t put your hopes up too high! I will certainly be shopping with Chipmunks again, not just for the funky designs available (which I wish came in adult sizes), but the fact that you clearly get value for money. I was really impressed with the quality.

T loves his ‘Bot Boots’!

We were provided with the boots mentioned in this post in exchange for an honest review, however all thoughts, opinions, and images are our own.