Rileyroos Review

One thing I've always loved for looking at for babies are baby shoes - I love that baby shoes are so small and they remind me of precious baby feet and toes that go in them!  So, needless to say I was looking forward to reviewing a pair of Rileyroos for baby-to-be!

Rileyroos was created to provide parents with stylish and developmentally friendly shoes for their children.  Rileyroos focuses on creating shoes for little feet that are comfortable and easy to wear, while remaining stylish; Rileyroos is a perfect marriage of European and American design.  Since I've heard a number of benefits on barefoot walking, I thought it was interesting that Rileyroos actually designs their shoes to imitate barefoot walking.

I love the Rileyroos slogan, "Dreams start small..."!

Rileyroos are unique because they are lightweight and because of their flexible and rubber padded soles that are designed to curl just above the toes to help provide traction for crawling and newly walking babies.  Plus, all of Rileyroos shoes are made with eco-friendly recycled materials - even the packaging you receive your Rileyroos in is made from recycled paper.

Review
I received a pair of Rileyroos Bailey shoes in the colour Rain and size 3-6 months to review.  Since we don't know the gender of baby-to-be but do know we'll need little shoes for Fall & Spring, I wanted to pick a pair of Rileyroos that would be gender neutral and good to use for both seasons.

Although this may seem strange, the first thing I noticed and loved about these shoes was the box that they came in.  As I mentioned before, the box is made from recycled materials, which I love!  But, it is also super cute and perfect for giving as a gift or for collecting little treasures or memories in afterwards.  Since the top of the box has a ribbon handle, I could also see this box doubling as a little purse for the princess in your life!  The box has a see through circle with an embedded footprint design in the front, which allows you to see the shoes.  If you are sending Rileyroos as a gift in the mail, there is little need to worry that the shoes will get damaged since the box is very sturdy!

Now on to the actual shoes themselves... The Bailey shoes (rain) that I received are made from a lovely soft suede leather material.  They also come in a Cocoa leather (not suede) option.  The lining of the shoe is also made from a soft leather to ensure that the shoe is breathable.  Although the shoes are listed under 'BOYS', I thought these shoes were gender neutral and could easily be worn by a baby girl or boy!

The Bailey shoes seem that they would work well for Spring or Fall days.  They are a boot-style shoe, which means they'll be a bit warmer than some other Rileyroos styles.  I likely wouldn't use them in the summer, expect for on cool summer nights.  The Bailey shoes do not have any insulating materials; they are made from only leather (exterior and interior).  They are designed to have good heel support, while remaining comfortable for little feet.

I really like the flexible bottoms that the Rileyroos offer.  The soles have two separate rubber portions that make flexing the foot, getting up and down (crawling), and walking a little bit easier and more natural.  The soles seem to be thin enough to allow babies to feel the floor beneath them but thick enough to protect their sensitive feet!  After testing the Bailey shoes out, they seem to have very good slip resistance, which makes them perfect for walking on just about any surface!

I took a close look at the workmanship of these shoes and they seem to be well made.  The stitching seems strong,  which will hopefully mean that these shoes will last the test of time.  I did notice a couple of areas with stitching imperfections but they have no effect on the actually quality of the shoe.

Overall, I really liked the style and functionality of these shoes.  These shoes are adorable and I like that they pay attention to the development of children's feet and their developmental activities (e.g. crawling and walking).  I also love the fact that Rileyroos pays attention to the environment by using recycled materials for both their shoes and their packaging materials.  I am definitely looking forward to using these shoes with our new baby!

One thing that I wish that Rileyroos did differently is produce their shoes locally (in North America).  Rileyroos are currently produced in China.  Although this would not stop me from purchasing their product, I would feel better purchasing a shoe that was made in North America. 

I would also like to see Rileyroos offer more styles (the styles they do offer are super cute but I'd love more choice) and a section dedicated to gender neutral shoes.  As I mentioned at the beginning of my article, I love baby shoes and I would love to have the option to purchase more gender neutral pairs of myself or for friends who are having babies but are not finding out the gender.

Finally, Rileyroos are regularly priced starting at $32!  Although I may buy a pair or two at this price, I wish there were a few lower priced options.

Rileyroos fit children from newborn to 24 months.  To find complete sizing information, visit the Rileyroos 'Sizing' page.  This page also includes a printable sizing chart and tips on how to measure your child's foot. 

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Do you want to buy of pair of Bailey Rileyroos for your little one or for a friend?  The Bailey shoes are currently selling in the Rileyroos store for 30% off - $25.50!  Gift certificates are available online for purchase.  Or, to find a store near you that sells Rileyroos products, visit the 'Find a Store' page.

**Disclaimer** To complete this review and post this giveaway, Rileyroos sent me a pair of Bailey baby shoes free of charge. Receiving this item did not in anyway alter the information which I discussed in this article; this review is 100% my own opinion. I did not receive any other type of compensation for this review/giveaway.

 

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