Below are some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that you can't find the answer for, contact us and we will get back to you with an answer!
STAGES
We design our shoes to see children through their foot development, which we’ve developed into five stages: Soft Sole for babies and crawling, Xplorer for cruising and learning to walk, Step Up for first walkers, I-Walk for confident walkers and toddlers, and Kid+ for active kids.
At each stage, the structure of the foot is different, the level of activity is different - so the shoes have to be different, too. You should consider three things when finding the right Bobux stage range for your child: Their shoe size, their level of activity and the structure of their feet.
You can read all about the different stages in our helpful stage overview or read below for a few quick tips.
Bum shuffling, tummy rolling, sitting and starting to crawl. Crawlers haven’t yet tried to stand, they’re just starting to explore the world on all fours. They’re curious to experience the world around them, touching and grabbing as they drag themselves around on their tummies or lie on their backs and kick their feet. The journey is only just beginning.
Read more about our soft sole stage in our Soft Sole guide.
Cruisers aren’t quite standing by themselves yet, but they’re starting to pull themselves up on furniture. They can stand when supported and are excited and curious to see the world at a new angle. With nothing to hold on to, they prefer to crawl around on all fours, but will soon be taking their earliest solo steps.
Read more about the Xplorer stage in our Xplorer stage guide.
At this stage children are still learning to walk confidently, so they might wibble and wobble and look off balance. They’re starting to explore on their own and, though they may topple over backwards onto their bums at times, they’re capable of picking themselves up and carrying on. Their joints are still forming, so their cute little feet point outwards and their chubby little legs don’t yet bend as they walk.
Read more about the Step Up stage in our Step Up stage guide.
It seems as soon as children can walk confidently they want to run and jump and play. Kids at this stage are now walking confidently without falling over, they’re starting to run around more and might occasionally jump onto things. They’re a tiny ball of energy, bursting from surface to surface as they learn to move more confidently.
Read more about the I-Walk stage in our I-Walk stage guide.
Kids at this stage are now running confidently, jumping, skipping, starting and stopping with ease. They kick balls and play, dance and jump rope. Their movements are faster and more coordinated. They’re becoming socially aware, making friends and playing with their peers. Their minds are growing as they learn to process the world around them and their space within it more quickly and they become more aware of their own movements.
Read more about the Kid+ stage in our Kid+ stage guide.
SIZING
Children develop at different rates, some are walking while others are still finding their feet. For each of our stage ranges we develop a broad range of sizes to help find the perfect fit for your kids. Whatever your child’s stage, whatever their age, there’s a Bobux shoe for them.
If you’re not sure what stage is suited to your child, take a look at our sizing and fitting guide.
Yes! Bobux shoes are designed to include a little extra ‘wiggle room’, so sizing might seem larger than other brands. If your child measures at the beginning of a Bobux size, they’ll have around 14mm of space between their foot and the end of the shoe, allowing them 7mm of growth and 7mm of wiggle room. Your child’s toes should never be touching the end of the shoe.
On average, kids’ feet grow by about 2-3 sizes in a year with the rate decreasing as they get older. To ensure they are always in the correct sized shoes, we recommend measuring your children’s feet every six to eight weeks. To get an accurate measurement, you can refer to our sizing and fitting guide, or pop into a local Bobux stockist to get your child expertly fitted in store.
All Bobux shoes are one standard width, which is slightly wider than average, between an F-G fitting. However, some styles are more adjustable to suit a range of foot widths and shapes. Styles with double strap-closure for example can be more effectively loosened to fit wider feet, and tightened to fit narrower feet.
Open-toe sandals and sandals with less structure in the heel allow feet to sit further back than they would in shoes and boots. When shopping for Bobux sandals, consider the size your child currently wears, and how soon they’ll need to go up a size. As a rule of thumb, if your child has only just moved into their current size, opt for sandals in the size below, and if your child is about to go up a size, stick with sandals in their current size. Below are some more specific style based instructions:
Open toe, closed back sandals
Sandals with an open toe and closed back fit half a size larger than a Bobux shoe. So if you measure your child’s feet and find they’re at the upper end of their size bracket, they’ll be fine in that size. If they’re at the lower end of the size bracket, we suggest opting for the size down.
Open toe, open back sandals
Sandals with an open toe and open back (an ankle strap rather than a heel counter) fit one size larger than a Bobux shoe. So regardless of whether they’re at the upper or lower end of the size bracket according to our sizing guide, we recommend opting for the size down.
Closed toe sandals
Closed toe sandals fit the same as a Bobux shoes, so they are true to size.
Wool-lined shoes and boots are true to size. They are made on special lasts that include extra allowance for the thicker lining. With wear, the wool will compress.
SHOE CARE
Before the suede shoes have been worn, apply a suitable waterproofing spray. This will greatly reduce the risk of liquid stains. Many of the Bobux boots in suede finish are pre-sprayed with a non-toxic water resistant spray, but this will need to be reapplied on a regular basis.
Because Bobux shoes are made from a variety of leathers and textiles, there’s no one-size-fits-all care method. Below you will be able to see what care is recommended for each material so you can maximise the longevity of your Bobux shoes.
Remember - do not bleach, soak or tumble dry your Bobux shoes!
Polish every two weeks to keep the shoes in top condition. Light scuffs can be reduced by rubbing a matching coloured shoe polish over affected area. Avoid fully immersing in water. Dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. Do not bleach, soak, or tumble dry.
Polish every two weeks with a natural polish such as beeswax or a revitaliser cream to keep leather soft and protected. This will also provide some protection from water. Light scuffs can be reduced by rubbing beeswax or cream over the affected area. Avoid fully immersing in water. Dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. Do not bleach, soak, or tumble dry.
Wipe with a damp cloth. Avoid fully immersing in water. Dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. Do not bleach, soak, or tumble dry. Light scuffs can be reduced by rubbing a matching coloured shoe polish over affected area.
Use a natural water-repellent spray on nubuck and suede before wearing and every four weeks following first wear for protection against water damage. Avoid fully immersing in water. Dry naturally, away from sunlight. Do not bleach, soak or tumble dry.
Wipe with a damp cloth. Dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. Do not bleach, soak, or tumble dry. For best care, use natural water-repellent spray on canvas/textile before wearing and every four weeks after.
Wipe with a damp cloth. Dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. Do not bleach, soak, or tumble dry.
Leather shoes can be particularly prone to scuffing if they come into contact with an abrasive surface. A natural shoe polish such as beeswax, and can also be used to reduce the appearance of light scuff marks and rejuvenate the overall appearance of leather. It also can protect against the weather elements.
A colour-matched polish can be used to mask more prominent scuff marks for pigmented / solid colour leathers.
If you find your child’s shoes are showing excessive scuffing, this could be because they’re in shoes that aren’t suitable to their stage of development or their shoes don’t fit them correctly. If your child’s shoes are too big for them, the shoes are more likely to drag on the ground.