If you've shopped for a pair of toddler walking shoes in Singapore before, you will know how difficult it is. My selection criteria is simple enough : it must be sturdy, allow a child's feet to grow into it comfortably, nice to look at, and not pricey. I am not someone who will splurge on branded stuff without batting an eyelid, but when it comes to children's shoes, it is hard not to look at the higher end ones. Why? Take a look at the local shoe shops and you'll know how frustrating it is. Most of their wares are not only made of either flimsy material that wears out easily or PVC that is not fit for wearing, they are also full of yucky Japanese cartoon character - why oh why must they always associate cutesy pictures with girls and violent ones with boys? And with a S$20 price tag, it's for sure not value for money.

That said, I'm still quite unwilling to part more than S$30 for a pair of toddler shoes. As much as I drool at the sight of Birkenstocks, Nike and Reebok, branded goods for kids are not a must-have for me. More importantly, I dislike the idea of my children growing up to be brand-conscious brats. Yes, I agree that branded stuff are mostly well-cut and better-design, but I look for comfort mainly. I do shop at designer's stores once in a while when they have sales or when we are overseas (where they cost a fraction of the price here), but my children clothing are still mostly from John Little, Bossini, Giordano and even market. I know of parents who will gladly part with their money for something that has a well-known logo splashes across it, but not me. I refuse to pay exorbitant prices for something that is equally comfortable as one from the neighbourhood store - no thanks, I have better use for my hard-earned money.

OK, back to the shoes search. Just when I thought I could never ever find a suitable pair of shoes for Jayden who had outgrown and outworn his last pair, I chanced upon a shop called BratPack last weekend at Parkway Parade that sells well-made shoes at reasonable price. They have a variety of brands and wide selection of adult and children shoes. Look at the gem I picked for Jayden - a LA Gear for S$18 only (marked down from S$36) !