Roller Skate Booties

I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss the roller skate booties I offer in my shop, specifically what makes them unique and why you want to buy them. You can go to etsy or any other crafty shopping site and type in "roller skate booties" and get a ton of results. Maybe too many. And they all look the same. So, what makes mine different?

Knitting
My booties are knit while all other roller skate booties I have found are crochet. I find knitting gives me a more pliable fabric, making the booties more like socks than shoes. I find this advantageous for a few reasons: more stretch makes the booties easier to get on, more stretch also gives you some room for growth, pliability gives baby wiggle room, the thinner fabric makes cinching with ties easier and less bulky, the thinner fabric works well in warmer climates.

However, I am more than willing to accommodate your request. If you desire a sturdier bootie or thicker fabric, let me know and I can use a thicker yarn or crochet them instead of knitting n_n

Wheel Placement
You will notice most roller skate booties have the wheels attached to the bottom. While this is more accurate visually, it does make walking tricky, especially if your little one is just learning. My wheels are placed on the sides with the "axis" set at the bottom of the bootie where I start knitting the sole.

I took a bit of time researching before I came to this decision. As the original idea was to make derby skates, I looked them up and found that the wheels were set wider than on traditional skates, and in some cases this allowed them to come up a little above the the bottom of the skate boot. While my placement isn't completely accurate, it was close enough to allow for walkability.

My wheels are lightly stuffed to give them a full appearance, but they are quite pliable and will bend out of the way as your little one walks. Because of this, you can order roller skate booties (or slippers) for any age. This even includes older kids and adults! (although prices will have to change once we get past toddlers >.<)

Stoppers
I haven't seen other roller skate booties with stoppers (so far, anyway). Due to my booties having a slightly more sneaker appearance (although, this is rather accurate with derby skates), I wanted to enforce the image with stoppers. These are only slightly raised, in order to prevent extra weight or obstruction for learning walkers, and placed where the sole starts at the toes.

Customizability
Is that even a word? Because spell check is telling me no...we're going to go with it anyway ~_n

I love to work with you and make the perfect item you will love. I have made booties in 2 local derby teams colors, as well as other requests based solely on color preference. If you have a team you want skates for, let me know! We can go simple where I use the team colors for the boot and accents, or we can go advanced where I add a logo or duplicate official team skates.

Don't support a team, but still want something unique? That's fine too! Just let me know what you are looking for. I typically do a white or black boot and offer 1 accent color for wheels, stopper, and laces (and soon, now that I have discovered etsy's listing options, I will be putting up a customizable roller skate booties listing), but don't let that limit you. Want blue skates? How about each wheel in a different color? Or maybe you need the boot to look like a frog? Just let me know and I will work it out.


Have more questions about the roller skate booties? Post or send them and I will reply to you as well as update the information in this post n_n

Why Barefoot Sandals?

It's a fair question. Why do you want to decorate the top of your foot, but leave the bottom of you foot uncovered? This seems like the exact opposite idea off what shoes are supposed to be. However, there are times when barefoot sandals do make sense:

1. Dressing up on the beach
Do you ever want to look nice (or cute, fancy, etc) while on the beach? Shoes can be a hassle in the sand, even flip-flops. They drag, your feet still get dirty, and now you are tracking sand everywhere. Barefoot sandals allow your feet to look cute while still making it easier for you to walk in the sand.

2. Little ones that won't keep anything on their feet
Have a little one that just keeps pulling off her shoes, socks, and whatever else you try to put on her feet? It can be so frustrating, especially when you just want her to look cute for 30 seconds while you snap this picture. Barefoot sandals loop or tie around the ankle and loop over the toe, making removal by your little one difficult.

Barefoot sandals also leave the bottom of your little one's foot uncovered, which for some stops that frustrating behavior of pulling everything off. Toes are also free this way, and we know little ones just love to play with their feet and toes.

3. Engaging and stimulating your little one
One of the first feedback pictures I received of my barefoot sandals were of the customer's daughter using them as toys. She had ordered the Pink Bow pair, and her little one loved to reach for and pull at the bows on her sandals. Playing with barefoot sandals also helps expose your little one to new textures. High contrast combinations will also help stimulate (you can order in any color combination you want).

Playing with her feet also stimulates baby to pick her head up, and learn to roll up.

4. They are just plain cute
Ok, this may not be the most compelling of reasons to get barefoot sandals for your little ones.They may not be practical in all situations, but they are darned adorable. Since I provide ready-made as well as custom orders, this also gives you the chance to have some unique footwear for your little one.

So...now the question is:
Why order from Handmade by Caitlin?

• My barefoot sandals are crocheted, which means no ribbons to wrap around your baby's foot and leg, and no beads that could become choking hazards if the thread breaks.
• By default I make all of my items out of acrylic yarn. This is a synthetic fiber that can easily be machine washed and dried, making care for your items simple. 
• I also make my barefoot sandals with a loop for the ankle, making them stay in place better.
• I will work with you to make a pair to match that special outfit or with a specific look you are looking for.

Because I work with you to create the specific item you want, I am always willing to make changes to my default process. Sandals can have ties instead of ankle loops if you prefer. I am also willing to use a different fiber. While I would not recommend wool, it is definitely an option, and cotton would be an understandable choice, particularly if you look in a very warm climate. And of course you are welcome to request any colors, or ask for a design you haven't seen in my shop yet (e.g. monkey face sandals, your favorite sports team, a rose instead of a daisy...).

Please let me know if you have any more questions about this item and I will happily update this post!