Squeaky Shoes

[dantilley]

For the love of god, will someone please pass a law outlawing those squeaky shoes that some Thai parents insist on putting on their kids feet! I had two screeching past me at the same time the other day, from two separate families, and this was in the newly opened shopping centre by Victory Monument, so this din was combined with the sales-girl on the mic downstairs and the music blaring out of the CD shop... not good! Especially with a slight hangover...

Seriously though, what possesses people to buy such a pointless and clearly incredibly annoying product? To have that squeaking going on all day, rising and falling in tempo as the kid quickens and slows his pace must drive parent and child absolutely insane...

[Jai Dee]

To have that squeaking going on all day, rising and falling in tempo as the kid quickens and slows his pace must drive parent and child absolutely insane...

Both kids and their parents seem to love them...

And at least the parents will know where the ankle-biter is...

[Gazza]

I know what you mean. Tried to listen to a caller on my mobile the other in KFC that had a stereo at the entrance blasting away, but not loud enough to drown out the in-shop music system. All the while a young tot was running around with them squeeky shoes on.

I know it encourages them to walk (supposedly) but doesn't exactly encourage my blood pressure to drop either. Sometimes I just want to let rip with a scream to get things out of my system.

The problem with noise is it's free, so there's plenty of it.

[Mighty Mouse]

The next production of kids shoes won't squeak at all, they will play the Thai National Anthem.

Instead of complaining every time a kid runs past you with squeaky shoes, you will now be expected to stand to attention until the musical shoes are out of earshot.

[think_too_mut]

Seriously though, what possesses people to buy such a pointless and clearly incredibly annoying product? To have that squeaking going on all day, rising and falling in tempo as the kid quickens and slows his pace must drive parent and child absolutely insane...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't have kids or the shoes had not been invented when it was your turn?

The squeaky shoes are meant to give the kid sense of something happening and under it's own control while learning to walk. 3-4 weeks and the shoes are forgotten and never worn again.

[dantilley]

The next production of kids shoes won't squeak at all, they will play the Thai National Anthem.

Instead of complaining every time a kid runs past you with squeaky shoes, you will now be expected to stand to attention until the musical shoes are out of earshot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[sriracha john]

I've looked and looked... and can never can find them.

I'd love a pair of those in Men's size 44 for myself.

[dantilley]

Seriously though, what possesses people to buy such a pointless and clearly incredibly annoying product? To have that squeaking going on all day, rising and falling in tempo as the kid quickens and slows his pace must drive parent and child absolutely insane...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't have kids or the shoes had not been invented when it was your turn?

The squeaky shoes are meant to give the kid sense of something happening and under it's own control while learning to walk. 3-4 weeks and the shoes are forgotten and never worn again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope, no kids of my own and only ever seen these shoes within the last year or so since I've been in Thailand. Didn't think of them as actually having a practical purpose though, just thought they were a gimmick, and a bloody irritating one at that!

My worst squeaky shoe experience was when catching the early morning boat from Samui to the mainland last year some time... after about 2 hours sleep at home I just needed to crash out on the sofas that, luckily, were present on the Seatran ferry I was catching. After getting comfortable and just starting to nod off, suddenly we were rudely awoken by a fit of squeaking which continued around me for the entire boat journey. Not a pleasant trip that one...

[Scott]

I don't mean to be racial or anything, but what kind of kids need encouragement to walk? Just leave them on the floor in a state of unhappiness and they will get up and walk as soon as they can.

Those silly shoes are for the benefit of the parents only to draw unnecessary attention to their precious little children that they think the rest of us love as much as they do.

In the noise and din of BKK, your kid had better not be very far from you--those shoes won't help you find him/her!

[think_too_mut]

Those silly shoes are for the benefit of the parents only to draw unnecessary attention to their precious little children that they think the rest of us love as much as they do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would parents need your attention?

The shoes are for "house consumption" and you are not there anyway.

[mickmac]

I remember buying some in Disneyland in Calif. for my son, some 15 years ago. These were dalmation slippers, that produced a puppy yapping everytime they hit the floor.

The boy loved them, but apparently his mother hated them, we had been divorced a couple of years by them. Pay backs a bitch!!

[dantilley]

Those silly shoes are for the benefit of the parents only to draw unnecessary attention to their precious little children that they think the rest of us love as much as they do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would parents need your attention?

The shoes are for "house consumption" and you are not there anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If they're meant for "house consumption" then why do people put them on their kids feet outside of the home?

[BKK90210]

Just like the thais don't like dark skin...but we farangs love them.

Just the preference

[billd766]

I don't mean to be racial or anything, but what kind of kids need encouragement to walk?  Just leave them on the floor in a state of unhappiness and they will get up and walk as soon as they can. 

Those silly shoes are for the benefit of the parents only to draw unnecessary attention to their precious little children that they think the rest of us love as much as they do. 

In the noise and din of BKK, your kid had better not be very far from you--those shoes won't help you find him/her!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Scott

Do you actually have any children at all?

All children need encouragement to walk and if you think that leaving them on the floor in a state of unhappiness will make them walk as soon as they can then IMHO you are talking absolute &lt;deleted&gt;.

My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles. It makes life for us all so much simpler as we know where he is at all times.

I only wish that they were available in the UK when my first son was learning to walk and I would not have worried so much.

To be honest I care more where my child is than I care about people I don't know nor care about.

If you have a child and you cannot see or hear that child for at least 30 seconds or a minute you will kn ow what panic is all about.

My child is much more precious to me than some whining little person with no idea of parenthood.

If it causes you so much pain hearing them stick cotton wool in your ears.

[qualtrough]

The squeaky shoes don't bother me and one or both of my kids had them for a short period. I have to disagree about the encouragement to walk post. Neither of my daughters received any special encouragement to walk and were doing just that earlier than most kids. OK, maybe they are special, but are there adults who cannot walk or walk poorly because they didn't receive encouragement to walk as children? I kind of doubt that...

[dantilley]

My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles.

This part's a joke, right?

[chanchao]

> My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles.

That's a great idea!! I will definitely get the squeeky shoes for my kid once it gets to walking age. I guess there's a sense of pride in it for the parents as well.. When your kid can walk you kind of want the world to see it?

We'll also still bring the stroller for those first months of walking, which is great because then there will be a place nearby to conveniently carry the batteries and boom-box I will link up to sensors/switches connected to the kid's shoes. (Can use ordinary shoes that way!) Then the thing will play a random sampled noise with every step at max volume. YEAH!

It'll go like

<chord>

<car crash>

<rooster>

<car horn>

<First 3 notes of the Wall's ice cream song>

<soi dogs fighting>

<random goofy GW Bush statement>

<Cow 'Moooo'>

<Thai 'khaen' flute noise>

<squid vendor's horn>

<7 eleven door-chime>

etc. and then repeat at random.

[chanchao]

(And then I'll take the kid to walk around other people's houses and shops and extort money to leave. Same biz concept as the blind street singers, basically.)

[Abandon]

its a bit like those places that sell whistle lollies. grrrrr

[dantilley]

It'll go like

<chord>

<car crash>

<rooster>

<car horn>

<First 3 notes of the Wall's ice cream song>

<soi dogs fighting>

<random goofy GW Bush statement>

<Cow 'Moooo'>

<Thai 'khaen' flute noise>

<squid vendor's horn>

<7 eleven door-chime>

etc. and then repeat at random.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just imagine the 7-eleven noise every time you put your foot down...

[billd766]

My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles.

This part's a joke, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No joke at all.

We live on 15 rai out in the country and I was confused when I first saw the bells and asked my wife what they were for.

At the time my son was in the rolling over and crawling stage and unless you have more than 1 pair of eyes you don't always know if he is trying to climb the stairs, wandering out of the door, around the kitchen, trying to eat the dogs (though they move faster the he does).

It made sense to me then and still does know.

Also when he is asleep and you are in another room you know if he is just stirring or rolling around etc.

[dantilley]

My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles.

This part's a joke, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No joke at all.

We live on 15 rai out in the country and I was confused when I first saw the bells and asked my wife what they were for.

At the time my son was in the rolling over and crawling stage and unless you have more than 1 pair of eyes you don't always know if he is trying to climb the stairs, wandering out of the door, around the kitchen, trying to eat the dogs (though they move faster the he does).

It made sense to me then and still does know.

Also when he is asleep and you are in another room you know if he is just stirring or rolling around etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, seriously, this has got to be a wind up...?

Or you mean to say you actually tie bells to your child when he's sleeping? Good god. That kid must be driven insane - imagine that, you have the combination of loud squeaking shoes and these bells ringing in your ears all the time and you can never, ever escape them, even when you're lying in bed!!! That's a sure sign to give someone tinnitus if ever I heard one...

And don't you get sick of the racket you must be constantly hearing yourself?

Unless of course you are pulling my leg...

[lomatopo]

My son has squeaky shoes and also bells on his ankles.

This part's a joke, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No joke at all.

We live on 15 rai out in the country and I was confused when I first saw the bells and asked my wife what they were for.

At the time my son was in the rolling over and crawling stage and unless you have more than 1 pair of eyes you don't always know if he is trying to climb the stairs, wandering out of the door, around the kitchen, trying to eat the dogs (though they move faster the he does).

It made sense to me then and still does know.

Also when he is asleep and you are in another room you know if he is just stirring or rolling around etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, seriously, this has got to be a wind up...?

Or you mean to say you actually tie bells to your child when he's sleeping? Good god. That kid must be driven insane - imagine that, you have the combination of loud squeaking shoes and these bells ringing in your ears all the time and you can never, ever escape them, even when you're lying in bed!!! That's a sure sign to give someone tinnitus if ever I heard one...

And don't you get sick of the racket you must be constantly hearing yourself?

Unless of course you are pulling my leg...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've seen quite a few small (1 ~ 3 years old) Thai children with a small ankle bell. It is a very small bell, and not all that loud. I had never heard of such a thing but actually think it's a good idea in some situations or evironments. It's certainly not annoying, to me anyway.

I've also seen, and heard, a few kids with the squeaky shoes. I thought they were cute, but I didn't really find them offensive or annoying. Given the sound pollution inside, and outside, here in Bangkok anyway, squeaky shoes just don't stand out for me?

Now don't get me started on those shoes with the wheels on the heels! Not annoying so much as dangerous.

[dantilley]

I've also seen, and heard, a few kids with the squeaky shoes. I thought they were cute, but I didn't really find them offensive or annoying. Given the sound pollution inside, and outside, here in Bangkok anyway, squeaky shoes just don't stand out for me?

Now don't  get me started on those shoes with the wheels on the heels! Not annoying so much as dangerous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, if you have to endure these squeaks inside a building or anywhere else where the general street sound of Bangkok can't drown them out then they're far from cute!

What are these wheeled shoes though? Never seen them, I don't think, but they sound dangerous...

[leisurely]

Our girl managed to get daddy to buy her a pair while I was somewhere else. She knew she was onto a loser asking me. They lasted around 3 days before i took a screwdriver to them and pushed the squeak inside. Bad mummy!

[phibunmike]

Those d*mn shoes have been around for a while in various countries, and they irritate the sh*t out of me. Ok, so your kid can walk - WHO CARES. I think it is the same mentality that gets people to put a "baby on board" sign in their car - again, WHO CARES ?!

I don't see any sense in the argument that they help kids walk - other kids always manage just fine without them, always have done.

As for bells on ankles...., no I don't think I'll even go there.... ... goats, buffalo - same, right ?

[Abandon]

do they sell them for adults ?

[leisurely]

I have to say that the bells for the ankles are (if I am thinking of the same thing) very attractive. They are more decorative like little jewelled fetters. Had our girls been born here, they would have had some. I like them.

[sriracha john]

I've looked and looked... and can never can find them.

I'd love a pair of those in Men's size 44 for myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

do they sell them for adults ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you find any, let me know...

[BambinA]

i have no prob with kid who wear squeaky shoes

the real annoying is kid who wear so-called skate shoes