Vancouver-based Jack&Lily creates playfully but sturdy mocs, boots and shoes that put your precious little bundle’s best foot forward.

If you have kids, you’ve played This little piggy on every toe hundreds of times, and likely tickled their little feet just to hear a sweet giggle. But did you know that baby feet consists mainly of cartilage? Unlike your own feet, which have 26 bones, baby feet need to feel the ground as they develop. That means their shoes should be designed to bend, flex, twist, and grip with ease. Given the right fit, muscles strengthen, while hard or uneven surfaces give the feedback to growing soon-to-be-bipedal darlings.

This is where Jack&Lily comes into play. Brenda Buell started the Vancouver-based company when she realized that it was impossible to find well-constructed, beautifully designed shoes for her two children Jack and Fin (aka Lily). What she didn’t find impossible (with a background in fashion and retail) was finding a leather manufacturer with enough scraps to cobble together prototypes and, eventually, samples to pitch at local shops. Hop, skip, and jump to today, Jack&Lily is available online and in some of the finest boutiques across Canada.