Kid shoes cheap or expensive?

[Elizabeth86]

We have always bought the kids cheapie shoes from walmart or target. They usually last for a few months and usually not even good enough to save for play shoes for the next kid. Do you hand down good quality shoes to the next kid? Do they really hold a lot better? Do you have a brand you like?

 

I usually just buy the boys tennis shoes/sneakers whatever you call them. They wear them every day. Im not looking for dress shoes or anything. It just seems like their shoes fall apart so quickly.

[lllll]

nm

Edited September 21, 2017 by lllllll

[wapiti]

I buy cheap shoes.  When they were little, we went to the Stride Rite outlet, but that's gone now.  I shop at Target as much as possible.  My 14 y.o.'s recently got real shoes, from Kohls or Famous Footwear.  I have six kids and the younger ones usually only have one pair at a time (sneakers) unless there's a special occasion involving real shoes.  I save what I can but for the most part, sneakers can't be saved.  As long as they don't need the same size with the next purchase, I don't mind too much - that doesn't happen to me very often.

[Guinevere]

I buy more expensive shoes usually, but I've bought cheap ones, too.  The cheap ones last a few months, while the expensive ones last a long time.  They could technically be handed down, but my kids are so hard on them that the shoes are so filthy I never do.

 

[catz]

My kids have always had 1 pair of good quality shoes.  And they always wore them about a year and grew out of them in hand me down quality.  My son didn't have a big growth spurt until close to 14 so shoes lasted a long time for him and my daughter didn't until about 11.  Then about 18 months of ever growing.  And then relatively stable. 

 

I do go cheap on dress or fashion shoes, but they always have one really good pair of shoes. 

[Zinnia]

I have 3 sons in a row. I bought sketchers until they couldn't wear them anymore (around 5.5/6). Nice middle of the road cost.

 

My two older sons have sized out, and we haven't settled on a favorite brand. nike, New Balance, under Armour....they have all lasted about 4-5 months, completely falling apart at the end. I aim for about $50 for their shoes.

 

My daughter is only 4.5. I have a great resale shop for her, and she wears high dollar shoes (Tsukihoshi right now). They do hold up well, but she is also easier on her shoes than the boys, so it's hard to say.

[Arcadia]

Shoes aren't handed down so we shop for sales at Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and at our nearby factory outlet. We manage to get Sketchers, Nike, New Balance for around < $25 per pair in store.

 

My kids outgrow their shoes about every six months and by then the sole is too worn out to pass down.

 

We hand me down rain boots as they are only used a few times a year so the soles aren't worn out. When my younger boy outgrew the hand me down rain boots, we give away to any neighbor whose kids can use them as garden boots.

[mommyoffive]

I buy only expensive brands for my kids, myself, and dh. 

 

The hold up so much better than cheap ones.   Plus they are way more comfy.

 

But I don't pay the retail price.  I am deal seeker. 

 

 

I also don't pass shoes down to kids.  They still have wear in them so I donate them.  But I don't find it comfy to wear hand me down shoes so I don't do that to my kids. 

[Julie Smith]

We buy high quality. They might hand them done to me, (but there feet are to big for that now). But not to each other. 

 

They both run. Eldest 15km a week, Youngest about 10Km a week.

 

 

[Zinnia]

Shoes aren't handed down so we shop for sales at Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and at our nearby factory outlet. We manage to get Sketchers, Nike, New Balance for around < $25 per pair in store.

.

Is that adult sizes? I might need to find some of those stores.

[Arctic Bunny]

Now that they are older, we make sure they are getting good shoes. They take care of them, and I have bad feet from bad shoes as a child, so I make it a priority. We start at the least expensive good shoes and work our way up as needed for comfort. DS12 is doing track and has been thanking me all week for his new runners. "They're soooo comfortable!" And they are so much lighter than when we would buy from Walmart, etc.

[TechWife]

I bought pricier shoes because ds has wide feet and is hard to fit. Stride Rite at first, then New Balance. I think fit is more important than cost, so if the cheaper shoes fit and meet your needs, they are fine. There are no younger siblings to pass down to, but if the shoes had treads, no holes and were reasonably clean, I did donate them to charity. FWIW, im the youngest of five and as far as I can remember my shoes were always new,but I don't know anything about the cost or quality of them.

[Hilltopmom]

Well, I looked at Target this week and the sneakers I found for my toddler were $32!

Granted, they were the Target "stride rite" line, but, I passed. That's not cheap & in the past,the target ones didn't hold up.

 

Still have not found him shoes. Will try Payless next, ?I think those run around $25

 

I find the Velcro wears out when u try to hand them down, so I'm looking for new ones.

[creekland]

We never went with cheap shoes.  Shoes not only affect one's feet, they affect their back too and can set one up for a lifetime of discomfort.

 

I'd go to shoe stores and make my guys try on 3 - 4 pair they liked and tell them to pick the most comfortable one, not really caring about price (although we didn't put the super pricey ones into the try on pile).

 

We never handed down shoes either.  Different kids, different shoes.

 

Actually, we did go to a cheap shoe store (Payless) once to get the cheapest shoes possible for a mission trip where they would be painting and working with concrete.  The shoes didn't last a week.  I certainly didn't consider those a good deal and have never shopped there even for similar "throw aways" since.

 

Cheap clothing has a purpose and hurts nothing.  Cheap shoes - unless just worn once or twice like to an event - is a whole different ball game.

[SKL]

I used to buy good-quality shoes, but after a couple incidents where my kids destroyed or mistreated their shoes, and seeing how fast one of my kids' feet are growing, I've declared there shall be no more epensive shoe buying until their feet stop growing.

 

When treated decently, the shoes have survived multiple children.  But, that is also the case for cheap shoes here.

 

My main reason for buying better shoes was that it was better for their feet.  But if they are going to grow out of them in months (weeks?  days?) that doesn't seem to be a factor.

 

(Full disclosure:  the aunties did buy my kids some expensive Asics running shoes this Spring - for one kid, that is her main pair of "play shoes" because she outgrew everything else.  The other kid is still able to wear hand-me-downs from when I was buying expensive ones.  So yeah, still spoiled, but I don't feel like I have to keep that standard up.)

Edited September 14, 2017 by SKL

[MercyA]

We need XW's here, so we have no choice but to buy expensive shoes. They generally last until my daughter outgrows them, and they still look good enough to pass along or sell.

 

I've been really happy with New Balance sneakers and Crocs for beach wear and (believe it or not) Mary Janes for church. 

Edited September 14, 2017 by MercyA

[Barb_]

I've read you really shouldn't pass shoes down if they've been worn more than a handful of times. The shoes conform to the first owner's feet and can mess with the next child's growing feet.

[SKL]

For my entire childhood, I wore nothing but hand-me-down shoes, so I think it's OK, but yeah, I've heard that advice.  Wonder if it came from a shoe company.  :)

[slackermom]

I have an only child, so no planned hand-me-downs. I guess I mainly go with high quality, but try to find good prices. I worked on my feet for years, usually in retail, and know how important good fit and support are for my feet. Also, the kid is a competitive Irish dancer, and I spend $160 for hard shoes, and $65 for soft shoes, so most regular sneakers seem totally reasonable!

 

My kid mainly wore $60 Merrill's in elementary. I would usually buy the next size up when it was on sale, and hold on to them until needed. We would usually buy $20-30 shoes from Target for occasional-use shoes, for church, or a special costume.

 

In middle school, my kid has preferred sneakers with elastic instead of regular shoe laces; it is probably $30 or so for those at target, but again, I try to grab them for less during sales. We also shop at DSW, now that the kid is in small adult sizes (though that store recently added kids' sizes too).

[Squiddles]

I wore hand me downs, thrifted and super cheap new shoes my whole life.. my kids are SO rough on their shoes, they spend their entire days in the woods and digging tunnels and making mud pits year round... so we shop at the thrift store, or Wal Mart and if they even survive the first kid we definitely pass them down... luckily I have all boys

 

 

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[solascriptura]

In between. I get brand name shoes for my kids by using rewards at DSW or by shopping at Marshalls. The brand name shoes have held up better for us.

[Arcadia]

Is that adult sizes? I might need to find some of those stores.

Kids (Youth 1-6) and adult sizes (Men 7-13).

[prairiewindmomma]

I don't particularly care if they are cheap or expensive; I am looking for quality in materials & good design (dorsiflexion, adequate room in toe box, good fit in the arch, heel that doesn't slip). Most shoes in the world are made at a handful of factories--there's not a whole lot of variation in the manufacturing process.

 

Typically, I put my kids in Stride Rite shoes when they are younger.  As they age, we branch out a bit. Right now, they are all in Sketchers. I think the Champion brand at Payless is pretty decent. Saucony, Asics Gels, and Nike are other tennis/gym shoes I like.

 

I don't hand down shoes between children, but if funds were exceptionally tight and there were no abnormal wear patterns in the shoes, I'd consider it for kids who are rapidly changing sizes. 

[Baseball mom]

Have done all the above, cheap shoes, expensive shoes, hand me down. Hand me down from brother to brother and from friend.

 

We have had good luck & bad luck with all.

[mamaraby]

We look at fit with an eye towards price. Neither super cheap nor expensive. I have never handed shoes down unless we're talking Crocs, but tbh there isn't a super hige amount of wear left in the, by the time my kids outgrow them so far.

[Spryte]

DS had wide feet so it was Stride Rite for him, and not cheap. Those shoes held up beautifully and I freecycled them, so another kid could use them.

 

DD has normal feet and we've tried Target shoes. Wow. They aren't worth passing along. So disappointing.

 

We buy nice shoes, and make sure we can pass them along to other kids.

[meganrussell]

I always buy expensive shoes. They last longer and are better for your feet. For matters alot too, so I don't buy too big for growing room, nor so I buy too tight. My grandmother instilled this in me. My parents didnt have much money so she bought our shoes for the first ten or so years of our lives.

[EMS83]

I shell out for Merrell and pass them down.  By the time we go through 4-6 months of cheapo shoes, we're almost at the cost of a pair of Merrell anyway.

 

Typically I get the low hiking boots for play shoes, and jungle mocs for casual/dressy shoes.

 

ETA: I do buy a size up for growing room to space out the purchases.  Until this year, these purchases hurt, but I felt was a better use of money.

Edited September 14, 2017 by CES2005

[shawthorne44]

Sometimes having too vigilant of parents can be a problem.   I had weak feet because my parents always bought the "good" expensive shoes with lots of support in them.  
That said, they need to fit well and be in good shape, i.e. of the heel is worn down. they are tossed.  if the material makes the feet sweat too much, that is a problem.   

We buy lots of used shoes and buy them in the sizes that she isn't yet.   So, there is always a good selection, one shoe isn't worn constantly, and when one gets too tight, there is another bigger shoe in her closet.   We also encourage bare foot time at home.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

Quality vs quantity.  I buy good brands, preferably on clearance or outlet (like sierra trading post, etc) but my kids don't have a boatload of shoes.  A good pair of athletic shoes, one pair of dressier shoes, sandals, flip-flops, and a pair of bogs (good for rain, mud, snow, etc).  

Edited September 14, 2017 by Attolia

[vonfirmath]

I buy more expensive shoes usually, but I've bought cheap ones, too.  The cheap ones last a few months, while the expensive ones last a long time.  They could technically be handed down, but my kids are so hard on them that the shoes are so filthy I never do.

 

What do you call expensive shoes? I've had Stride Rite Outlet shoes that started getting holes after 4 months of wearing everyday.

[Ottakee]

I tend to buy the higher end brands but bargain shop, use coupons, would buy the next size up on clearance, etc.

 

If you find a pair that fit well you can always check Amazon, eBay, etc for the next size up cheaper.

[Alessandra]

I bought pricier shoes because ds has wide feet and is hard to fit. Stride Rite at first, then New Balance. I think fit is more important than cost, so if the cheaper shoes fit and meet your needs, they are fine. There are no younger siblings to pass down to, but if the shoes had treads, no holes and were reasonably clean, I did donate them to charity. FWIW, im the youngest of five and as far as I can remember my shoes were always new,but I don't know anything about the cost or quality of them.

Exactly. When kids were toddlers, we bought everything at Stride Rite, both sneakers and dress shoes. Then both kids wore NB till almost teens. We still get good shoes. For example, dd goes to a speciality running store for her Brooks shoes.

 

I have always felt that shoes have the potential to cause lasting damage. Sometimes, people don't even realize that a shoe is sub-par until they try one that is really good. I'll economize on clothes, but not shoes.

 

I don't hand down everyday shoes, but I did bring lightly worn dress shoes to Goodwill.

[shawthorne44]

Another thing to keep in mind.  Wearing the same shoes everyday isn't healthy.  

[MommyLiberty5013]

You may find shoemall.com helpful. They sell new shoes always 20-30% off retail. They usually have the colors that never sold well, but not always.

 

It's where I buy the family's KEENS. I buy a pair per child nearly every year. They hold up so well and are machine washable. Older DS passes his to younger DS and my two DDs will do the same.

[Reefgazer]

I always buy good quality shoes for my kids - their feet have to carry them around for almost a century, and I am not going to be responsible for a preventable condition because of cheap shoes.

[kiwik]

Ds10 has the family flat feet and pronation and is hard on shoes. He wears one style of Asics ($130 NZ but i can usually find 25% off) and Keen Sandals. He gets one pair of each a year. DS8 gets the same but he can manage a wider range. This year is the first year for ages they got a spare pair - ds10 has New Balance tennis shoes and ds8 a pair of New Balance running shoes. I won't get New Bakance for ds10 again but they are okay for occasional use. Unfirtunately ds10 will be out of youth sizes within a year and adult keen sandals are upwards of $200 here. Cheap don't last and hurt his feet, ankles and knees. When they were little I chose cheaper shoes but checked them carefully. They wore slipoers and gumboots more then.

[creekland]

Here's a link if anyone is curious about what Podiatrists recommend:

 

http://www.apma.org/Learn/HealthyFeetTips.cfm?ItemNumber=9861