Help! My kid is SO hard on shoes!

[three4me]

My 8 year old has always been hard on shoes. I usually find him shoes at Nordstrom Rack but sometimes go for cheaper shoes. What have you found works best? Buy cheaper shoes more often or spend more and hope they last a little long? Of course I’m also looking for brand recommendations. 

FWIW, his feet get stinky and sweaty. He does have some keens but they seem to make his feet sweat more. 

[Plagefille]

My DS and DH are like that. Name brands last a little better than Walmart/Payless type brands. But they still don't last as long as I would hope. But they are both super active, so it makes sense. We don't have a particular brand, just usually good running shoes.

I usually buy shoes for them from discount places like Ross, TJ Max, or sales at Big 5. I usually spend the same as I would have at the cheap places.

[Bootsie]

I have one child who is hard on shoes--it doesn't matter how expensive the shoes are; for that child purchasing inexpensive shoes made sense.  That child has never complained about a pair of shoes hurting, no matter the brand or where they are purchased. Spending more one shoes does not make sense for this child.

My other child has a difficult time fitting in many shoes; that child complains about shoes hurting.  More expensive, well fitting shoes are definitely worth it for that child.  (This child is more like me when it comes to buying shoes.)

[HomeAgain]

Not specific brand, but style: we found that the ones with a rubber toe cap that is sewn, not glued, works best for my active 8yo. 

[mmasc]

I have a DS like that. We had been buying Nike or Adidas but they would still wear out quickly. DH took him for shoes last time and still bought those brands, but made sure the soles were the thicker rubber, NOT the foam-type stuff. It has definitely helped with longevity this time. We also bought two pairs (on advice from the Hive!) to switch out. It helps with stinky shoe, and longer use. 

[fairfarmhand]

I buy well made leather boots for day to day wear and one pair or athletic shoes. The boots hold up well for anything that’s not sports related. 

[fairfarmhand]

Btw, Skechers hold up better than Nike or adidas. Jmho 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Don't know about specific shoes, but wearing lighter colored socks is better for controlling stink. Wearing no socks is the worst.  Dark socks cause problems too.

 

[three4me]

Thanks for the replies. We don’t generally go for fashion type shoes. Most recently he’s worn through two pairs of pumas. I’ll look more carefully at the sole and toe next time. And i

had switched him from white to black socks because of how dirty they looked, but maybe I need to reconsider!

[Tap]

DD11 trashes her shoes! Part of it is that she is adult size in height/weight but still plays like a kid. She also needs wide shoes with support since she tends to pronate.  I find that buying adult running shoes with some stability in them work best for her. Running shoes seem to last the best since they are designed to take more of a beating than a fashion shoe.  I currently buy her Adidas GT-2000.  They are not cheap at $75-100 pair, but she can at least get a full season out of them. Right now she has two identical pair, one clean pair for indoor volleyball and one for outdoor play.  I expect she will wear both out before the end of summer. LOL

For boots, I buy her a pair of Boggs and Bear Paw each year.

For Sandals, it is definitely Keen.

I spend about $500 per year on shoes for her, but if I buy cheap ones her feet hurt and they don't last more than a few weeks before seams start to fray and the sole starts to split.

[Farrar]

3 hours ago, HeighHo said:

You need a shoe that isn't a fashion shoe. For us, an adidas model helped stop the wearing from the dragging on concrete type of activities. 

Smelly feet are from shoes that don't breathe, or socks that absorb moisture, or not cleaning shoe after mud puddles.

If only that were true. Some people get smelly feet in open air sandals with special anti-smell technology that haven't been run through the mud or anything harsh. Some of this is just individual. Some kids just have smelly feet even though they do the "right" things.