Boy Shoes

Updated on July 24, 2011
S.S. asks from San Jose, CA
22 answers

Hi All,
I have 2 boys who are always on the go. My Problem: They go through sneakers fast. Last year I bought 3 pairs for my oldest (4.5) in 9 months. Now granted I am a cheapo and my boys love the light up or character shoes. I know, bad move. But I am ready to invest in a good pair since I ended up spending the money anyhow.
So...what brand do you like? What should I look for? Where do you get them?
Just keep in mind laces...not my friend (but I could live with them if they were going to last) and I am looking for size 11 or 12.

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D.K.

answers from Washington DC on

It's tough to find stuff for boys....I know! I usually get my boys' shoes at Payless. They last for longer than some others too. It took my 8yo three seasons to wear out one pair of sneakers and he is h*** o* them. I can't keep him in jeans either, no matter where I get them from! lol!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.R.

answers from San Francisco on

My girl's wear converse high tops. My older daughter loves to run and jump and lower shoes or velcro always fall off so we get the high tops and they have lasted through both of my girls as a hand me down to the second child. Granted when she gets them they are faded but hold up really well.

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M.S.

answers from Chicago on

I swear by Sketchers (velcro). This will be our third year of school. My son's pair from last fall still look almost brand new. And he wore them almost every day! They are a must on our back to school list.

I don't know if you have Kohl's in CA. I get mine there with a coupon. I think I paid $29. Well worth it. You could always go online. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.P.

answers from New York on

I am not sure how a child wears out shoes in 2-3 weeks unless they are purposefully destroying them. My son is 28 months old and we always go for StrideRite. Not all of them are good though since some pairs are hard to get the foot into. They say to buy only 1/2 sizes every 3-4 months but his last 2 pairs have been full sizes and honestly, they were totally fine. He has never worn out a pair of shoes and wears them all day long. You can get a pair for a preschooler for about 30 dollars.

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B.W.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter loves the shoes at walmart. I spend $10 per pair and I am pretty sure they have boys shoes for the same price. I feel less guilty getting her shoes there. My son wore New Balance for a long time and they fit him well(he needed the wide sizes) I got those at Sears.

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K.V.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughter is really h*** o* shoes as well. We go to the outlet store and buy her Etnies (they have velcro that look like lace ups) She thinks they are super comfy and they hold up really well. They aslo have a new make that has an insert that you can remove when their feet get a little bigger so that they can wear even longer. She wears hers until they dont fit anymore and a couple i have even been able to put away for baby #2. You can also find the online for a good deal if you look around. I spend about $9 on ours at the outlet stores.

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N.D.

answers from Columbus on

I always get Stride Rite. They are great shoes and very durable! I bought my 5 yr old a pair of Nikes not to long ago and they were horrible after three months. Stride Rite shoes last until his feet grow out of them. The last Stride Rite shoes lasted for a year. They can be a little more expensive, but well worth it. I have heard New Balance is a good shoe as well.

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J.N.

answers from Provo on

I find Crocs shoes (not sandals) are great for my boy who is very rough on shoes. All Terrain or Axle for winter, Islander for summer. He seems to wear out the Stride Rites quickly, although my daughter does well in them.

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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

check out Zappos.Com
they have TONS of kids shoes with velcro straps.... and many selections. not too mention, they have a 365 day a year return policy and free shipping both ways. I love them!!
I have bought Addidas from them as well as sketchers. sketchers are pretty solid and have straps plus some light up
best of luck

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I usually buy my son Stride Rite and they last until he outgrows them. I've never gotten rid of shoes because they were too worn out or ruined - only because they were too small. We also had a pair of New Balance that worked well for him (he has wide feet so those two brands tend to be best). I think his shoes typically last him about 6 months and then he needs a bigger size. He's 3 years old and I just bought him size 11W. let's hope they last through the end of the year at least! Oh, and I only buy velcro.

Usually either the Stride Rite store or zappos.com

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L.L.

answers from Hartford on

I think it depends on the kid. I use to spend the money to get good shoes that would hold up, and they never did. I don't know what my son does, but soles fall off, holes appear and they look ratty so quick. So I just by him cheap shoes, knowing that I will replace them regardless of the price. Not to mention they grow out of them so fast. Clearance racks are the way to go with my boy.

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R.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Payless shoes is good, but I've gotten some good deals at Ross, too.

But the ones I have gotten at Target usually are not good, I'm sorry to say.
Personally I look for thick soles, because one of my boys plays outside a lot and tears up his shoes in no time. If I find a good deal I get multiple pairs in different sizes. They all get worn.

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D.M.

answers from Joplin on

love nike and I think at "academy sports" I seen some velcro nike,they have a good selection but you can never ever go wrong with nike.

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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

I'm not the biggest Stride Rite fan - no real reason other than I believe they try to scare parents into thinking their kids will have horrible feet if they don't buy their shoes when the reality is that most of our foot development is genetic (thanks to heredity, I have flat feet and have had 2 surgeries to remove bunions).

Our kids both have wide feet, so we don't have a lot of options.

However, we did just get them both new shoes. 1 pair was from Stride Rite (son's running shoes - Saucony's with velcro for it to be easier for him). We've also gotten him New Balances recently that were great also with velcro so he can put them on.

We got them both (son and daughter) a pair of nicer leather shoes from Clark's. They also carry wides. We've gotten most of our kids shoes there (again, finding wide/double wide is HARD), and they've held-up wonderfully.

If you have Von Maur's around, they have great kids' shoes and are usually right around the same price as Stride Rite but carry many more brands (including Stride Rite).

Zappos also has kids shoes. You can purchase as many pairs as you want and return the unwanted ones free.

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W.T.

answers from San Diego on

Stride Rite makes good shoes. You will pay more, but they last through multiple kiddos. Tsukohoshi are also really nice and expensive, but durable and designed to withstand the washing machine.

Check out Craigslist for used versions and Nordstrom has their half yearly sale and you can get some great deals. Or the used baby goods stores.

If there is a Nordstrom Rack near you check them out. You will get great brands for very little!

Good luck!

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S.C.

answers from Sacramento on

You can check to see if there is a local consignment sales event in your area. The Fall/Winter seasonal sales are coming up. www.jbfsale.com. They have hundreds of families participating at each event and usually have a selection of every brand and style to choose from. At these events, the shoes and clothing and toys are usually 70%-90% off retail. Try selling some of your outgrown shoes to cover the cost of the new ones!

K.I.

answers from Spokane on

Nike, Adidas, Puma...all good brands and you can find all of them for a good price...usually under $30...Fred Meyer has some great sales, as well as Shopko and JcPennys.

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A.F.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter doesn't sound quite as active as your little guys, but we love Morgan & Milo and Pediped. Both brands have held up very well for us -- she outgrows them before they're shot. Although I'd say the Pedipeds still look almost new while the Morgan & Milos show a little more wear. You can get Morgan & Milo on Zappos.com. You can get Pediped directly from the manufacturer at pediped.com. Hope that helps.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I always liked Stride Rite for sneakers.
Just bought a pair of Keene's for my son (7) and they seem VERY durable, plus they are machine washable and since they have an adjustable velcro closure strap AND a bungee adjustment, they are a little big but still fit well and they will probably last him through October. I think a place that does a good fitting and spending a little more is worth it because boys live in sneakers! Also like Sketchers with the Z-strap type velcro closure.

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L.C.

answers from Raleigh on

I have 2 boys and always get Naturino shoes on amazon.com . They are the best!!!!!!! I get the velcro kind and on sale they are $ 20-30.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

stride right when younger you can them at a decent price at marshalls or tj max. Now that my oldest is in a boys 5 I go to the outlets and get him either nike or adidas and I haven't had any problems with them wearing out and he is tough on his shoes.

C.C.

answers from Fresno on

My cousin has this issue. Her son is 7 and goes through shoes like crazy! She has bought every brand imaginable from Payless to Walmart to Stride Rite to Tony Hawk to Nike... she finally came to the conclusion that he goes through all of them equally fast (like, 2 or 3 weeks, and they have holes in them). If your boys are super h*** o* shoes, buy the cheaper ones, because the expensive ones don't seem to hold up much better according to my cousin's experience.

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