An appropriate time to discuss shoes for kiddos would be back-to-school time! Yeah! As much fun as summer has been, this family so looks forward to a regular schedule and I look forward to an earlier bedtime, for sure.
My oldest son is five. Unfortunately for him, he somehow got the black sheep foot of the family and those sweet feet were born double-wide and they continue to be double-wide. The older he gets, the more of a problem this presents, as most shoe dealers tell us, “Most kids have grown out of it by now…” That is great, but he hasn’t and we need the ever evasive double-wide size 1 shoes for my toot. For the record, we have found ZERO shoe companies that make double-wide sports shoes, like soccer cleats, baseball cleets. ZERO.
When he was little, we were kept in shoes by Stride-Rite, but after awhile I grew tired of buying the same style shoes every season to accomodate his double-wide foot. When he was little we had a great neighborhood shoe store and they also carried Keen’s. By design, Keen’s are more “clunky” and wide and absolutely perfect for my child. While they were a little more expensive than the same-old-same-old, they were stylish and durable…and available in wide! During the school year, these were the only shoes he wore and he wore them every single day. He loved them because the “ties” were bungees and he could put them on by himself from a y
oung age. I liked them because they fit and they were cute. What I didn’t know at the time was that they would last forever. As I mentioned, he wore them every single day in the fall, winter and spring. I just pulled his first pair of Keen’s out of storage for my youngest son and they look brand new. The soles don’t have a visible scuff on them, although I know they have been through the ringer! The tops look just like new. It is truly amazing. My youngest son thinks I just bought him new shoes at the store…just for him! So, when I think that I might have paid $10 more for these shoes then, I am actually on my way to getting 2 kids’ wear out of one pair of shoes. AND, I really don’t have any doubts that my soon-to-be third son will be wearing them in a few years, too, as if they were brand new!
If your child has wide feet, these are fantastic. BUT, even if your child doesn’t have wide feet, they are just as great. Keens come in a variety of color combinations for girls and boys, have the easy to use bungee cords and they are completely hip. If you are lucky enough to be able to hand them down in the future, you will also get one amazing deal on shoes!
