? about kids shoes and sizing...

Our boys are 15 mos old and we bought their first pair of shoes at 14 mos. We opted for Stride Rite and I'm pleased w/ the purchase. However, I'd like for the boys to have more than one pair of shoes...they could really use a pair of tennis shoes, but I'm not wanting to fork out another $100 for Stride Rites. My question is more about sizing...Stride Rite measured them both as XW Width and I don't see that on as an option at stores like Target, Kohls, Penneys, etc. So, do you just get wide width? I know this is probably silly and I'll realize that once I look back on it...
TIA

Faith

 

Our boys are 15 mos old and we bought their first pair of shoes at 14 mos. We opted for Stride Rite and I'm pleased w/ the purchase. However, I'd like for the boys to have more than one pair of shoes...they could really use a pair of tennis shoes, but I'm not wanting to fork out another $100 for Stride Rites. My question is more about sizing...Stride Rite measured them both as XW Width and I don't see that on as an option at stores like Target, Kohls, Penneys, etc. So, do you just get wide width? I know this is probably silly and I'll realize that once I look back on it...
TIA

Faith

 

Very few places make xw. With my boys they just had one pair at a time, maybe a pair of sandals in the summer. If you don't want to spend the money, I would just stick with one pair at a time, or see if there is a stride rite outlet near you.

 

I know New Balance makes wide (and I think XW) and you can get them at Kohl's . I would check them out and see if they fit. I would say if not, they are probably fine with 1 pair at a time. My only other suggestion is to try the Stride Rite outlet (if you have one near you), I was able to find them shoes much cheaper there.

 

Like pp mentioned XW are difficult to find. We have a Stride Rite outlet nearby so we pay about $30 per pair. We usually have 1 pair at a time, 2 in the summer.

 

You might try amazon.com. I just bought the girls some squeaking shoes and they have extra wide toe areas.

 

Another vote for just using one pair of shoes. My two didn't get a second pair until the summer that they were 20 months because they were climbing in every puddle and soaking their SR tennis shoes. We then just got them Crocs which worked perfectly as backyard/get wet shoes.

Another thought is to use something like froogle.google.com and search for the SR model you like. I've gotten several pairs of SRs that way for about half price. We have a SR outlet near us and the colors are usually horrid. Good luck!

 

I dont have odd widths... but I am with you on not spending the money. i find that even with cheap shoes, i don't want the kids to wear them as much b/c i want them to wear their stride rites as much as possible so they get the wear out of them.

 

Unfortunately, I have found Stride Rite to be our only option for Ben. The New Balances are impossible to find in XW and the W is still too narrow.

They occasionally have good sales, and that is one way to pick up everyday tennis shoes. Also, we make the long drive to the outlet store.

Ben has everyday tennis shoes and a pair of dressier shoes. In the summer, we will get sandals again, since he lived in those.

Fortunately, Hannah can wear Target shoes!!! It is expensive to have to buy all their shoes at Stride Rite!!!!

 

Zach also has XW and even their shoes are a bit tight on him. I was at Payless a few months ago and they have nock off of the Crocs - Airwalk is the brand - and only 12.99. They are nice and wide. He LOVES them. They are the shoes he wears everyday, unless we are going to be playing in the snow. I just put on a thinker pair of socks, but his feet have always felt warm. He also has a pair of tennis shoes from SR, but we don't use those nearly as often.

 

Here is what I do for Anthony, as he is also an XW. I stop by the Stride Rite store at the mall, get his foot measured and then go home and find XW Stride Rite shoes on eBay for a fraction of the cost. I paid $10 for his winter nubuck leather boots and they were new with the tags still on. Kids go through shoes so fast that you can find any size on eBay and ones that have never been worn. I do the same thing for Grace and because I get them at a fraction of the cost, she has several pair in various colors. It's worth a look.

Angela

 

Until recently, my girls also only had one pair of shoes at a time with an added pair of sandals in the summer. Their feet grow so fast at that age that you'll be needing to buy new shoes within a couple of months anyway.

 

Maybe you can just put the shoes on them at Target or wherever and let them walk in them.

If they don't go on, then you know they dont' fit! LOL

That's all we do. I also let them walk and tell me how they feel.

Just don't let DH do it! I had one twin and the other needed new shoes, my dh picked out shoes that were 2 sizes larger than he had on, which was very odd to me, but shoes fit different, and dh swore he felt his toe at the end.

I get home and the shoes were monstrous!!! And 1 1/2 sizes too large! LOL

 

I've bought Stride Rites, New Balance and other pretty expensive children's shoes for my kiddos at Ross & Marshall's. I don't think I've ever paid more than $19.99.