Shoes for children

KingMambo26

Only 3 months after buying new asics runners for our 4 yo they've given up the ghost. His previous pair were Clarks and lasted little over 6 months. We've had similar experiences with a variety of shoes bought for him and for his older brother (i.e. they never last more than a few months). Am I expecting too much in terms of durability? Is this the same experience for all parents? for all shoes?

Moonbeam

We found the Clarks shoes pretty good,the girls (3 and 5) got new shoes and runners there in August which still fit the 3 year old and they look worn but they are still perfect,the 5 year olds school shoes still look perfect.
I think it depends on the child and how they wear through them.

lazygal

I think its the wear and tear the child creates rather than the shoes, but some shoes are better than others. My child has had three pairs of shoes since last September, the third pair are still going strong. I buy very plain leather shoes rather than the runner style shoes, there is better support in them and leather is better for their feet and lasts longer than the synthetic materials in runner type shoes. I'm very picky about their shoes though because I used to sell shoes and I've seen the effects of wearing poorly designed and fitted synthetic shoes.
I steer clear of the sports branded shoes because they don't last for me either and I only use them for walking/running not everyday use like a child would put them through. Maybe try leather based shoes and see if they last longer.

Rosy Posy

My son is hard on his shoes. We got him some runners style shoes but leather upper and inner in Camper on Wicklow St in Dublin and he actually managed to outgrow them and they're fit for his younger brother

How Strange

I also think leather shoes are more durable than trainers. We bought our son a pair of leather boots in January. They're his only pair of shoes so are worn constantly and he'll be able to wear them again in the autumn. I go to Cripps in Terenure and most of the winter shoes they stock have a rubber covering over the front of the shoes so they withstand a lot of wear and tear.

Glinda

My 11 year old boy walks straight out through anything but Ecco shoes. Last time round there were no nice ones in his size and we had to go to Clarks, the stitching was coming undone and they looked wrecked after about a fortnight! Back to Ecco with us. They are pricey but seem to last him for months and months.

I should say that my daughter was happily shoe-d in Clarks for all her childhood years without any problems. He's just much harder on shoes.