It’s the end of August, and with many kids going back to school, families are taking advantage of the end of the summer and back to school sales. Undoubtedly, many parents are shoe shopping with bargains in mind. My favorite stops for name brand, yet inexpensive shoes are the outlets, Marshalls and DSW. Over on Babyrific, I blogged about how the kid absolutely adores his new shoes so much that he’s taken a liking to tap dancing. Said shoes are a pair Nickelodeon Slimers from Stride Rite that I picked up from Marshalls for less than half their original price from last season.
To be honest, we went through at least 4-5 pairs of sandals this summer because of my choice to go cheap and convenient. The kid often fell while he was running, slipped on the shaky bridge at the park and we even had to buy shoe glue to revive a short-lived pair. Last summer, we bought ONE pair of sandals. Not surprisingly, I bought them from the Stride Rite outlet.
Bargains are always my priority, but I’m a still a big believer in paying a little more for quality shoes, while maximizing our dollars, which is why our kiddie sneakers of choice are usually Stride Rite. The kid’s very first pair of sneakers were Stride Rite; instead of buying many pairs of sneakers while he was learning to walk, his Stride Rites lasted him until he outgrew them. (Isn’t that how it should be?) Those first shoes while learning to walk are so important. The quality, durability and comfort of other kid shoes pales in comparison.
According to some research compiled by SR, consider this:
- Shoes that do not fit properly in childhood can contribute to poor foot development, which can lead to bone, back and muscle problems later in life.
- When learning to walk, babies flex their feet 25,000 times a day. Their toes need a full range of motion and the mid foot needs support to prevent over flexion.
- From ages 1 – 10, a child’s foot grows around 6 inches, nearly 1.5 times the size they were at birth. This is why children need new shoes every 2 – 3 months until about age 3, then every 6 months after that
It’s no WONDER, at almost 2 years old, the kid has almost as much shoes as his shoe-loving mama!
Leave it up to Stride Rite, they seem to always be ahead of the curve. This time, Stride Rite has launched Sensory Response Technology. According to the company, this new technology for children’s footwear was:
developed in conjunction with the Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, improves the way a child learns to walk via a sensory feedback system, an ultra-flexible design that allows for more freedom of movement, and a unique construction that reduces the number of stumbles and falls.
If only these shoes were out last year when the kid was learning how to walk! As loyal Stride Rite customers, shoes with the SRT technology definitely sound like shoes that our family would invest in. Since I unfortunately had to miss this press event, I’ve yet to see the different styles in person, or test them out myself. But, if we do have a chance to get our hands on a pair, I’ll be sure to share a full review! In the meantime, check out one of Stride Rite’s promo pieces on SRT’s features and benefits.
How about you guys? What brands/kinds of shoes, if any, do you swear by? I’d love to hear ’em!
