Good shoes, properly fit, under $70?

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Forum -> Household Management -> Budgeting & Bargains

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seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 3:29 am

My kids' feet are very hard to fit - one is very narrow and the other one has some walking issues (there used to be a discount through health insurance for quality shoes since she needed custom inserts but they stopped covering that - and she still needs shoes that work well with the inserts!)

I usually shop around (and around, and around...) but it's really very hard and time consuming, and I still occasionally end up with shoes that don't work out well for their feet in the end and I see that it really affects their walking. This season in particular I went to a couple of discount stores, spent a day at the mall, and spent waaaay too much time online, and I have nothing to show for it. I have one "maybe" that I'm not really convinced is going to do well for the narrow one, and nothing that I think is really working out for the inserts kid (there was one that looked good in the store so I bought it to have the podiatrist check it, but then I tried it on her again and home and all of a sudden she's tripping - which did not happen in the store! So frustrated!) I bought them both Shabbos shoes because I feel that those don't have to be such a great fit because they're only wearing them about 1/7th of the time (well, lots of yom tov coming up, but besides that...) even though I don't like the idea of them wearing something that might make them walk wrong.

Anyway I'm so frustrated that I'm ready to just go to Boro Park or Monsey or wherever and have a "professional" shoe store owner fit them with just the right shoe. I'm just... not coping with what I'm hearing that this can typically run around $90 these days. $90 each time your kid has a growth spurt? How do people handle this? I realize that you need to pay more for both the quality and the service, and I'm willing to do that, I'm not expecting to find $20 shoes like you get in Target or Payless, and I'm not even expecting to find $40-50 shoes like you get from Stride Rite or Pediped (YES I tried ALL those stores and came up empty!) But $90?!!!

Please help!

out-of-towner

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 8:40 am

Did you try Nordstrom?

lavenderchimes

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 9:54 am

I have hard to fit feet, and have had to come to terms with spending good money for shoes-- but I can't imagine going through it with kids! I'm sorry:(

I have extra wide feet, and although Payless can be hit or miss, I get all of it cheap shoes there. There are basically four brands there that are comfortable for me (in WIDE): DexFlex Comfort, Comfort Plus by Predictions, SafeTStep, and Christian Siriano.

You can also watch on Zappos or FootSmart for big sales-- you could get the more expensive shoes at a big discount! Also, once you find an expensive shoe that works, you could look on Poshmark.

You only have to find one or two shoes that will be a good fit, then you can focus on finding a good price for those shoes!

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 10:15 am

Unfortunately it seems that narrow shoes are a LOT rarer than wide shoes.

And there is no Nordstrom near me Sad

I don't know how to find expensive shoes that work except to go to the expensive stores in Brooklyn that do the fitting for you. I haven't had great results otherwise. And I'm not going to go for a fitting and then comparison shop. Plus, the times when I did comparison shop online just out of curiosity after making the actual purchase in Brooklyn, I found that many of the brands they sell I just couldn't find online, and those that I did find online were the same prices (once I found one deeply discounted at Nordstromrack.com. ONCE. Haven't had that kind of luck since.)

Also, why does it seem that leather kid shoes are an endangered species? Almost everything is synthetic!

Oh and BTW style is also an issue. The one with the inserts has broader interests but the one with narrow feet has started insisting that she absolutely will not wear anything that is all-black (even if it has nice black designs or trimmings) or gray or brown. I did find some nice narrow-looking leather Primigis on Zappos (also in the $70 range, and if I'm going to spend that kind of money then I'd like them professionally measured to make sure we're getting it right! But the professionals only carry the $85+ shoes!) but of course they were all black, and not even a nice black design that I could try fruitlessly to sell to her but plain boring black mary janes that even I can understand why she wouldn't want them.

ARGH.

So far the closest I've gotten is these, which aren't a great fit vis-a-vis the narrow problem, but if you tie them tight enough then they don't flop around that badly. https://www.target.com/p/girls'-shaelyn-velvet-sneakers-cat-%26-jack%E2%84%A2---burgundy-1/-/A-52137591 For the price and trendiness, I'm willing to go with them just as an interim thing until I can find something that fits her properly and is normal quality (the velvet on these feels a little like cardboard to me...) She has been so upset about going to school at the beginning of the year in her old icky sneakers because we haven't found The Shoes yet.

reality mom

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 10:18 am

I have great sucess with Landsend. My kids have very narrow feet. I always end up spending between $10 and $25 a pair, on sale.

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 10:23 am

reality mom wrote:

I have great sucess with Landsend. My kids have very narrow feet. I always end up spending between $10 and $25 a pair, on sale.

Do you have a link? I only see Shabbos shoes, boots, and sandals - nothing that looks like everyday comfortable school shoes to me.

I do want to order her Shabbos shoes from there, I got a pair but they were too small and now I'm waiting for a coupon to try them in the next size. Anyone have a coupon that is valid on sale items?

BetsyTacy

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 10:40 am

Seeker, I am not a proponent for abusing Lands End's generous return policy. That said, it is not abusing the policy to call them up if you receive an item which turns out does not fit. Within 30 days (I think) you can call and they will ship you with free shipping the same item in another size, honoring the sale price you had paid. You will be charged on your credit card for the 2nd pair, and of course will be credited when you return the 1st pair. I would wait of course until the 2nd pair comes to see if the shoes fit before shlepping to sears or the post office.
Lands end gets back the 1st pair in unworn salable condition. It makes a sale that hopefully won't need to be returned. They would rather do this than have everyone buy 2 sizes at the outset because then by defintion everyone would be returning at least 1 pair.

crust

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 11:03 am

Have you tried Yoox.com?
They have tons of brand name leather shoes in all shapes and sizes.
Make sure to filter it by the price you wish to spend first orelse you might freak out from the numbers that come up...

reality mom

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 11:05 am

seeker wrote:

https://www.landsend.com/shop/.....N-g5v
There is a 25 percent off coupon on the homepage. There are also other styles not posted in this link, search by girls shoes.

987gold

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 11:35 am

I think it's times per wear. Someone spends 30, it could last 2 months or 8 months. Same with an $80 pair. I hate spending so much on shoes too!! There are times I am successful ordering online, amazon, Nordstrom, 6pm, and times when I spend so much time, don't get anything, or doesn't fit the kid right, so it doesn't last. I suggest going to Schwartz shoes on 16th avenue. They have expensive shoes and cheaper ones as well, last years style, etc. They fit very well. Tell them you want a nice shoe and a good price and a good fit and see what they can find you!
I did not want to wait 3 hours in a shoe store 9 months pregnant....went to lock sheldrake shoe store with 5 kids, walked out spending 400 on 8 pairs for 5 kids. They measured each kids foot and then I had to find each kid a shoe from size rack and they were able to tell me if shoe fit. It wasn't easy. One shoe was 20, next was 59, 49....totally have no clue.

CDL

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 11:39 am

Try the lakewood stores. Some of them have large sale sections, where you can get the same brands for a lot cheaper, they're just from a previous season. I think one is called royal family shoes. (They have a sale store in loch sheldrake in the summer - I have gotten there the last two years. Maybe plan to buy there next summer. The man who fits is amazing (and nice) and they have all the top quality shoes, for literally half the usual price.

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:26 pm

Alas I am nowhere near Lakewood. I'm kicking myself that I didn't get to the country stores in time. Maybe next year!

Notsobusy

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:29 pm

Do you have a Stride Rite near you? I've had great experiences there with their fitters. Some aren't as experienced but they will call over someone more experienced to help out.

ra_mom

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:32 pm

Is there a brand that worked well for your kids' feet previously? I've had luck buying from those companies again. Google that brand only until you come up with what you need. Even when we shop in person we try on many shoes but end up with the same brands for each kid again.

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:35 pm

crust wrote:

Never heard of it, clicking over now - thanks

yogabird

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:36 pm

Would you be willing to go with something with laces?

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:40 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Not in recent years. We did well with primigi at one point and they still look like they might be good but while they have gorgeous toddler and baby shoes, all I'm seeing is very boring in the bigger kid sizes. I can try to push it again but she is REALLY anti-boring right now. And they are in the $70 range which is better than $90 but without the professional fitting. Other than that - I didn't like the way last year's shoes ended up on her, her walking doesn't seem so even after spending so much time in those. For spring and summer she had saucony sneakers that worked well but they were very sporty and not really school-worthy (in the spring it's kind of OK because people who outgrow their school shoes start to turn up in summer shoes. But "nobody" is wearing them now.) And the year before that she was still doing well in toddler shoes. Naturinos fit OK but I have not been happy with the quality:price ratio. And they all seem to have these very rounded toes which IME makes the kid outgrow them too fast because their toes get squished in the round shape. Buying an extra size up for that won't work because then they're too big all around.

seeker

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:41 pm

yogabird wrote:

Would you be willing to go with something with laces?

Yes, out of desperation. She says she is ready to learn how to tie laces independently. But they can't be "boring" or "ugly." Rolling Eyes

Basically, she hates the oxford and saddle styles that I love and that are coming back in trend.

yogabird

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:45 pm

https://www.amazon.com/Pablosk.....losky

I got these for my daughter that has narrow feet AND wears an arch. Not sure what size you're looking for... They are not narrow, but the laces make them very adjustable and they are padded all around the ankle for support.

yogabird

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 12:50 pm

these might work too https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....LLWIL

I know you said you're not crazy about naturinos but these don't have that very round toe that some of them have

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