Five on Friday - The Top 5 Best Shoes for Kids

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After eight years of having kids, I feel like I’m pretty knowledgeable when it comes to shoes for both boys and girls.  I love fashion, so the overall look of the shoes I purchase for my kids always plays a factor, but support and comfort are obviously always the most important factors. 

We have tried many brands throughout the years, and now that the kids are 7 (almost 8) and 5, I feel like we have a good handle on the shoe situation.  One thing I have learned about shoes for kids is that you pay for what you get, and it is totally worth the extra money to buy quality shoes instead of the trendy (but oh so adorable) ones from Old Navy or Target or wherever.  We have settled on our favorites and today I’m going to share my favorite five brands with you.   

O N E – Natives

Native Shoes are number one on this list because they are number one in my heart.  These. are. the. best. shoes.  I cannot rave about them enough.  For starters, they are the MOST comfortable shoes of all time (I know firsthand because I own a pair myself)… you literally feel like you’re walking on a cloud and your feet never tire even after hours of walking or running around.  Second of all, they are easy to slide on, so any child can put them on unassisted.  Third, they go on quickly, so they’re awesome for times when you need to get out the door in a hurry.  Nobody wants to fool with shoe laces when they’re in a hurry.  Fourth, you can wear them anywhere – in the rain and in the mud – and they hose right off if they get dirty.  Finally, they hold up SO well. 

These shoes are for boys and girls of all ages, adults included.  They won’t rub blisters on your feet, they don’t make your feet stink, and you can even size up slightly to get a few extra months out of them for your growing children.  Jacob has had his first pair for a year now, and he’s going to be able to continue wearing them this year.  And they still look almost brand new.  I’m thinking he will get about two years out of them total.  Olivia’s feet grew a ton this past year, so she outgrew her first pair in about a year, so we just purchased her second pair.

These shoes come in every color of the rainbow, they come in glitter versions, and they come in print versions as well.  They go with any kind of outfit – casual, beachy, pants, shorts, dresses, and our kids even wear theirs to church.  They are worth every single penny.  Mark my words and buy a pair!

T W O – Saltwater Sandals

We bought Olivia her first pair of Saltwater Sandals last year after one of my friends raved about them.  Olivia has been wearing hers for a whole year now, and she’ll be able to wear the same pair this summer as well.  Saltwater sandals are super comfortable, they don’t rub on your heels, and you can wear them everywhere.  Olivia has worn hers a ton and they still look brand new.  One of my friends told me they hold up so well, that she can save her older daughter’s to pass down to her younger daughter.  Again, you can size up a bit to get extra wear out of them for your growing kids.  They make these for adults as well, and I’m told they’re awesome, so they’re on my wish list, too!

T H R E E – Nikes

Our kids wear uniforms to school so they have to wear tennis shoes to school.  When it comes to tennis shoes, Nike has been my favorite brand since I was young.  Everyone in our family wears Nikes.  They always have the best color combinations for the kids, and they also have the versions that you don’t have to lace up and tie.  Again, it’s amazing to have a shoe that your kids can just slip on in a hurry!

Both of our kids love theirs and wear them every single day to school.  And they hold up so well that both of our kids’ Nikes last the entire school year.  I always hear about people having to buy new tennis shoes for their kids halfway through the school year because their first pairs are so banged up, but we just don’t ever have that problem with Nikes!  They are just so darn reliable.  Pink ones here and grey ones here.

F O U R – Stride Rites

When Jacob was a baby I can remember wondering what in the world you’re supposed to put on a baby’s feet when they first start walking.  I was completely clueless.  Thank goodness for Jacob’s daycare teacher for giving us the best advice on that subject!  Without her we would have been lost.

For the teeny tiny kids who are just learning to walk, I cannot stress enough just how perfect the Stride Rite Shoes are!!!!  Jacob was a very late walker and at fourteen months he was still just crawling and not even attempting to walk.  His teacher at daycare told us that she thought the reason he wasn’t walking was because his ankles didn’t have enough support (because he was soooo fat and couldn’t hold himself up – LOL) and she suggested buying the Stride Rite Shoes, specifically the Elliot Bootie.  I kid you not, within a couple of weeks of putting those on his feet, he finally started standing unassisted, and he took his first steps just shy of fifteen months.

We kept those on his feet for a good year before finally making the switch to something with less support.  And we loved them so much that we took Olivia to get fitted for her first pair at just eleven months.  She took her first steps just a couple of weeks later just shy of her first birthday.  :o) 

I saved both of their first pairs of these as keepsakes since they took their first steps in them.  I can’t wait to give them their keepsake capsules and let them see them one day.  :o)

And Stride Rite has tons of other styles of shoes that also offer lots of support for young walkers.  

You can find the Elliot Bootie in white here and the Elliot Bootie in brown here.  They also come in black.

F I V E – Old Navy Flip Flops

And finally, every kid needs a good pair of flip flops to wear to the beach or pool.  Our favorite place for those?  Old Navy!  They’ve always been known for their flip flops because they come in lots of cute colors and designs and they’re dirt cheap.  Like, $1-$4 per pair.  Our kids get a new pair of these at the start of every summer and they use them on our beach trips, for swimming lessons, and playing in the splash pad, etc. 

You can find the the floral flip flops here and the American flag flip flops here.  :o)

And those are our fave five!  What are your favorites?  Do you like any other brands that I didn’t list here? 

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and By BMG for High Five for Friday.