How important is it to get kids good quality shoes?

[WittiestUsernameEver]

I've always been told that it's worth spending ££ on good quality properly fitted shoes for children. DD4 has ricosta around £50 but they're her only pair she wears day to day. They have never fallen apart or worn out before she outgrown them. And she WEARS them.

But should I just get her some £10-20 ones from a supermarket?

Will it harm her feet/gait???

This is not a stealth boast! I save up every month for her good shoes. And she has maybe 1-2 a year they have lasted 9 months before she outgrown them.

I've always bought clarks for my 2. I go to the outlet so they're a bit cheaper.

I once bought a pair out of aldi and they were falling apart by the Christmas.

Clarks shoes don't fit my DD. She has long, narrow shallow feet... Has to have double straps

my mom put good shoes on me as a child and at 67 i have no problems with my feet no bunions etc , i put my children into jumping jacks which at the time were pricey and then good quality shoes and my children all have good feet so yes it is worth spending the extra as feet last a lifetime and problem free feet are better than uncomfortable feet

And the Clarks ones never used to be 'snug' round the top of the foot etc her feet would slip a lot in them.

Have found Ricosta fit her best

Fit matters more than price.
Some people can get a good fit from standard cuts and cheaper brands. Some people have to pay for certain brands that give a more niche fit.

I'd better never have issues like bunions agter a childhood in The H Width Shoe from Startrite and my young adulthood in comfort brands like Ecco and Hotter...
Currently in a Ricosta phase as I'm still small enough for childrens sizes.

DS1 is more brand specific with my awkward proportions. DS2 can wear cheaper brands comfortably.

Mine all have Skechers trainers which are comfortable and light weight. I buy them cheaply from sports direct.

I (based on no evidence) think it matters less to have well fitted shoes (different widths etc) if wearing trainers, which are soft. And they are comfortable and practical.

Luckily DC school binned the concept of leather school shoes during covid

Don’t think it mattters if they are 50quid or a tenner as long as they fit ok.
my eldest GD can’t wear Clark’s or start rite ….they are a shit fit…..she wears marks and spencer school shoes and converse …..my youngest GD wears Asda trainers…..they fit her great

Maybe the price isn't important. I guess the fact her shoes have been indestructible helps a lot in the purchase! She wears them every day, every where all weathers. And they've always been good for shape, soles lasting, never a stitch out of place or holes appearing etc
She did have a cheap pair of £7 decathlon trainers as spares for when hers happened to be covered in mud/soaking after an accidental dip in a deeper than expected puddle etc. and they've worn out way before the every day ones. Despite only been worn maybe a dozen times.

There's no denying that Clark's etc last longer. However, they cost a bomb. I bought a Clark's foot gauge in lock down, measure DS's feet myself and then pick up NWTs Clark's off Vinted for less money. DS's last pair of school shoes were only £20 and he's had them all year so far....

Cheap shoes are often a false economy. They fall apart and you end up buying more often and spending more money in the long run.

It's worth it. My DD also has ricosta and they last all school year. The only thing I dont like is the tread isn't great and wears smooth quite quickly but they are perfect for her narrow feet. Ds has geox as he has wider feet.

The way I see it, I absolutely hate wearing supermarket shoes, they're inflexible, cold because they're plastic, hard and flat. I always buy fewer but better shoes for myself so do the same for DC.

Cheap shoes just fall apart but I also haven't found Clarks much better nor do I think the fitters have much more expertise than I do. I think in the past they got a lot of training but my local one just has young girls who do exactly the same checks I would do. Not sure what the answer is as unfortunately there aren't as many independent shops around as there once were. Off to Google Ricosta though!

You be seen an awful lot of children's school shoes. You get what you pay for. Cheap ones usually fall apart and quickly but Ricosta magically seem to grow with children's feet and last almost forever.

Clarks don't last nearly as well as Ricosta IME.

I read it's better to buy cheaper shoes that fit rather than more expensive and wear them too long because you can't afford more pairs as your child grows. Makes sense to me.

I've heard something once that stuck with me.
There are two things in life you don't buy cheap (budget permitting): mattresses and shoes. Because if you're not in one, you're on the other.

I've always bought Clark's for DS and he has difficult feet. Trainers are always Nike, New Balance or Adidas but the cushioned kind, not flat soles like Gazelles. You don't fancy ruining a child's gait and bring them a lifetime of problems because of the shoe price. If you can't afford it's a different thing but if you can is a no brainer.

It's really important to me but for very different reasons. Due to the complexities of my little one's disabilities his world is very limited for example, I can't walk into a high street toy shop and buy him a toy that he can play with, but I can buy him shoes that will help to hold his feet in a really good neutral position that will keep him comfortable so I do, he often wears Kickers because they support his ankles really well. He doesn't stand or walk so when he does eventually outgrow his shoes they are always in beautiful condition and I can pass them on to someone else.

cheap shoes can fit well and expensive shoes can fit awfully.

but cheap shoes sometimes are made from more sweaty material, which is probably not the best if you/dc meed to wear them for many hours a day.

fwiw when dc did wear uniform at school we would buy a 'good' pair of leather shoes at the start of the new school year and a cheaper pair round easter when dc had grown out of or destroyed the shoe.

There seem to be two separate questions here. Are cheap shoes going to fall apart quickly? And are cheap shoes bad for children feet?

I don't know the answer to the first question, although it seems likely that cheap shoes won't last as long as you usually get what you pay for.

On the second question, I am sure it is better to buy properly fitted shoes whatever price range you can afford. But don't assume it will necessarily guarantee problem free feet. I always bought good quality, properly fitted shoes (usually Start rite) for my DCs. Despite this, one DD developed very painful bunions by her mid teens and had to be referred to a hospital podiatrist. He said her condition was hereditary - my DH and his sister had the same problem - and hadn't been caused by her shoes.

Maybe the problem would have been even worse if I had bought her cheap shoes. I don't know. I didn't ask.

Maybe you have great feet genes though.
My mum was big on sensible footwear. I never wore heels or pumps, still wear sensible shoes now - my feet are terrible but there is a hereditary problem on my dad's side

I've just bought my two Clarks and Kangol ones from sports direct. Half price!
I prefer to get decent shoes especially school shoes for them but I don't like paying £50+ a pair!!

Good fitting and good quality aren’t synonymous.

Yes cheap shoes can be bad but it depends. Look for a square toe box. I used to be a shoe fitter for one of the brands mentioned on here, I wouldn’t say they were always the best for every child so any place that fits shoes is fine imo, but yes I’d always get them fitted

My daughter also wears Ricosta, she has slim feet. I tend to get her professionally fitted and for a toddler she does get longevity out of them.

The soles on Ricosta and other good quality brands flex in more directions than cheaper shoes which is important for a developing foot.

my DC wear 'barefoot' shoes. DC1 currently has Froddo canvas ones. DC2 had vivo. They both wear bundgaard wellies. I now wear barefoot shoes too and feel a huge difference and so I will aim to keep the kids in barefoot shoes too.