How to Make Shoes Last

Nope, if you buy cheap shoes they will not last. Its just how it is. My kids don't wear cheap shoes because I have a 5yr old that had orthopedic problems and needed good shoes, and I have a 3yr old with CP that needs good shoes too. We've always had great luck with Sketchers, New Balance, and Stride Rite.

You really do get what you pay for, and kids should be in good supportive shoes anyway and not cheap shoes that let their feet fall to the side improperly. It just creates problems when they get older, shoes aren't something you should cheap out on.

Buy them at Kohl's. That way if they don't last as long as they're supposed to, you can exchange for the same size/style and at least make it through the season. I have the same problem with my girls. If you can buy them on sale with an additional 30% coupon, they're not too pricey.

so far I have bought most of my kids shoes 2nd hand. There's always a few pairs at the thrift store that the last kid hardly wore. I have gotten off with only paying less than $5 for most of their shoes. Boots have been harder to find since most kids wear them out and I am finding that the older my kids get the harder they are to find.

I agree with the post about you get what you pay for. We shop at Nordstrom Rack and get Stride Rites for anywhere between $6 and $20. I happiest with those of what we've tried -- both price and quality. Really though, anything that Nordstrom Rack carries has held up well for my son who's tough on shoes. I do mean tough, too. We bought a pair of Cherokee's from Target once that didn't even make it out the door before the seam started splitting -- not the shoe's fault -- a friend's son did just fine in them.

Another place that I have shopped for myself, but they just started carrying kid's shoes recently is Off Broadway. I think they carry Merril's which I've never tried. I can get Clark's there for $35 (rather than $80 to $135). I would figure their kid's shoes would be great, too. You're pretty close to the outlets in Loveland. You might try the Bass store, if they carry kid's shoes. My husband is incredibly hard on shoes, and can get good shoes there. I'm not sure what other stores are there, but it might be worth checking out. Hope you find something that works!

I think with shoes--you get what you pay for. The shoes I have spent decent money on have lasted (mine and my son's), cheap shoes won't hold up.
I think though K Mart has a "if your kid wears them out before he outgrows them", they replace them.
Generally speaking, shoes last longer if they are not worn every day. I know that's hard with a child--to have enough to rotate every other day, but it might help.

That's part of the problem-cheap. Nothing that you buy cheap is really going to give you any mileage. It's just not made to. It's made with the cheapest and easiest materials.

You might look for sales on quality shoes that will last longer because they are better made and made with better materials. That's when I get my son decent shoes-sales! My son is a crazy boy and is rough on everything so I feel your pain.

When you find the magic answer, please let me know.....doesn't seem to matter what I do my kids' shoes get tore up. LOL

I have bought both expensive shoes and cheap $10 dollar shoes for my 10 year old son. He usually goes through about 3 to 4 pairs of shoes in a school year regardless of the brand or type. My 5 year old is currently working on his 2nd pair of shoes this year and my 10 year old also working on his second pair. I gave up and decided to just buy the cheap $10 shoes at Walmart and replace as needed. My 5 year olds uniforms pants have both knees tore out of all 5 pair of double kneed Dickies. I'll have to order more of those too. That is going to be expensive.

Youhave to buy a good pair that is made well. My son wears Geox and they only need to be replaced when he grows out of them. Heres a link to a good site for them:
http://www.6pm.com/search/null/filter/gender/%22kids%22/c...

Also-Merrels are long lasting as well.

my grand-daughter tears through 70$ shoes in 6 months, and cheaper ones in less than a month.
For her birthday early novemebr I got her some cheaper combat boots, they had wood heels. She wore theose down atleast half an inch to an inch by christmas.
I got her a pair of really nice boots, and so far they hold up.
When your son gets older, as silly as this seems, get him skate shoes. Those are the only shoes I have ever bought for my granddaighter that dont get torn to pieces. shes had her DC shoes for a year and a half, and wore them nearly a year straight

i actually get my daughters shoes at outlet stores normally you can get shoes for kids and adults from 20-50 dollars when they are normally like 20-30 dollars more

Try duck tape. =) You can buy more expensive shoes or buy a couple pairs of cheapies.

My son is the same way. He has always been so hard on shoes. I notice it is worse when I am not constantly tying them tight for him. Once he started tying his own shoes they just began to disintegrate. I still have this problem but I agree that some of the cheaper shoes are not made to last and hasn't saved me any money when I tried to go that route. I just try to get him to keep his shoes tied tightly and give him a few shoe options so they last a season.

Replace the kid lol. It is mostly true that you get what you paid for but there are also a certain number of the childhood population that are shoe destructors. I have one who is a top shoe ripper and we buy decent brands. If you can wing it buy bogs for winter. My dd can not rip those. I bought my nephew a pair on ebay for a fraction.

As far as gluing try E6000. YOu have to make it cure for 24 hrs and work on a well ventilated area. It's permanent and waterproof. You can find them almost anywhere or at Joan fabrics

I never had this problem with my daughter (or myself) but my boys (and husband) seem to go through shoes so quickly! I seriously have to buy new shoes at the beginning of the school year and again mid-year (about now). And it doesn't seem to matter how "cheap" or not they are - the most expensive shoes I bought for my husband (work boots at the store where police get all their uniforms and supplies - you'd think they would be made for many hours on one's feet) didn't really last any longer than what we normally pay half the price for at Payless.

I don't know of any brands that necessarily last longer. But what I do is go to Payless (they usually have the best inexpensive selection) and look specifically at what is on clearance. I try to stick with the less expensive there, even if it means we don't get the hot, flashing-light, super-hero shoes every time. They've learned to deal with that :)
Get shoes that are just the right size. There's no point in getting shoes he can grow into, since they probably won't last that long, and shoes that fit well will probably last longer.

Sorry I don't have any better advice.

They probably don't last because they are cheap. One good pair of pricey shoes last so much longer than the cheap ones, and are better than their feet.

Here are some ways I get stellar deals on shoes:
I have my own measuring deice, so I always know his size.
I buy ahead of a season, in advance, and estimate his size based on past growth patters.

So that allows me to get huge discounts from places like this:
www.6pm.com (selection so huge it can be overwhelming)
zuliliy.com
Totsy.com
Gilt.com
HauteLook.com
TheMiniSocial.com
Also, sometimes, SierraTradingPost.com

And if you want to know how a particular brand runs (large or small, wide or not) then look on Zappos.com to read the reviews first.

I usually get the shoes that have rubber-type material running over the toe area - they last through dragging them on the bike and everything.

Good Luck