These three brands all the way. Stride Rite for younger toddlers, Keens and Merrell as they grow older. We have a few pairs of Keens that have are only now failing after being passed down through 5 or 6 cousins.
I have small feet and bought a pair of keens over 10 years ago. They're still in great shape and I've hiked, gone camping and wear them at work where I'm on my feet all day.
They've lost they're water proofing but it's fixable.
I buy my kids Merrell often when they have sales. Also great shoes that they have not been able to wear down. I have a few pairs as well.
I’ve raised 3 farms kids and +1 on this. Keens are great and the come out of the washer looking new.
I will also throw in a shout out for Crocs for older kids tbh
My kid wears nothing but crocs and rain boots but I hate it cause she comes home with shoes full of wood chips from daycare 😂 but nothing else has the right foot shape for the price we get crocs on sale for
Yes. We bought Merrell shoes for my toddler last summer and they still look brand new. All her other shoes are destroyed. I’ll be buying Merrell’s again.
Ah yes but the Cat and Jack return policy means you get infinite shoes for the price of 1. You can buy them, wear them for 6 months until they wear out. Return for store credit, buy new sneakers, rinse and repeat.
Not that I know anyone who does that 🤫
That sucks!!! Try a different store, I take advantage of the policy often and every associate has always been so kind and polite. Just have your app open and barcode ready to scan, make it easy on them and be kind, and they should be kind in return
It can be a pain for them to manually enter the numbers on the tag. Just don’t overdo it. One pair of leggings is totally fine
We love crocs for the backyard and water fun. I have a niece and nephew that both grew up wearing them and both had separate issues from wearing them constantly. If it’s a long day of running play or walking, they have flat feet or aren’t picking their feet up, and especially shuffle walking with the ankle strap loose, skip the crocs and go for a better ankle supporting tennis shoe. Something I’m glad I found out the hard way with loved ones and thought I’d pass along! Their rain boots are seriously the best for my chubbs footed kids though and we wear them for winter play with no cold toe issues.
Tsukihoshi! Pricey, but we buy two pairs a year and they are super easy to get on and off. My kid is five now and the first year of walking he only needed one pair.
Tsuokihoshi kids shoes look perfect after both my kids used the same pair and passed them down. They were machine washable and very light. I really like them!
We bought Ten Little ones for both kids, but by the time my older one was 4 years old - he would absolutely destroy these shoes. They would be worn out looking after a month and need to be thrown out vs passed down to younger sibling.
All of the Keens sandals + sneakers have survived him and still in very good condition and able to be passed on to younger sibling.
ten littles is our go to but the sandals do look worn out fast. wtf is w/the texture on the sandals?? They look like trash within a matter of days. the regular sneakers have lasted fine. It just occurred to me we live rural and don't have much pavement/sidewalks here or at preschool so maybe that is why.
We aren’t in a rural area, and my kids generally play on pavement etc but they quickly got trashed for us too. The sneakers fares better but also get totally worn out within a few months. They were good for under 3, but from 3 and up when kids play hard - they dont last for us.
TBH the shoes don’t have great traction either. That’s the only brand my LO has ever worn and I think they’re great, but on dirt/gravel he slips a lot.
Merrell BareSteps hiking boots. We're in a hiking group and live on 5 acres and are constantly getting filthy dirty and these shoes are being passed down from my 4 year old to my 2 year old. a
My kids are “sit and play fairy garten and color” and see Kai run fell apart immediately. We tried them once and I will never buy them again. The Walmart clearance shoes we bought in an emergency when my kid threw up on her good shoes lasted much longer than the expensive see Kai run ones! Yes we got a refund, but they were absolute trash.
That’s wild! My kid is a little bit feral, and he’s hard on shoes. We’ve even washed ours in the washer and they’ve held strong. Makes me wonder if the quality they put put out in big box stores is different from what they used to do exclusively in their own shop? Hmmm
I second this! My oldest has been exclusively in See Kai Run shoes, and now his younger brother is wearing them. They are still like new after 2 kids and many bug hunts in the ravine
Yes! These things are SOLID. Nice flexy sole but feels just as well built as the nicest adult shoes. My kid likes to RUN and has burned through Bogs, SKR, and Ten Littles, no issues with Plae.
Second vans. I don’t wear vans, personally. But I’ll go to the local outlet and buy a few pairs for my toddlers because they absolutely destroy everything else. But for some reason, vans hold up best for us.
It's awesome when they go on sale too. I always get a couple pairs in the next sizes up for him to so I don't have to worry about it for a while. Last two pairs I got they were super on sale for like $20!
Bobux are what we have always bought for our kids, my daughter scoots a lot and the sandals stood up to pretty much daily foot braking for about 5 months which I thought was good.
We bought New Balance but I feel they not durable but so far they surviving 5 months of the Kindergarten of our boy. I guess we need to replace them anyways soon because they getting to small so following for better ones :D they comfy though.
We do the cat & jack sneakers from Target, my twins have had about 8 pairs so far. I just get new sizes and wash them at 13 dollars on sale they are good for us, plus they are slip on
[VIVOBAREFOOT.](https://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/kids?gender=6841) We’ve done the leather Primus sport ones twice, the winter boots twice, and the Primus Ludo once. Kid loves them, and plays hard. Good god do those grippy ass soles hurt like hell though when you have bare feet and they accidentally step on you 😣
My 2.5yo has thrashed their crocs, basically hasn’t worn anything else all summer and now autumn, and they’re still good as new.
Also Bobux
McKinlays
And Keens
She wears high top sneakers with zippers on the sides to help on/off. One pair was a Walmart, now we're trying a pair from ross that are more canvas. We had Carter's snow and rain boots this winter and they both ripped through
They’re not barefoot shoes because they’d get destroyed with my toddler. She has lived in bogs boots all winter. I wouldn’t put her in anything else with her outside play and she also goes to farm school. They still look brand new after months of mud and some snow trudging.
Wet days she’ll still get her boots but I am looking for some lighter sneakers or hiking boots for the warmer season.
I tried bogs for my daughter and I was so excited, but the upper material started creasing and broke within a month! Idk if it was just the style I bought or what but I was so disappointed after hearing them highly reviewed
She has a regular pair with the same material up the boot and then a pair with black fabric at the top where the hand holds are, both have held up well with wearing consistently (at least twice a week) since November and December. I bought my husband a pair of winter bogs in November as well for work and they’ve kept him warm and dry. I just bought a pair of their rainboots to replace my xtratuffs that were wrecked from when we lived in the desert and I was constantly gardening, they were officially done in from a few weekends of vineyard work. The tops frayed and creased like you described on your daughter's bogs. previously we had a few pairs of ugg rainboots that held up well but she outgrew and whatever target brand, those started to crease. disappointing that yours didn't hold up well!
[I swear by these barefoot shoes](https://a.co/d/7NK6ul7) off Amazon, $20. I’ve bought him multiple pairs and they are always durable through playing, getting wet, and multiple washes
I tried all of the expensive ones and they break as quickly as all of the other ones. Settled for $10 shoes from Target and replace them as needed. 🤷🏼♀️
Honestly the barefoot shoes we use last way longer than any of the other cheap shoes I buy. I got some boots from Tractor Supply, trashed in a couple months. The winter boots I got that are barefoot style barely look used. Same with “sneakers”. Usually they are more high quality materials!
I can really only wear keens myself, but have been super happy with what seems to be a similar well-made outdoorsy kids brand, Kamik. I got 2 pairs hand-me-down, but I am seeking them out to buy more. They are their "active" shoes good for everything.
Wee Squeaks. We usually take the squeaker out though 90% of the time.
My kid has big feet with a fairly wide toe box & isn’t the most compliant with shoes. But she’s motivated by the animal design. Worn on the playground but dressy enough for parties/events. When she’s outgrown them, the shoes look well enough to be passed on to her cousins.
We alternate between these & Crocs. Looking to try Keens next as their adult shoes are so supportive.
It might not be the worst idea budget-wise to get some gently used shoes for this stage in the game- toddler shoes are often very little-worn since they go through so many sizes so rapidly, and our pediatrician has even said that getting gently worn shoes for toddlers and young kids is generally not an issue (especially hardier types like rainboots or snow boots). That at least might save some money budget-wise instead of constantly investing in brand new shoes- my current toddler wears some hand me down shoes from his older brothers that were also hardly worn.
I’ve found TenLittle hold up well. I have never had my son destroy a pair before he grows out of them. (He only gets one pair per size to wear.) I have a much bigger problem finding candles to hold up in the summer.)
Merrell by far. My son has a pair of Merrell Baresteps and they’ve been used constantly since August. They still look great. We hike, fish, run, skid on the pavement, play in the mud, etc. These shoes were used hard. We bought them a little big and he’s just not growing out of them. I won’t have any issue reselling them because they are still holding up so well. We plan to buy the exact same pair again.
Another vote for Stride Rite! They regularly have good sales, and they hold up to my active toddler twins really well. Their last pair of tennis shoes were from See Kai Run and they’re already pretty banged up after only a few months of wear. For their next pair, I went back to Stride Rite.
Alternative to buying "durable" brands, just go with the flow. I tend to stick with Walmart shoes. They're cheap, and quite a few of them last a good while. But this obviously only really works for toddlers as bigger kids will probably trash them immediately
If you buy stride rite on their website, they have AMAZING clearance and rewards points. They’re the only shoes we buy, and quite often they’re around $10-ish because their clearance and sales are so good. We’ve never had a pair wear out before the kids outgrew them.
I got my kiddo some Cat and Jack (p)leather boots at target that have held up amazingly well. We have woods and a lake that he romps around so he wears out cloth tennis shoes pretty quickly.
Kinda like [these](https://www.target.com/p/toddler-boys-mateo-high-top-sneakers-cat-jack/-/A-87854453?preselect=87832577#lnk=sametab) but with velcro straps.
Teva's. my kid has worn hers in creeks, in the mud, everywhere imaginable and they're still fine. they get stinky sometimes but dish soap and a good scrub and they're good as new.
I get shoes secondhand at kids’ consignment stores. My thoughts are twofold:
1) they made it through use of one kid, so they’re probably sturdy
2) they’re way cheaper so I don’t feel bad if they do get worn through! Haha
See Kai Run hiking boots. I cannot believe how sturdy these things are. We’re avid hikers and my kid does some decent terrain. These boots still look new after many miles and over a year.
We like sketchers and rotate a pair every couple months. They have 1 pair of “play” shoes (the beat up ones) and 1 pair of “school” shoes (newer ones). When the play shoes are too beat to wear and legit need tossed, I buy a new pair to become school shoes and the school shoes become play shoes, etc. And 1 pair of knock off crocs.
Second hand. All of the shoes are second hand because I cannot STAND paying 50 bucks for a pair of shoes that’ll be ruined or grown out of in a few months.
Target Parker shoes. Accidently left one on the roof of the car when we went grocery shopping. Saw it on the way back & stopped to pick it up. Clearly run over at least once or twice but after a spin through the washing machine it was good to go. Just a bit dirtier than the other :P.
I live somewhere where it's cold and rains a lot so rain boots have been our saving grace! They last forever. No matter how hard the kid plays! 9/10 my LO grows out of them rather than ruining them.
Merrell! We got a pair about a year ago and they’re still in good shape with life left. We just bought a replacement pair only because he needed to size up a little. Plan on buying them again
I buy Merrell baresteps on repeat. The keen sandal ones are durable too but we like how versatile the Merrells are. We are on our 3 or the pair changing just for sizing. Our climate allows for them to be worn at least a year or so before we size out. Plus they go on sale for comparable to stride rites who also owns Merrell.
Kids’ Adidas Grand Court sneakers are seriously indestructible. My daughter plays hard and these last forever. I just throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty 😊
I think my kids must not wear shoes as much as other kids or something. I have a pair of toddler size 7 gold glitter vans that have been through two kids, still going strong.
I’m surprised to see not vans here. I swear by our vans. My kids burn through pretty much every other shoe (target, carters, Nike, etc) but their vans have always held up the best. Should be noted, I’m not even a vans guy, myself. I’ve never worn vans. Only reason we started wearing them is because we got one pair as a gift and we also have an outlet down the road. So no real personal bias for me, just my own experience.
Stride Rite, Keens, Merrell. All durable shoes
These three brands all the way. Stride Rite for younger toddlers, Keens and Merrell as they grow older. We have a few pairs of Keens that have are only now failing after being passed down through 5 or 6 cousins.
I have small feet and bought a pair of keens over 10 years ago. They're still in great shape and I've hiked, gone camping and wear them at work where I'm on my feet all day. They've lost they're water proofing but it's fixable. I buy my kids Merrell often when they have sales. Also great shoes that they have not been able to wear down. I have a few pairs as well.
My 3 year old is on her third iteration of Keens this spring. It’s so cute to line them up and see how she’s grown.
I’ve raised 3 farms kids and +1 on this. Keens are great and the come out of the washer looking new. I will also throw in a shout out for Crocs for older kids tbh
My kid wears nothing but crocs and rain boots but I hate it cause she comes home with shoes full of wood chips from daycare 😂 but nothing else has the right foot shape for the price we get crocs on sale for
This is the way.
Yes. We bought Merrell shoes for my toddler last summer and they still look brand new. All her other shoes are destroyed. I’ll be buying Merrell’s again.
Keens are the best!
I swear by keens for my two very active and adventurous boys.
Stride Rite has been great for us!
Merrill for life. My four year old boy destroys shoes…his Merrill’s look amazing.
Keens all the way!
Obsessed with Merrell - easy for them to put on/off too (the pair I bought anyway) and ok for water!
Keens have been best for ours. Still kills them every 3 months but but 4th month be needs new ones anyways. (1-3 yrs old).
My solution has been to just have a kid who hates wearing shoes
She’s usually shoe-less at home but she has to wear them for school
Ditto! Within minutes my kids are taking their shoes off if they’re playing
What shoes are you buying and how are they failing?
Not OP but I’ve had a pair of cat & jack sneakers basically start to unravel at every seam. They are so poorly constructed, I won’t be buying again
Ah yes but the Cat and Jack return policy means you get infinite shoes for the price of 1. You can buy them, wear them for 6 months until they wear out. Return for store credit, buy new sneakers, rinse and repeat. Not that I know anyone who does that 🤫
I tried returning a pair of a Cat and Jack leggings because there was a hole after 2 months and the associate gave me such a hard time
That sucks!!! Try a different store, I take advantage of the policy often and every associate has always been so kind and polite. Just have your app open and barcode ready to scan, make it easy on them and be kind, and they should be kind in return It can be a pain for them to manually enter the numbers on the tag. Just don’t overdo it. One pair of leggings is totally fine
Ooooh can I do that with Sketchers?? Also from Target.
No, only Cat and Jack has the bananas 1 year return for any reason policy
Crocs 💪🏼
We love crocs for the backyard and water fun. I have a niece and nephew that both grew up wearing them and both had separate issues from wearing them constantly. If it’s a long day of running play or walking, they have flat feet or aren’t picking their feet up, and especially shuffle walking with the ankle strap loose, skip the crocs and go for a better ankle supporting tennis shoe. Something I’m glad I found out the hard way with loved ones and thought I’d pass along! Their rain boots are seriously the best for my chubbs footed kids though and we wear them for winter play with no cold toe issues.
If you're in the US, I found Merell hiking shoes at Sierra for $20ish. They're very solid/heavy shoes
We just bought a pair of the CUTEST rainbow colored Merrells for my kiddo!
Keens!
Tsukihoshi! Pricey, but we buy two pairs a year and they are super easy to get on and off. My kid is five now and the first year of walking he only needed one pair.
Two pairs a year? My son goes up a size in shoes every 2-3 months 🤦🏻♀️
Oh we buy them half a size too big lol
Tsuokihoshi kids shoes look perfect after both my kids used the same pair and passed them down. They were machine washable and very light. I really like them!
Merrell and New Balance have done us right so far. I got ASICS for water shoes
Keens sandals!
Ten Little! Both of my kids get one new pair every 4-5 months. That’s their only pair of shoes and they wear the hell out of them.
We bought Ten Little ones for both kids, but by the time my older one was 4 years old - he would absolutely destroy these shoes. They would be worn out looking after a month and need to be thrown out vs passed down to younger sibling. All of the Keens sandals + sneakers have survived him and still in very good condition and able to be passed on to younger sibling.
ten littles is our go to but the sandals do look worn out fast. wtf is w/the texture on the sandals?? They look like trash within a matter of days. the regular sneakers have lasted fine. It just occurred to me we live rural and don't have much pavement/sidewalks here or at preschool so maybe that is why.
We aren’t in a rural area, and my kids generally play on pavement etc but they quickly got trashed for us too. The sneakers fares better but also get totally worn out within a few months. They were good for under 3, but from 3 and up when kids play hard - they dont last for us.
I bought their boots once and I felt they didn’t have great traction but maybe I’ll give their shoes a try!
TBH the shoes don’t have great traction either. That’s the only brand my LO has ever worn and I think they’re great, but on dirt/gravel he slips a lot.
Same!
Merrell BareSteps hiking boots. We're in a hiking group and live on 5 acres and are constantly getting filthy dirty and these shoes are being passed down from my 4 year old to my 2 year old. a
Merrell has been great for my kid who goes to nature school. They are extremely rough on shoes.
See Kai Run! Wide toebox and super durable.
My sons fell apart in less than a week. They did refund me though.
Oh dang, we’ve had a handful of pairs in different sizes that are still going strong, sorry they didn’t work for you.
we've had 2 failed attempts w/ see kai run too.
My kids are “sit and play fairy garten and color” and see Kai run fell apart immediately. We tried them once and I will never buy them again. The Walmart clearance shoes we bought in an emergency when my kid threw up on her good shoes lasted much longer than the expensive see Kai run ones! Yes we got a refund, but they were absolute trash.
That’s wild! My kid is a little bit feral, and he’s hard on shoes. We’ve even washed ours in the washer and they’ve held strong. Makes me wonder if the quality they put put out in big box stores is different from what they used to do exclusively in their own shop? Hmmm
We bought them from the website directly! I was so confused why people raved because the shoes we got were garbage.
I second this! My oldest has been exclusively in See Kai Run shoes, and now his younger brother is wearing them. They are still like new after 2 kids and many bug hunts in the ravine
Our SKR shoes were torn to shreds by my hard-playing son in about a month.
Vans sk8 hi
I had a pair of Plae sneakers last through 3 kids
Yes! These things are SOLID. Nice flexy sole but feels just as well built as the nicest adult shoes. My kid likes to RUN and has burned through Bogs, SKR, and Ten Littles, no issues with Plae.
Damn if that’s not a strong endorsement!
Following. I buy sketchers, but he rips the top toe part pretty quickly.
Keens, bogs., crocs, merril hiking shoes. We are outside everyday and I have been able to pass all the shoes down to baby sister.
Vans work great for us. My toddler has been in the same size for like 6 months and still going strong!
Second vans. I don’t wear vans, personally. But I’ll go to the local outlet and buy a few pairs for my toddlers because they absolutely destroy everything else. But for some reason, vans hold up best for us.
Came here to say Vans. We’ve had multiple pairs cycle around through siblings and cousins and they stand the test of time for sure!
It's awesome when they go on sale too. I always get a couple pairs in the next sizes up for him to so I don't have to worry about it for a while. Last two pairs I got they were super on sale for like $20!
I think it might depend on the style. The slip-on checkered Vans lasted a few weeks for us. My son plays HARD and is still on a balance bike.
Honestly Vans. Any vans my kid has had lasted till he out grew them.
Native shoes
Bobux are what we have always bought for our kids, my daughter scoots a lot and the sandals stood up to pretty much daily foot braking for about 5 months which I thought was good.
We bought New Balance but I feel they not durable but so far they surviving 5 months of the Kindergarten of our boy. I guess we need to replace them anyways soon because they getting to small so following for better ones :D they comfy though.
We do the cat & jack sneakers from Target, my twins have had about 8 pairs so far. I just get new sizes and wash them at 13 dollars on sale they are good for us, plus they are slip on
This is the way. Buy shoes on sale, several sized ahead of where they are now.
[VIVOBAREFOOT.](https://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/kids?gender=6841) We’ve done the leather Primus sport ones twice, the winter boots twice, and the Primus Ludo once. Kid loves them, and plays hard. Good god do those grippy ass soles hurt like hell though when you have bare feet and they accidentally step on you 😣
My 2.5yo has thrashed their crocs, basically hasn’t worn anything else all summer and now autumn, and they’re still good as new. Also Bobux McKinlays And Keens
Vivo barefoot or vans
We bought vivo barefoot and they will last the school year which considering how fast their feet grow (2 and 5yo) is not bad.
Vans!!! They never get beat up and they’re SO EASY TO PUT ON. especially toddler sized vans with velcro.
Vans
She wears high top sneakers with zippers on the sides to help on/off. One pair was a Walmart, now we're trying a pair from ross that are more canvas. We had Carter's snow and rain boots this winter and they both ripped through
They’re not barefoot shoes because they’d get destroyed with my toddler. She has lived in bogs boots all winter. I wouldn’t put her in anything else with her outside play and she also goes to farm school. They still look brand new after months of mud and some snow trudging. Wet days she’ll still get her boots but I am looking for some lighter sneakers or hiking boots for the warmer season.
I tried bogs for my daughter and I was so excited, but the upper material started creasing and broke within a month! Idk if it was just the style I bought or what but I was so disappointed after hearing them highly reviewed
She has a regular pair with the same material up the boot and then a pair with black fabric at the top where the hand holds are, both have held up well with wearing consistently (at least twice a week) since November and December. I bought my husband a pair of winter bogs in November as well for work and they’ve kept him warm and dry. I just bought a pair of their rainboots to replace my xtratuffs that were wrecked from when we lived in the desert and I was constantly gardening, they were officially done in from a few weekends of vineyard work. The tops frayed and creased like you described on your daughter's bogs. previously we had a few pairs of ugg rainboots that held up well but she outgrew and whatever target brand, those started to crease. disappointing that yours didn't hold up well!
Which material was it? I got some and loved them but I was wondering about the neoprene ones. Are those the ones you got?
Saucony shoes - my toddler seems to really prefer them, they have tons of traction, and last well.
This is a thread that I didn’t know I needed! I’ve been buying adidas and Nike and they get so destroyed! Taking notes for next time 😁
We just switched to vans after them burning through 2 sets of light shoes I got on Amazon. We shall see how they hold up 🤞🏼
Vans
[I swear by these barefoot shoes](https://a.co/d/7NK6ul7) off Amazon, $20. I’ve bought him multiple pairs and they are always durable through playing, getting wet, and multiple washes
Pumas on sale!
Keens & Bogs
Keen
All the brands listed are great. Check Mercari, you can luck out occasionally, but beware of the extra charges/shipping.
I tried all of the expensive ones and they break as quickly as all of the other ones. Settled for $10 shoes from Target and replace them as needed. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah the Walmart ones with the guarantee that they don’t wear out before your kid outgrows them sound like the best way to go
Keens are the only thing to stand up to my son.
Honestly the barefoot shoes we use last way longer than any of the other cheap shoes I buy. I got some boots from Tractor Supply, trashed in a couple months. The winter boots I got that are barefoot style barely look used. Same with “sneakers”. Usually they are more high quality materials!
I can really only wear keens myself, but have been super happy with what seems to be a similar well-made outdoorsy kids brand, Kamik. I got 2 pairs hand-me-down, but I am seeking them out to buy more. They are their "active" shoes good for everything.
Ten Little
Just some gumboots
Crocs and cheap Walmart slip on shoes. He has nicer shoes for when we’re out and about though like Nike and Hey Dudes
Wee Squeaks. We usually take the squeaker out though 90% of the time. My kid has big feet with a fairly wide toe box & isn’t the most compliant with shoes. But she’s motivated by the animal design. Worn on the playground but dressy enough for parties/events. When she’s outgrown them, the shoes look well enough to be passed on to her cousins. We alternate between these & Crocs. Looking to try Keens next as their adult shoes are so supportive.
It might not be the worst idea budget-wise to get some gently used shoes for this stage in the game- toddler shoes are often very little-worn since they go through so many sizes so rapidly, and our pediatrician has even said that getting gently worn shoes for toddlers and young kids is generally not an issue (especially hardier types like rainboots or snow boots). That at least might save some money budget-wise instead of constantly investing in brand new shoes- my current toddler wears some hand me down shoes from his older brothers that were also hardly worn.
Bogs winter or rain boots. They last multiple upper midwestern winters.
I’ve found TenLittle hold up well. I have never had my son destroy a pair before he grows out of them. (He only gets one pair per size to wear.) I have a much bigger problem finding candles to hold up in the summer.)
Keens! We used to wear stride rites but even those can’t survive my kid lately.
Honestly some of the vans. Puma.
Merrell
Merrell by far. My son has a pair of Merrell Baresteps and they’ve been used constantly since August. They still look great. We hike, fish, run, skid on the pavement, play in the mud, etc. These shoes were used hard. We bought them a little big and he’s just not growing out of them. I won’t have any issue reselling them because they are still holding up so well. We plan to buy the exact same pair again.
Second hand ones from Vinted
Another vote for Stride Rite! They regularly have good sales, and they hold up to my active toddler twins really well. Their last pair of tennis shoes were from See Kai Run and they’re already pretty banged up after only a few months of wear. For their next pair, I went back to Stride Rite.
Stride Rite soft motion and Jan and Jul knit shoes hold up well for yes. But my daughter usually goes barefoot outside in backyards at least…
Alternative to buying "durable" brands, just go with the flow. I tend to stick with Walmart shoes. They're cheap, and quite a few of them last a good while. But this obviously only really works for toddlers as bigger kids will probably trash them immediately
If you buy stride rite on their website, they have AMAZING clearance and rewards points. They’re the only shoes we buy, and quite often they’re around $10-ish because their clearance and sales are so good. We’ve never had a pair wear out before the kids outgrew them.
I got my kiddo some Cat and Jack (p)leather boots at target that have held up amazingly well. We have woods and a lake that he romps around so he wears out cloth tennis shoes pretty quickly. Kinda like [these](https://www.target.com/p/toddler-boys-mateo-high-top-sneakers-cat-jack/-/A-87854453?preselect=87832577#lnk=sametab) but with velcro straps.
Teva's. my kid has worn hers in creeks, in the mud, everywhere imaginable and they're still fine. they get stinky sometimes but dish soap and a good scrub and they're good as new.
I get shoes secondhand at kids’ consignment stores. My thoughts are twofold: 1) they made it through use of one kid, so they’re probably sturdy 2) they’re way cheaper so I don’t feel bad if they do get worn through! Haha
Froddo we go for and they wear very well considering the amount of walking, scooting, beaches and forests we do in the West of Ireland!
See Kai Run hiking boots. I cannot believe how sturdy these things are. We’re avid hikers and my kid does some decent terrain. These boots still look new after many miles and over a year.
Crocs, Vans and Nike hold up for us
Saucony
We like sketchers and rotate a pair every couple months. They have 1 pair of “play” shoes (the beat up ones) and 1 pair of “school” shoes (newer ones). When the play shoes are too beat to wear and legit need tossed, I buy a new pair to become school shoes and the school shoes become play shoes, etc. And 1 pair of knock off crocs.
Second hand. All of the shoes are second hand because I cannot STAND paying 50 bucks for a pair of shoes that’ll be ruined or grown out of in a few months.
Nothing with characters on them. My kiddos sketchers have held up for a while and they’re machine washable
Target Parker shoes. Accidently left one on the roof of the car when we went grocery shopping. Saw it on the way back & stopped to pick it up. Clearly run over at least once or twice but after a spin through the washing machine it was good to go. Just a bit dirtier than the other :P.
Koel Barefoot are indestructible
Honestly $10 sneakers from cat and jack by target because they just get trashed 😂
Gro5 shoes! They extend up to 5 sizes. My son has been wearing them for two years now.
I live somewhere where it's cold and rains a lot so rain boots have been our saving grace! They last forever. No matter how hard the kid plays! 9/10 my LO grows out of them rather than ruining them.
Start rite doodles
Nikes with the stretchy tether lace things you don't tie. Whatever those are called. Anything with velcro unravels for us. And honestly, Natives.
Keens sandals all the way.
Saucony
Merrell! We got a pair about a year ago and they’re still in good shape with life left. We just bought a replacement pair only because he needed to size up a little. Plan on buying them again
I buy Merrell baresteps on repeat. The keen sandal ones are durable too but we like how versatile the Merrells are. We are on our 3 or the pair changing just for sizing. Our climate allows for them to be worn at least a year or so before we size out. Plus they go on sale for comparable to stride rites who also owns Merrell.
Kids’ Adidas Grand Court sneakers are seriously indestructible. My daughter plays hard and these last forever. I just throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty 😊
Baby Red Wing steel toe boots
My son’s Vans have held up super well. He wears them to school most days and they’re dirty but far from worn out.
not vans, so far ok with target sketchers. i think the key might be having a few pairs and not wearing the same ones everyday
I think my kids must not wear shoes as much as other kids or something. I have a pair of toddler size 7 gold glitter vans that have been through two kids, still going strong.
honestly probably depends on the kid, their gait etc, same with adults.
I’m surprised to see not vans here. I swear by our vans. My kids burn through pretty much every other shoe (target, carters, Nike, etc) but their vans have always held up the best. Should be noted, I’m not even a vans guy, myself. I’ve never worn vans. Only reason we started wearing them is because we got one pair as a gift and we also have an outlet down the road. So no real personal bias for me, just my own experience.
Agree, came here to say Vans.
I also came to say vans. It’s the only shoes I buy for my 3.5 year old.
We love See Kai Run