How to Prevent Your Child from Destroying the Front Part of the Shoes – Reinforced Toe Cap
Is your child always wearing out the front part of the shoes? Are you frustrated about having to replace your child’s shoes faster than you expected it? I have been contacted by several parents who are tired of having to replace their kids’ shoes from getting worn out at the toes first. I am going to show you how to prevent your child from destroying the front part of the shoes based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.
As a rule of thumb, children should always outgrow their shoes before they destroyed them, considering how fast children grow.
Main Reasons Why Children Destroy the Front Part of Their Shoes
I have seen several cases of children who wore out the front part of their shoes and this was mostly due to 3 reasons:
1️⃣ Cheap shoes made from low-quality materials: Parents are actually surprised when I tell them that shoes manufactured by Nike and Under Armour are the ones that tend to fall apart faster. I have noticed throughout the years that most Nike and Under Armour shoe styles are too flimsy and unsupportive, and always wore down faster than expected. I have seen several cases in which the front part of the shoes started peeling simply because the shoes were made of low-quality materials.
1️⃣ Shoes that are too narrow or too short: Shoes that are too short or too narrow increase the likelihood of your child poking a hole in the front part of the shoes.
3️⃣ Children with foot conditions: Children who suffer from a particular foot condition and have leg weaknesses are more likely to hyperextend the knees. Alternatively, they may drag their feet along the ground as they shuffle forward.
The good news is that I am going to walk you through and show you the most effective way of how to prevent your child from destroying the front part of the shoes.
Do More Expensive Shoes Automatically Translate Into More Durable Shoes?
Please note that more expensive shoes don’t necessarily translate into better shoes. I have fitted several reasonably priced shoes that were more durable than the most expensive ones.
I don’t recommend buying your kids’ shoes at places such as Walmart or Target, as they do tend to fall apart faster. I have seen cases of parents who bought their kids’ shoes in these two places and found pieces of cardboard inside their kids’ shoes. The sole and the front part of the shoes were worn down after a couple of weeks of wear.
These are the 3 most common reasons why children destroy the front part of their shoes.
Reason #1: Cheap/Poorly Made Shoes
If you believe that your child keeps destroying the front part of the shoes from wearing poorly made shoes, I am going to provide you with a selection of some of the most durable kids’ shoes. These shoes are reasonably priced and your child can wear them as their everyday sneakers.
Please note that you must provide your child with the correct shoe size to prevent the shoes from being too short or too narrow, as that is one of the main causes of why children destroy their shoes. It doesn’t matter how durable and supportive your kids’ shoes are, if the shoes are not the correct size your child is going to end up destroying them.
The shoes below can fit children with medium or wide feet. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
The Most Durable Kids Sneakers
To help parents order the correct shoe size online, I always describe how each particular shoe style fits (true to size, short, long).
- Shoe style Chandler 2 CNX by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Elasticized lace panel with hook-and-loop closure
- Protective rubber toe bumper to protect your toes
- Reverse Strobel construction provides a streamlined interior
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Chandler 2 CNX Sport by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Elasticized lace panel with hook-and-loop closure
- Protective rubber toe bumper to protect your toes
- Reverse Strobel construction provides a streamlined interior
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Wanduro by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Double velcro straps
- Protective rubber toe bumper to protect your toes
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Wanduro Hound by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Double velcro straps
- Protective rubber toe bumper to protect your toes
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style H2sho by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Wader by Geox
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Double velcro straps
- Water-friendly
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Nova 3 by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Abrasion -resistant toe bumper
- Long-lasting leather upper with combined mesh panels.
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Moab Speed 2 by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Abrasion -resistant toe bumper
- FloatPro Foam™ footbed for enhanced cushioning and energy return
- Anti-stink lining helps reduce odors
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Knotch Peak by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Hook and loop strap with toggle closure
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Keen Newport H2sho by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Toggle lace for easy on and off
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Waterproof
- Padded collar and tongue help to reduce irritation and discomfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Moab Speed 2 by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Waterproof
- Lightweight EVA midsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Moab Speed 2 by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Higher traction outsole provides grip in muddy environments and on rocky surfaces
- Waterproof
- Lightweight EVA midsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Moab 2 by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Waterproof
- Rugged rubber outsole
- Highly slip-resistant stability on wet and dry ground, over mixed terrain
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Agility Peak by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper for durability
- Lace-up closure
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Waterproof
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Agility Peak by Merrell
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Toggle elastic lace closure
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Water-friendly
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Waterproof by Columbia
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Omni-GRIP non-marking traction rubber outsole provides high grip across a wide variety of terrain
- Toggle lace for easy on and off
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
- Shoe style Redmond Waterproof by Columbia
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Omni-GRIP non-marking traction rubber outsole provides high grip across a wide variety of terrain
- Toggle lace for easy on and off
- Rubber toe-cap for maximum durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s foot size
These shoe styles are made from high-quality materials and they come with a reinforced toe-cap to prevent your child from destroying the front part of the shoes.
In addition to being durable, all of these shoe styles provide a good amount of support that will attenuate the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take when they come in contact with the ground.
Reason #2: Shoes that Are too Short or too Narrow
If you believe that your child keeps destroying the shoes by wearing shoes that are too short or too narrow, I am going to show you how to make sure that there is still enough space in the front of your child’s shoes.
Just so you know, this is the second most common cause of why children destroy the front part of their shoes. The constant friction and rubbing between your child’s toes and the end of the shoes usually lead to the shoes getting destroyed at the front.
How can you check if your child still has growing room in the front part of the shoes? Let’s find out!
Let’s Remove Your Child’s Original Shoe Insoles
To make sure that there is enough space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes, remove the original insoles of the shoes and have your child stand on them so you can visualize if there is any space left.
Please take a look at the images below for better visualization purposes. In the first image, we can see how the child still has a good amount of growing room between the longest toe and the end of the insoles.
In the second image, we can clearly see how the child doesn’t have any space between the longest toe and the end of the insoles.
Make sure that your child stands in both insoles and that you check your child’s longest foot since we all have one foot that is larger than the other. Always check the longest toe, which doesn’t necessarily have to be the big toe, it can be the second or even the third toe.
Reason #3: Foot Conditions
Children who experience foot conditions or have leg weaknesses are more likely to hyperextend the knees, which leads them to drag their feet along the ground as they shuffle forward. This usually leads to the shoes getting destroyed at the front.
I have seen several cases of children who suffer from a particular foot condition that affects their walking gait such as flat feet, overpronation, toe-walking, or low muscle tone.
Wearing supportive shoes that are lightweight and flexible at the same time is going to improve your child’s walking gait and prevent your child from dragging his/her toes. The correct type of shoes is also going to help treat your child’s particular foot condition.
The shoes described below are all effective in treating the following foot conditions:
- Flat Feet
- Overpronation
- Low Muscle Toe
- Toe-Walking
2 Other Common Reasons Kids Destroy the Front Part of Their Shoes
1️⃣ Wearing their everyday sneakers for multiple activities: If your child wears his/her everyday sneakers to other activities or sports such as soccer or basketball that will definitely shorten the lifespan of the shoes. I recommend that you provide your child with a specific shoe for that particular sport that he/she is playing to extend the life of the shoes.
2️⃣ Using the front part of their shoes as a kind of brake when riding their bicycles.
Remember that shoes that are too short or too narrow are also a contributing cause of why the shoes get destroyed at the front.
I always recommend parents take their children to be properly fitted for shoes at their local specialized children’s shoe store. The issue is that most shoe stores have been closing down. I created a resource that showcases the best remaining fitting children’s shoe stores by state.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to find a store in your area and you are not 100% sure of your child’s foot size, please take a look at another article I wrote that showcases the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home.
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of durable shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:
I know how frustrating it is for parents to have to replace their kids’ shoes faster than expected. Have you found a particular shoe brand or shoe style that has worked well for your child’s feet? Please share your experiences below so other families can benefit from them.
