Kids Shoes on Amazon – Is Amazon the Best Place to Buy Your Kid’s Shoes?
Have you always wondered what is the best online shoe retailer for kids? Do you tend to buy your kid’s shoes online or at your local kids’ fitting shoe store? Most children can live with ill-fitting t-shirts or pants, but a shoe that doesn’t fit properly is effectively useless and it can create a myriad of problems for your child’s feet and legs.
Most families prefer to buy their children’s shoes through Amazon as it offers a wide range of shoes for the best price. They offer shoes from well-known shoe brands and have older models at very affordable prices.
The Challenges of Buying Your Kids’ Shoes Online
Buying kids’ shoes online is not an easy thing to do. You might know your children’s exact foot size, but that’s only the starting point when trying to figure out their actual shoe size.
For example, let’s say that your child’s foot size is a size 7. As a standard rule of thumb, we always want to allow 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of growing in your kids’ shoes, which translates to a shoe that is half a size larger. In this case, the child will need a shoe size 7 1/2. However, if the shoes fit “short” then you will have to provide your child with a shoe size 8 — a whole size larger instead of half a size — On the other hand, if the shoes fit “long”, then you will have to provide your child with a shoe size 7 — since the shoe already fits long.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular online retailers that sell children’s shoes:
- Amazon.com
- Zappos.com
- 6pm.com
- Shoebuy.com
- Onlineshoes.com
- Nordstrom.com
- Dsw.com
- Payless.com
- Ebay.com
What is the Best Place to Buy Kids’ Shoes Online?
The websites mentioned above are just some of the many options you will find when looking for children’s shoes online.
Some of the online retailers I mentioned above are better and offer several advantages compared to the others. My #1 recommendation for buying children’s shoes online is Amazon. Let me explain to you the reasons why:
- Prices: Amazon offers the best prices when it comes to kids’ shoes. No other online shoe retailer has lower prices than Amazon when it comes to children’s shoes. One of the greatest advantages of shopping at Amazon is that you can find the previous version of the shoes at a much lower price.
- Security: Amazon is a very well-known and trusted company. They take security very seriously. and it gives me peace of mind shopping somewhere where I know my identity is always kept safe.
- Reviews: This is a huge plus for someone who is looking to buy their kids’ shoes on Amazon. Other parents are reviewing those shoes that you are planning to purchase, and they will let other parents know whether they are or have been happy with that particular style. They will also tell you whether the shoe runs long, short, narrow, or wide.
- Fast and free shipping: Amazon offers faster shipping than most online retailers and very low shipping fees. If you are a member of their program you will get free shipping.
- Cash back for discounted prices even after purchase: You will get cash back if a price is dropped after you purchased it, as long as you are between 7 calendar days of the delivery date of the product. Amazon will process a refund for the price difference. This is an awesome feature!
Amazon Prime Wardrobe – Try Your Kids’ Shoes for Free!
Amazon came up with Prime Wardrobe which is a new program that you can try before you buy eligible items across women’s, men’s, kids’ clothing, shoes, and accessories. You will get seven days to try-on the items at home and you will only be charged for the items you decide to keep.
This is how it works:
- You can select up to 8 items which can be clothing or accessories —in this case, it could be your kids’ shoes.
- Try these items from the comfort of your home —you will be choosing different sizes and styles.
- Decide which items you want to keep —only pay for the shoe that fits.
- Enjoy free, easy returns —a resealable box and prepaid label makes returns easy.
Let’s Narrow It Down – Amazon vs Zappos?
The other online shoe retailer that comes close to Amazon shoe shopping advantages is Zappos. Some parents will argue that they get a wider selection of shoes to choose from at Zappos, and they are right about that.
Below I summarize the difference between Amazon and Zappos:
- When it comes to selection and variety Zappos offers a wider selection of shoes to choose from.
- Zappos has an excellent return policy with fast and free shipping (only between the United States). For Amazon it depends on each particular shoe and how much you are spending. If you are a member of any of the programs they offer, you will get fast and free shipping as well.
- When it comes to prices, Amazon offers better deals and discounts.
There are no two feet alike, and all shoe brands and styles fit differently. If there is a particular shoe style that you are having trouble finding for your child, please contact me directly, and I will help you find it.
Why Amazon and Not Zappos?
While Zappos is a great place to buy kids’ shoes, Amazon overall benefits greatly surpass Zappos. For example, if you have young children, you need to constantly be buying baby food, clothes, toys, diapers, you name it… Amazon has it all and for the best prices. You can buy all those things at the best prices from Amazon, while Zappos limits you to only buying shoes.
What is the Best Program Amazon Offers to Buy Kids’ Shoes?
Amazon is offering what they call the Amazon Family Program! This is a great program if you have young children or babies and you tend to buy shoes and other stuff online! This program offers special benefits for just $99 per year. Some of their benefits include:
- Saving 20% on diapers subscriptions
- Exclusive Coupons and Deals from Amazon Family
- Exclusive Baby Registry benefits
- FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items
- Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows
- Unlimited, ad-free streaming of over a million songs and more Prime benefits
You will not only have access to free shipping for your kids’ shoes and several coupons and discounts, but you will also get to save on everything that relates to your babies and young children.
Whether you’re looking for ballet flats, sport shoes, sandals, boots, loafers, Mary Janes, slippers, running shoes, uniform school shoes or crib shoes, Amazon has them all. I have to say that they will save you time and money as long as you know exactly what shoe size and shoe style your child needs.
Final Recommendations: Get the Right Shoe Size for Your Child!
I always recommend parents take their children to their local children’s shoe store that they trust, the issue is that most stores have been closing down and parents need to end up buying their kids’ shoes online. For this reason, I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home. In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.
Have you shopped at Amazon before? Which online retailer do you prefer when it comes to finding children’s shoes? Are you a member of any of the programs that Amazon has to offer? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below so other parents can benefit from them.
Hello my 8 year old son is a size 2.5 and has wide feet, what shoe & sneakers would you recommend? Also I was told that new balance sneakers are good for flat feet, is it any new balance shoe or a particular one? Thank you.
Hello Elizabeth,
Do you know if your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? This will help me determine what shoe style will fit the shape of his feet the best. Once you tell me his shoe width I can send you a selection of shoes.
I’m looking for a narrow bootie/dress shoe for my duagjter who is a toddler size 21 or 22 (she was measured to be a 22 but it depends on the shoe). I am looking for something that looks like Naturino brand, preferable black or silver/grey. I bought a Naturino bootie that seems very wide, but she has done well with that brand in the past.
Talia,
Naturino is one of the best brands for kids with narrow feet. I actually wrote a post where I describe the best boots for kids with narrow feet and you can find it here:
Narrow Boots for Kids – The Best Boots for Kids with Narrow Feet!
If you are looking for a dress shoe for your daughter with narrow feet I also wrote an article that describes the best narrow dress shoes for kids:
The Best Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet!
Let me know if that helps!
Hi again! I usually buy my kids’ shoes on Amazon. Sometimes I will check the website of a specific brand to see if they offer a better deal, but I usually stick with Amazon. I like that you can ask questions on specific products and get answers from other consumers rather than from employees of the company. I ask a question and I get multiple answers from people that same day. I agree that Amazon is the way to go.
Candace
Candace,
One of the best features of shopping at Amazon are the other consumer reviews. People just like you, asking and answering questions about the same shoes you might be thinking of buying. The prices are also very competitive. If you ever have a specific question about a particular shoe style, do not hesistate on contacting me and I will get back at you between 24 hours.
I barely shop for shoes online for anyone, even myself, because I am very worried about having the true fit. A lot of times it’s too small, sometimes they add up to a size higher. But thanks to your review I now know that Amazon is a great place to buy shoes for kids. Thanks for sharing!
I always recommend taking your kids to a shoe fitting store, as long as it is a trusted one. Big retailers or chain store such as Stride Rite do not know what they are doing. it is hard to shop for kids shoes online,but if you don’t have a shoe store in your area it might be your only option.
I have purchased my kids shoes on Amazon before and I have been happy with the fast delivery and the quality of the shoes. I wish I had a shoe store close by where I could take my children to get properly fitted. I am glad I found your website, since it serves as a guiding point and it has taught me a lot about children shoes. Thank you!
Jan,
Anytime you have a specific question about your kids feet or shoes, do not hesitate on contacting me either via the comment section or by email. I will get back at you between 24 hours!
Glad I stumbled on this site. Now I am a single mum and have no car I am having to buy kids shoes online. So your content was really useful to me.
I will probably buy them on Amazon as I shop a lot on Amazon and know that it’s a trusted site with a lot of great verified reviews.
Never heard of zappos before may take a look
Thanks for the information
Jenny,
Sorry to hear that! Amazon is a great place to shop! If you have any particular question concerning a particular shoe style or a shoe size, do not hesistate to let me know!
Hi,
Personally I would always prefer to spend the extra time (and sometimes money too) on going to a shop to get kids shoes. You can get the kid’s feet measured and if they’re old enough to have an opinion, see what they think. Plus it can make for a good bonding experience (if you have a co-operative kid).
I have always had my doubts about shopping for clothing online in general, especially when different brands use different measurements for the same sizes. A shoe in one size from one seller, might be too big or too small compared to the same size shoe, from a different seller.
I agree 100% with you! However, when it comes to clothing, there is not much harm we can do to our children if the t-shirt is too long, or if the pants fit too short. However, when fitting a kids shoe that is too long or too short, we can compromise the child’s stability, making him or her more prone to falls and injuries. A shoe that is too short can also create a myriad of problems, such as blisters, calluses and corns, among others!