Stop Your Kids’ Shoes from Falling Apart – The Most Durable Kids’ Shoes
Does your child usually destroy his/her shoes before they are ready to be replaced? Do you feel like you are throwing your money away by having to constantly replace your kids’ shoes faster than expected? I am going to show you how to stop your kids’ shoes from falling apart based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.
Do More Expensive Shoes Automatically Translate Into More Durable Shoes?
I want to start by clarifying that expensive shoes don’t automatically translate into better or more durable shoes for your child. The price of the shoes is not an indication of the quality of the shoes. It is true that higher-priced shoes are often made from high-quality materials, but you can definitely find a good pair of durable, supportive shoes for your child that is reasonably priced.
Children are energetic and they can be hard on their shoes, this is why choosing the correct type of shoes for your children is very important, because their shoes will go through a lot!
Parents should remember one thing: As most children outgrow their shoes between 3 to 6 months (depending on their age), they should always outgrow their shoes before they are ready to be replaced.
Do your kids’ shoes tend to look like this after a couple of months of wear?
What Are the Most Durable Shoe Brands for Kids?
I have been contacted by several parents who want to know what shoe brands or shoe styles are the most durable. There are 2 children’s shoe brands that have been the most consistent ones in making the most durable kids’ shoes: Geox and Keen. Among these 2 shoe brands, certain styles are more durable than others, and I will show them to you shortly.
It is perfectly normal for your kids’ shoes to show some wear and tear after being worn for a couple of months, but a very different thing is for the shoes to look destroyed – having holes or having the sole come apart.
So, you might be asking yourself: Why do my children keep destroying their shoes?
Sometimes children might destroy their shoes from being extremely active, but shoes that are made of low-quality materials are also a contributing factor to why your child might be destroying the shoes so quickly.
If you are tired of having to replace your kids’ shoes from being destroyed, I will provide you with a selection of the most durable shoes for children. However, let’s first take a look at what features a durable shoe must provide.
The 3 Most Common Reasons Why Your Kids’ Shoes Are Falling Apart
1️⃣ The shoes that you are providing for your child are made of low-quality materials, and this leads to the shoes wearing down faster.
2️⃣ You are providing your child with the wrong shoe size. Shoes that are too short, too long, too narrow, or too wide are a contributing cause of the shoes falling apart faster.
3️⃣ Your child is extremely active and wears the same pair of everyday shoes for school and for playing sports, and the shoes end up taking a beating.
I want you to remember one thing: It doesn’t matter how well-made or durable the shoes are, if you don’t provide your children with the correct shoe size, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer. What’s even worse, your child might end up developing several foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.
This leads to the following question: Are you 100% sure that you know your exact child’s foot size? If you don’t know your child’s exact foot size you won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
I always recommend parents take their children to their local kids’ shoe store, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their feet and find shoes that fit properly.
The issue is that most parents don’t have a local children’s shoe store that they trust – or that store has closed down– and they must purchase their children’s shoes online. If you are one of these parents, please start by reading an article I wrote where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot 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.
Now that you know your child’s exact foot size, let’s take a look at the most durable kids’ shoes.
If you feel like it’s time to provide your children with a pair of good quality, durable shoes that will hold up properly, then please find below a selection of the most durable kids’ shoes that I have fitted before.
The Most Durable Kids’ Shoes
Below you can find a selection of the most durable kids’ shoes that can fit the shape of a child 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.
- 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
What Makes the Shoes I Recommend the Most Durable Ones?
These are the 3 most important features that the shoes I recommended provide:
1️⃣ The shoes provide a reinforced substantial rubber outsole that won’t wear down no matter how rough your child plays:
2️⃣ The shoes are made of high-quality materials to avoid the shoes from wearing down faster. The shoes are breathable but come with a reinforced mesh to prevent them from wearing out:
3️⃣ The shoes have a reinforced rubber toe cap at the front in case your children tend to drag their feet into the ground.
Now you can keep your kids’ feet healthy and prevent them from destroying their shoes before they outgrow them.
Always remind your children to undo the velcro straps or the shoelaces before taking their shoes off or when putting them on, as if they don’t do this they will end up stretching and wearing down the shoes faster.
While I can’t guarantee you that your child won’t destroy these shoes, I can assure you that these are the most durable children’s shoe styles that I have fitted before.
Experiences from Other Parents …. – You are NOT Alone!
These are a couple of emails sent to me by parents that were tired of having to replace their kids’ shoes so often – I chose the most relevant ones to share with you –
“My daughter is a walking destruction machine on shoes, she is 7 years old and I find myself replacing her shoes every two months! After trying the Keen shoe style (Chandler CNX) that you recommended, her shoes lasted 5 months! This shoe style seems indestructible! Thank you!”
“I have spent a small fortune on my boys’ shoes and they always end up falling apart, and to make it worse they have wide feet, so I am limited in what shoes to buy. I tried your Keen recommendation and they fit the shape of his perfectly, the shoes are now lasting 5 to 6 months. I think that the reason why the other shoes were falling apart so quickly was that they weren’t fitting properly. “
“I am tired of spending 60 dollars on my children’s shoes to have to replace them in two months. My child does all his activities in these shoes (soccer, basketball and physical education class), but I still think the shoes should last him longer for the money I am spending”. I tried the Ken Chandler style and now after 5 months the shoes look dirty but they are not destroyed. Thank you”
These are parents just like you that are tired of replacing their kids’ shoes so quickly, and are excited to have finally found a pair of shoes that were durable.
Do You Have a Good-Fitting Children’s Shoe Store Near You?
Do you happen to have a good-fitting children’s shoe store in your area that you trust? I get contacted by parents daily asking me if I know about a store in their area where they can take their kids to be properly fitted for shoes.
That is the reason why I created a resource where I describe the best-fitting children’s shoe stores by state.
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 shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:
Have you found a particular shoe style that held up properly? Is there a particular shoe brand that you have found to be more durable than others? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
