Man, he can go through shoes... but @striderite lasts the longest!

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The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Maybe you remember me posting about Stride Rite's campaign to have people donate their gently worn shoes so that other kids less fortunate could have a pair of shoes...  As if that wasn't awesome enough as it is, I wanted to tell you more about how impressed I am with Stride Rite.  

Let me back up and explain a few things first...
As a teenager, money wasn't an object when it came to my shoes...  As it wasn't MY money being spent... but as soon as I started having to pay for them out of my pocket, the $125 shoes didn't REALLY look that much better than the less expensive ones!    So, that quickly changed my outlook on them...  Once I became a mom, that trait carried on... I was NOT about to spend money on shoes that Broxton was going to grow out of so fast...
When he was a baby, it was mostly barefoot... everywhere...   not everyone was a fan of that, but it was the best for us...Then, when it became time to buy shoes, I just grabbed a cheap pair and we went on our way... He outgrew them fast enough that it really did not matter...  Once he started school, his feet did slow down a bit as far as how fast they were growing.   My problem then?  He was going through shoes like crazy... because they kept falling apart.  Over and over again...  
Mom friends of mine kept talking about how great Stride Rite was and that they had really good specials all the time, so I was a little curious to see what was just so special about them...  We went to the mall and as soon as Broxton spotted the Star Wars shoes, that was all it took!  He was in love with those shoes and the staff was so nice working with measuring his feet.  We ended up buying 2 pair there that day... and they have lasted!      

I was so excited to work with Stride Rite this year in sharing their shoes with you!  I went online and noticed that they had a pair of Darth Vader shoes that Broxton would FLIP over!!!!   I requested them and then waited...

He knew something REALLY special was here for him.. but he was not sure what it was...  I made him close his eyes while I took the shoe box out of the packaging.....

 Then, I let him open his eyes... I just wish you could have seen the excitement on his face when he saw what they were!   He had a grin that could light up the pitch black night!  If you follow me on INSTAGRAM, you might have even seen the video where he was talking about them!  

 The thing about these shoes?? They might cost a little more than cheaper shoes... but they really do last!  When Broxton started school this year, I wanted him to have a new pair of shoes for the first day... but we had a few issues and ended up not going to buy them until the NIGHT before the first day of school...  So, I just took him and let him pick out a cheap pair (to get through the first day of school)  Let me tell you --- these shoes lasted TWO DAYS before they were completely falling apart as if he had owned them for years!   He ended up going back to the Stride Rite shoes we had purchased last year and was wearing them... Until these bad boys showed up!   

 One thing?  See the red circle up on the side like where the laces would go?  Well, you press them and it makes the Darth Vader breathing sound!   I had no clue that they did that... so when they arrived and we accidentally pressed them, we were both in for a surprise!   We did have a talk about not pressing them in school, as they would be a distraction... and also that the more he pressed them, the quicker the battery would die.   His teacher let him show them off to the class... and of course all the kids loved them!   

Bottom line?
Spend a little extra money to get shoes that last.. You will be happy and with characters like Star Wars, Sesame Street and others...  Don't worry - if character shoes aren't your thing, they have MANY, MANY, MANY styles that aren't....  We love them and I love seeing that smile creep on his face every time he puts those shoes on!
If you want to go and grab a pair now, remember that you can donate a pair of gently used shoes (at participating locations) and when you do, they will give you 20% off a purchase of shoes that day!  This ends at the end of September, so make sure you head on over soon!  You could always stock up to have new shoes for Christmas or for the colder season headed our way!