Vincent: Kid shoes a parent can love...especially on sale

I'm not a high-fashion kid's clothing shopper. I dress my kids in the best quality clothing I can afford, I peruse the second-hand shops, and I generally try to keep them seasonally comfy and relatively color coordinated. Given the mud, food, paint, and abrasion my kids' clothes must handle (not to mention my son's rocket-like growth), I stick to the practical, hard-wearing stuff.

Recently, someone from Vincent got in touch asking if I'd like to review their winter boots. I've checked out Vincent shoes before (they get lots of cred for advertising on blogs I like), but I wrote them off as expensive, high-end fashion. Well, I was wrong. They just sent me (my daughter, really) a pair of Julia boots, and they are the most practical wet-and-cold boots I've ever seen. Rugged waterproof rubber soles with excellent traction, elastic "laces" that require no tying, faux fur lining, soft enough soles to allow movement.

I had Mimi jump in some major puddles and even stomp on our frost-hardened grass to test these boots out. (Alas, no snow, despite school closures yesterday.) Her feet stayed warm and dry. Finally, someone who respects little girls enough to make a tough winter play shoe, not just a flimsy fashion accessory.

In fact, Kris sent Vincent shoes in as a hack a while back. Here's what she had to say:

The "Stan" shoe has the tongue on the outside, or top, of the shoe and the velcro is on the tongue. My three year-old son can open the shoe by pulling on the tongue, stick his foot inside with no risk of pushing the tongue down to the toes, and push the tongue down to close the shoe. He hasn't been able to put his regular, Velcroed shoes on without help because he always seems to push the tongue down as he puts his foot down.

The Stans aren't the cheapest shoes, but not that much more than Stride Rites. You get free shipping with a $75 purchase, and my shoes arrived in Missouri on Wednesday after being ordered on Saturday night. We just got them this week, but they look sturdy and the rubber coming up over the toe should protect the leather. And so cute!

My six year old daughter got the leopard-print, pony fur high top sneakers (the "Tanja"). Also too, too cute. A nice way to give a girl her animal prints without getting something too Bratzish or mini hoochie mama.

I'm posting this review quickly because Vincent is having their winter clearance right now, so you have a chance to pick up some great shoes on sale. Nice selection of shoes and boots for both girls and boys.

Tags: Kids' clothes, Parenting, Vincent Shoes

Comments

[Liz]

Would we steer you wrong?

Seriously, they sent me a pair to try out as well and they're just great, and a lot of their styles are very reasonable. The Konrad boot, the one I have, is now on sale for less than $30! Sold.

[creative-type dad]

Report back on BLD!
We went to the first one out here in L.A. and the location really sucked.

Kids crying, spilled bubbles, parents slipping...no A/C. It was just like Chuck E Cheeses.

[Christian]

Are we serious here? $55 for a pair of children's boots? I have never spent more than $10. Mindless consumers. Throwing your hard earned dollars to the wind on something that the wearer could care less about, is only a less in waste for the child. Save your dollars for when they turn 13 and actually care what they wear.

[STL Mom]

Christian - Actually, I bought the (admittedly expensive) Vincent shoes for my son because he insisted on getting red shoes, and I couldn't find red shoes for boys at stores that have cheaper shoes. I don't know why, but he really cared about having red shoes. He was thrilled to get them, still loves wearing them, and they look great after several months of almost daily wear. He has never worn a shoe size for less than 6 months, so we'll probably get many more months of wear out of them for that original $45 investment.
Now, will I be in trouble when he is 13 after indulging some of his preferences when his is 3? Yeah, probably...but isn't every parent in trouble when their kids are 13? Lots to look forward to!

[Jasi]

It's a good buy if you've the money and a child with an appreciation for finer footwear. At 10 months, my daughter barely tolerates her socks.