Used Shoes for your Kids?

[BadgerGirl84]

Would you buy used shoes for your children? Or give younger siblings hand-me-down shoes from the older kids? If you are fine with used, is it for all shoes or just shoes that aren't worn much like winter boots or dress shoes?

This was a heated debate on one of my mom's groups today.

I buy lots of stuff used, but not shoes. The way I see it, new shoes mold to my feet and I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time walking in someone else's broken-in shoes unless I had no other option. Therefore, I buy my daughter new shoes. I plan on hoping that her rarely worn dress shoes (I think she has some that she only wore for an hour or two) can be passed on to a future sister, but beyond that I plan on buying new for future kids as well.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Would you buy used shoes for your children? Or give younger siblings hand-me-down shoes from the older kids? If you are fine with used, is it for all shoes or just shoes that aren't worn much like winter boots or dress shoes?

This was a heated debate on one of my mom's groups today.

I buy lots of stuff used, but not shoes. The way I see it, new shoes mold to my feet and I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time walking in someone else's broken-in shoes unless I had no other option. Therefore, I buy my daughter new shoes. I plan on hoping that her rarely worn dress shoes (I think she has some that she only wore for an hour or two) can be passed on to a future sister, but beyond that I plan on buying new for future kids as well.

Shoes are the one thing we never bought used or certain ones that were inexpensive. Having a foot problem later in life can be a huge problem.

I am always that Mom who posts on dance threads to get their children fitted properly for dance and not to buy the cheap dance shoes.

 

[candacewi5]

Interesting. Used shoes are tough because they form to your feet. I have passed down and used shoes that were passed down to us when they were infrequently used shoes (ie: dress shoes, water shoes, boots, or when my kids hit a growth spurt 3 days after I finally bought them new shoes). Gym or athletic shoes are usually a no way because my kids beat those shoes until they are falling apart and nobody would dare touch them when they are done with them.
My personal opinion is that athletic shoes form to your feet pretty quickly and feet are very individual.

 

[mlenz]

Only when kids are pretty young and even then only if they weren't worn much.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Our pediatrician advised against it.

 

[missbrooke06]

Only dress shoes and snow boots. My Depression era grandma was fairly frugal except when it came to shoes. Shoes should be new and good quality whenever possible.

I have saved all of first son's shoes - he's 3 and a half. I'm thinking I'll probably donate the last year and a half of shoes but reuse the first two years worth for Son 2.

 

[bcwife76]

My oldest daughter has always been pretty rough on her shoes lol So there haven't been many pairs that I've been able to save for her younger sister, mostly just rain boots and the odd pair of sandals or dress shoes. As for buying used shoes, I rarely have done that unless it's apparent the shoes have *barely* been worn. I've probably bought them used shoes only 2 or 3 times from the local thrift store.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

With the 3 ds we always passed down the dress shoes and snow boots.

Everything else they pretty much wore out.

 

[cjbcam]

No, I always buy new and better quality shoes for all my kids. I used to buy Walmart shoes for my oldest two but would have to buy a few pairs because they would rip or what not. The last few years we stick with Under Armor, nikes, or Adidas. So far I've only had to buy each kids two pairs a year (one for inside, one for outside). It's important to not reuse (unless we are talking baby) because like other posters have said they form to your feet.

 

[E&Cmom]

When the girls were smaller, I was often able to reuse some of eldest for my youngest. Now I basically only pass down dress shoes which DD1 has often worn only once or twice and occasionally boots and water shoes. We do have 2 pairs of uggs ( hardly worn) which were previously my niece's but I don't think I have ever bought shoes used.

 

[barkley]

Only dress shoes and snow boots. My Depression era grandma was fairly frugal except when it came to shoes. Shoes should be new and good quality whenever possible.

I have saved all of first son's shoes - he's 3 and a half. I'm thinking I'll probably donate the last year and a half of shoes but reuse the first two years worth for Son 2.

my dad was a young adult during the depression and he always demanded new shoes for us and dental treatment on a regular basis (said it was severly lacking back then).

as a result it's always been new shoes for my kids-with the exception of water shoes which would maybe get one wearing before the next summer's trip, and I think at one point dd's feet were about the same size as mine so she borrowed a pair of dress shoes I wore infrequently.

I have gotten a pair of handmedowns from ds though-there was a very short period of time when we wore the same size and he had a brand new pair of vans that he only wore at best 3 or 4 times before he outgrew them. I latched onto them and wore them for the next 6 years.

I've got terrible feet so I don't even think about donating my lightly worn shoes to charity-they would be agony for anyone else to deal with.

 

[aprilgail2]

I put a bunch of my daughters old shoes out once at a yard sale and was shocked that they not only all sold but were the first thing to go- I would NEVER put my child in used shoes.

 

[anniemae]

Only shoes that were hardly worn like dress shoes bought for a special occasion. We have a great second hand store that is hugely popular, really good prices on gently worn clothes for kids. Anyway, they sell shoes and lots of folks buy them, they are hardly worn, but I just can't do it. Kids grow so fast that sometimes the shoes were only worn a couple of times I guess.

 

[Dawnlight]

I've passed gently used shoes down to my other kids, things like dress shoes that only get worn a handful of times. Generally, my kids are very rough on their shoes, so they are not worthy of being passed down or even donated- they usually end up in the garbage after a few months of wear and tear.

I don't think it's wrong to buy used shoes; go in to any children's resale place and you'll see plenty for sale and plenty being bought, and I really don't understand why anyone makes a big deal about it. Better used shoes than no shoes.

 

[aaarcher86]

Not a fan of buying other peoples used shoes, but I'll give hand me downs to a younger sibling if they haven't been destroyed. My kids are 18 months apart. Now they're practically the same size.

I've given nicer dress shoes to one of their friends or something if they needed some, but that's it.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Only dress shoes and snow boots. My Depression era grandma was fairly frugal except when it came to shoes. Shoes should be new and good quality whenever possible.

I have saved all of first son's shoes - he's 3 and a half. I'm thinking I'll probably donate the last year and a half of shoes but reuse the first two years worth for Son 2.

Same here.

Lots of littles in our family of different shapes and sizes. Why not share a pair of shoes they'll wear a few times a year? There's no "molding to feet" at that point and are nice, well made, not cheap shoes.

As a matter of fact, we just did a family portrait and basically had a girl's dress shoe trade! "Who has shoes to go with this dress? Oh so and so needs shoes...take these!"

The only one left out DS because out of their 12 cousins under the age of 10, he's the only boy.

 

[mom2rtk]

Our boys are 2 years apart. Thankfully they weren't (are aren't) shoe hounds. They usually had one pair of sneakers they wore until they outgrew them, and there was no wear left by then. The other shoes they had (sports cleats and dress shoes) were often handed down from my sister's boys then from our older to our younger.

In general, I would not do it for regular wear shoes, but don't see a problem with occasional wear items. (Both because those are generally the ones with any wear left and because anything that didn't fit quite right would not be on their feet for long).

 

[puffkin]

I consign at one of the big children's sales and shoes are very popular items there. Many people who aren't as fortunate as many of us are extremely grateful for the opportunity to buy used shoes.

I have boys so pretty much they wear one pair at a time (sneakers) until they wear them out, get holes/rips in them, etc. So not a lot of passing down. I did save some of older DS shoes for my younger to have as a spare pair or to use if they every went somewhere really messy. But not too many were even in good enough shape for that. They typically don't wear dress shoes. Athletic spikes are usually so gross by the end of the season I pitch them. I have bought a pair of snow boots on consignment and lots of the baby Robeez shoes, but that is about it. I am fortunate enough though to be able to afford good shoes for my kids, but not everyone is as lucky.

 

[mjkacmom]

I won't buy used shoes, but I do hand down shoes from one kid to the next, or use others hand me downs, if they haven't been used much (snow boots, dress shoes...).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Wouldn't buy them, but hand me downs yes. Most of DD14's shoes aren't worth keeping by the time she's done with them, though.