Solving Your Back-To-School Footwear Needs
It’s the middle of summer. . . who wants to think about Back-To-School? It is definitely hard to believe it’s a month away, or sooner, depending on your school district. I always remember fondly, how fun it was to go out and get brand new shoes and clothing, while thoughtfully and meticulously planning my first day of school outfit. If that first week had any fashion faux pas, you could forget hanging with the cool kids. Ah yes, the good old days. (haha)
“I have enough shoes,”
-said no one ever!
Thankfully, it’s not that hard to shoe shop anymore since we have so many choices to choose from for our footwear needs. The brands we were looking for were Saucony Kids, shoes for runners, jumpers, and climbers, a performance sneaker brand. Merrell Kids styles are created just for active kids with durable materials, a comfortable fit, and versatile functionality built into every shoe. Keds Kids inspires girls to be authentic, confident, and pursue their dreams with keds style. Sperry Kids was once a boat shoe, but now it’s evolved into an authentic lifestyle brand that spans fashion and function without compromise, since 1935. Finally, Hush Puppies Kids delivers a casual style with trusted quality and durability.
“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy shoes and that’s kind of the same thing.”
My daughter and I headed out to one of Santa Monica’s favorite kid’s shoe stores, BROOKS SHOES for KIDS, located at 1703 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, and open seven days a week. The store has been around for 30 years, with some employees working there for that long as well. Sonia, the girl who helped us, had been there for 15 years and couldn’t have been nicer. She was extremely attentive, helpful, and patient. She made our experience extremely easy and pleasant.
“Some say LAUGHTER is the best medicine, but we say it's CUTE NEW SHOES!”
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My daughter’s foot keeps growing and growing. When Sonia pulled out the Brannock Device, a.k.a. the standard foot measuring tool for the world’s footwear industry, I confidently told her the size would be a Kids-13. Boy, was I wrong. Almost overnight Senna had grown to a size 1½, which meant we definitely needed some new shoes, especially for school. It’s amazing how quickly these little bean poles grow. So, with our new knowledge, we decided whatever we tried that worked, we would then purchase a size 2, since school was still a month or so away.
“It’s not that I need more SHOES, but they keep making them in my size.”
First stop, Saucony, because my daughter thrives with a happy athleticism! She has an intense energy and spirit, like most seven year olds, and her shoes get pulverized quickly. Saucony has a performance sneaker, especially for kids, so I know they are durable. Senna headed right towards them actually, the minute we walked into the store. She took one look at the bubblegum pink shoe and proclaimed loudly, “I want this one!”
“I make SHOE contact before eye contact.”
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We tried on the 1½, which fit great and was indeed my daughter’s correct size as measured, with room to breathe and wiggle the toes. Senna jumped up and down, relishing in their comfort and bounciness. She loved them! After about 30 seconds of begging to get them, I said yes to the shoes. Now, time to check out the next pair.
“So many SHOES, but only two feet.”
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Sperry styles span fashion and function without compromise, as their brand promises. The quality of the shoe is excellent. I could tell right away that this shoe could also take a beating and survive longer than your average kid’s shoes. We tried on a black ballet flat in size 1½ and it fit perfectly, again with a little breathing room to grow. These shoes would be perfect for school and we both loved them! This was a shoe my daughter didn’t want to take off. She had to keep staring in the mirror to see how cute they were on her feet. They were so trés chic.
“SHOES are like dessert, there’s always room for more!”
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Finally, although it was six o’clock and the store was getting ready to close, Sonia knew we were not done shopping and was patient as we looked around for one more shoe for school. We decided to check out shoes by Merrell Kids, which seemed like they could endure the elements and my daughter’s spunky tenacity. A rugged pull-on loafer with weather-resistant suede-like fabric and well-built, heavy-duty soles was our favorite. This particular shoe only came in whole sizes, so we went with the size 2 shoe. It fit like it was made for her foot and they looked super cute for winter. Even if we live in sunny California, we still travel a lot to colder, harsher conditions and this shoe would be perfect for school and any trekking expeditions we might decide to go on in the next year. These shoes were definitely made for globe-trotting and we love them.
We decided to take all three pairs, but we opted to get all of them in a size 2, as Senna’s feet are growing rapidly and a size 2 would fit if her feet grew even more in the next month or two. There’s nothing like buying new shoes for back-to-school and then they are outgrown before school even begins.
“Cinderella is proof that a new pair of SHOES can change your life.”
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Now armed with some fab pairs of shoes for the new school year, we headed over to the cash register to pay. The shoes all ran about $50, but Sonia had us sign up for the store emails and we received an extra 10% off our purchase. So, we managed to get out of the store with some outstanding shoe choices at very reasonable prices. I’d say it was an excellent day of shopping for the books.
“I just rescued some SHOES, they were trapped in a store.”
We are so excited with our new purchases and couldn’t have been happier with our experience at Brooks Shoes for Kids in Santa Monica. The three brands we did wind up buying, Saucony, Merrell, and Sperry, are all trendsetting and well-liked brands that are made with high-quality materials for active children’s lifestyles.
“We could be done with SHOE SHOPPING for the school year, but we’re not quitters.”
I was given this fabulous opportunity to shop for Sperry, Saucony and Merrell shoes, and my daughter was the happy recipient of some new shoes for school, in exchange for a review. All opinions were my own and I can confidently say it was a wonderful experience to shop at Brooks Shoes for Kids in Santa Monica. My daughter couldn’t be happier with her three new pairs of shoes as well. Which shoes for the first day of school?
“Give a girl the right SHOES and she can conquer the world.”
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