The most important bit it the sole.... (although longevity might also figure)

We ended up with some with a soft waffle sole (like 1/8" apart max) from a sports warehouse type place... which were only $10-$15 or so... we looked at 15-20 styles and only found 1-2 with a suitable sole .. and the last thing you want is anything like a running or hiking shoe as this then is really unlikely to actually gel with the pedal in a comfortable position...

We will probably go for some FiveTens later though .. but these have made a big difference over his running type shoes he was wearing before.

 

Lace up skate shoes work fine.

 

WE went with cheapish vans until we hit size 7 adult size for our budding 9 year old, shifted to 5-10's then!

 

I snagged a pair of kids five tens for my 4 yo to wear when he goes up one more size (around $40), thinking if I shopped early I could keep up with his size getting them fairly cheap.

However, I haven't been able to find any more at that price so I might be sol if he becomes spoiled with them.

Also they seem pretty durable, so hoping that he can use them for his every day shoes and that they might have a little life left for his younger brother. As it is now, he tears up regular shoes at least by the time he outgrows them, if not before.

Do the vans, etc. hold up pretty well?.

 

Do the vans, etc. hold up pretty well?.

Vans are great flat pedal shoes, but they absolutely do not hold up well. It's my opinion that Vans is really slipping in order to please shareholders these days. I've been wearing them since 4th grade. I'm 41 now. My son has been wearing them since he was 1. He's 9. Pretty much every pair we've bought over the past 8-9 years has crapped the bed by just simply falling apart. Just coming unglued...in like 3 weeks. And for what they are, they aren't cheap anymore either.

Its a bummer, but they're really just not a great shoe anymore. Kinda like IKEA furniture. Pretty much crap that's getting more and more expensive because it's trendy.

 

Nashbar had a closeout on Shimano BMX shoes (like 80% off), so I bought 2 pair for my kids. My oldest daughter is wearing them to ride her flat pedals. Ugly, but nice stiff soles with a decent tread.

JMJ

 

Thanks for the feedback guys! I think I narrowed it down to Vans Old Skool or possibly Vans Style 112. Why? Because they are the 5 eyelet with a toe cap. And they are pretty common and the ability to find the size and on sale is more likely.

 

The Five tens are worth the money. Once they go to grippy pedals anything else just gets ripped apart anyway (or their shins do when they slide off the pedals as the shoes do not have enough grip). They also wash well and even after a year of constant use and a lot of riding we were able to resell the outgrown Five Tens.

 

I agree on the slipping quality of Vans over the years, plus they are sponges for sweaty kids like mine..never dried out inside!

I was lucky that my kid's foot size finally stabilized around 7 when we invested in 5-10's. He went from 3.5 to 7 in about a year and a half...check the clearance section on their site, we got ours for around $50 with free shipping.

 

Jeez Jim! You a big family?

 

Maybe I exaggerated a bit - took 2 years to go from 3.5 to 7 shoe size! Kid is big/broad for a fresh 10 years old - 5'3" and close to 110!

EDIT: No, we are not a big family...though we have relatives who are big- recessed genes perhaps or just an early growth spurt!

 

FWIW there are several other "skate" shoes out there aside from Vans. And they arguably hold up as well or better. Vans have been plagued with un-gluing for as long as I can remember. After way too much time on the internet yesterday and posting my prior response, I found some DC shoes for my girls at about $35.00. I narrowed down my selection to these elements:

• A 5 eyelet lace up shoe is the best bet to make sure the shoe is well secured on their foot. The slip on style shoes we all know and love, probably wiggle around on the foot more than a full lace up.
• Some sort of toe cap. There are several out there with rubber or synthetic leather toe caps. For extra durability and a tiny bit of toe protection.
• Flat, waffle bottom to help grip the pedals (probably goes without saying)
• Can't be ugly. In my case they can't be too "boyish" because I have twin girls.

 

I found the old school vans in pink for my 9 year old daughter for cheap on Ebay. They have the hidden zipper for quick on and off, and to tuck in the laces. She likes them!

 

My kid uses hiking boots. I can't imagine trying to push a bike up a steep trail wearing Vans.

 

5-10; although Sombrio is cheaper but not sure if they make em small enough. A hard platform sole shoe is important imho.