Average Cost: $25.00/pair
Official URL: http://www.vans.com
Rating:

Shoes are one of my more uncomfortable memories of childhood. Pinchy uncomfortable things that I would frequently pull off, opting to run barefoot everywhere. Unfortunately going barefoot isn’t safe in most places these days and so I seek out the most comfortable and convenient shoes for my son. These “Oldskool” shoes by VANS fit the bill. They’re comfortable, slide on very easily, have a wonderful amount of flex to the sole and are very well made. While my son prefers to walk around in his father’s shoes, he doesn’t object to these shoes at all. (And these come in his size.)

STYLE

These shoes have a bit of funky-sporty feeling to them that is accentuated by the white zig-zag on either side of each shoe, and the white rubber wrap-around bumper that gives them a funky thick soled look without the added weight and bulk of a thicker sole. These shoes come in pink/white, black/white, black/black, and navy blue/white, offering a variety of color choices to match your child’s wardrobe.

QUALITY/CONSTRUCTION

These shoes are very well made and are a classic VANS style. The materials are all top quality, and the shoes are put together very well and with obvious attention to the shape of the little feet that will be wearing them. My son’s shoes are the navy blue and white version of the shoe. They have navy blue body, white contrast stitching, and a white streak on either side.

The uppers of these shoes are made of canvas with suede and leather accents. Suede covers the heel and toe and runs up along the sides of the strap area and that covers the straps themselves. The white stripe on either side of the shoe is made of leather, and leather lines the inside of the ankle of the shoe which minimizes friction and which helps the shoe slide on and off easily. The canvas is very breathable even for sweaty little toddler feet. The suede, leather and rubber embellishments are stylish, but provide extra wearability as well, as they reinforce areas of the shoe that are prone to wearing out quickly.

The shoes have two velcro straps. The velcro is easy to use and you can adjust it to make the shoe fit more snugly or loosen it for a chubbier foot. The straps have a broad range of adjustability. The straps have a rounded tip that makes it easy to feed them through the metal-lined slots. The straps are attached on the outside edge of the shoe and feed through slots on the inside edge of the shoe so that when they are fastened the tips of the velcro point toward the outside of the child’s foot.

The insole of the shoe is made of a natural colored soft canvas material, and is permanently affixed inside of the shoe which helps minimize bunching and which provides a soft, padded surface for your child’s feet.

The sole of the foot is the classic VANS sole: a yellowish rubber waffle pattern that is diamond shaped over most of the sole, and which moves into a band of stars that stretch across the sole where the ball of your foot will be. The rubber pattern does a great job of helping your child maintain traction on a variety of surfaces. The sole and body of this shoe are very flexible making it great for new walkers. It generally wears rather well although it will not last as long as some of the dense foam rubber soles.

There is a white rubber ” bumper” that wraps around the outside of the shoe covering the area where sole and upper join. This bumper is smooth around most of the shoe but has a thicker waffled piece of rubber at the front of the shoe which helps minimize stubbed toes and which also extends the life of the shoe. A black stripe runs around the rubber bumper area, giving it a finished look and an extra dose of sportiness.

The VANS logo appears on the insole, and also on a red rubber piece on the heel of each shoe, and has a cool rubber-stamp minimalism about it that is very appealing.

EASE OF CARE

These shoes come in a pint-sized black VANS box with care instructions printed on the bottom. Since the OldSkool V shoes are canvas with suede trim they require a little bit more care than the simple canvas versions. The instructions provided are below:

• Treat clean dry suede shoe with waterproofing products.
• Clean by gentle brushing with a fine wire brush.
• Spot-clean soiled surfaces with suede cleaner.
• Dry slowly away from heat sources.
• Stuffing damp shoe with tissue will help it retain its shape.

Being the impatient daredevil sort, and seeing as my son’s shoes were covered in mud after he made a break for a hidden puddle in the park, I threw all caution to the wind and followed the more simple instructions for canvas shoes: Machine wash in cool water, do not bleach or use detergents with chlorine additive. Air-dry (stuffed with tissue paper). This worked well and the shoes are really no worse for the wear.

These shoes resist odor very well. After continuous use on my son’s sweaty little toddler feet they really smell no worse for the wear. I wish I could say the same for my son’s feet!

SIZING/COMFORT

These shoes seem to be a very standard size. My son wears size 6-7 in most brands and fits perfectly in OldSkool V size 6.5. The flexible material of these shoes makes it a cinch to check and see that his toes aren’t bumping into the shoe.

These shoes are designed perfectly to allow them to slide onto your child’s feet without a struggle. The tongue is not attached to the shoe at any point except for the bottom, which means that you don’t have to use a shoe-horn to get the shoe onto your child’s foot. As long as the shoe fits it will slide on easily without use of pressure.

The interior of the shoe is smooth canvas with no rough edges, which makes it comfortable for wearing with or without socks.

BOTTOM LINE

These shoes are cute, comfortable, easy to use and care for. They’re everything I look for in a child’s sneaker.