Back-to-Preschool Shoe-tacular Review and Giveaway! - See Kai Run

When it comes to buying shoes for my princess, of course I care about style, but even more importantly, I worry about whether or not the shoes are comfortable on her little feet. Lately, a new consideration is whether or not Nadia can easily get them on and off herself. I am all about finding ways to foster independence in my kids as early as possible, and I've found that allowing The Princess to be "in control" of getting her shoes on and off makes my day so much easier. I've been a big fan of See Kai Run shoes ever since Nadia could walk. Granted, that's only been a little less than two years, but I still feel pretty qualified to review these great shoes considering that in that two year's time, we've had 4 pairs! I'm always drawn in by the style, but ultimately feel the most satisfied when I realize that I'm also buying a quality, comfortable shoe for Nadia as well.

The new fall/winter See Kai Run collection has just recently been released, and I have a hard time deciding which style I like the best. There are several very cute boots that I just love. We've been testing the new Julie boot, and I'm impressed. When designing all of their shoes, See Kai Run really thinks about what is important. The Julie boots are no exception. For starters, the boot has a zipper. I've watched Nadia struggle into boots without zippers before and it's frustrating for her which in turns means that it's frustrating for me, too. Not only is there a zipper, but it stretches all the way to the sole of the boot making it super simple for Nadia to get her little foot in. The zipper is a little stiff which makes it somewhat difficult for her to get it zipped, but I'm guessing that eventually we will get the zipper broken in and she'll be able to zip them without my help. As for the other styles, See Kai Run does an excellent job of recognizing that while as parents we may like the look of laced-up shoes for our kids, it doesn't make any practical sense to be tying and retying shoelaces for toddlers all day. They carry several options that have faux laces with velcro closures. You get the cool look with the convenience of not having to bend over and tie shoes all day! I love the look of the Kenso "trainers." I just wish Isaac were old enough to wear them! With the exception of the boots, all See Kai Run shoes feature velco closures making them very easy to get on, yet allow them to be securly fastened.

The reason why I keep going back to See Kai Run for shoes for my kids is definitely for the comfort. All the shoes have wide toe beds and wide openings which means that even when Nadia's feet were at their chubbiest, I had no trouble getting them on her feet. Also, they are designed with padded collars to prevent blisters and to provide a little extra security to help the shoes stay on. They also have extra flexible soles which are supposed to be important for developing feet. Finally, they are made from this buttery soft sheepskin leather that is so much more soft and flexible than any other shoe I've seen. Buttery is not my adjective, it's actually how they shoes are descibed on the See Kai Run website, but honestly, I can't think of a better word to describe how soft these shoes are. An added bonus is that I can easily feel where Nadia's little toes are to make sure that we have a good fit.

So, I admit, even if these shoes weren't super comfortable and easy for Nadia to get on, I'd still buy them because with every new collection that is introduced, I find 3 or 4 pairs that I really, really would love Nadia to have. Now that I'm buying for a boy as well, I'm anxious to be able to start buying some of the really cute boy styles that I've always lusted after as well. If you have a local retailer in your neighborhood, I would highly suggest going and checking these shoes out. No matter how well I try to describe them, there's no substition for feeling the leather and trying out the flexible soles. However, if you aren't lucky enough to be able to check them out in person, no worries because you can check them out online. There are lots of pictures and descriptions, and you can purchase them from the online store as well.

As if all of this wasn't enough to convince you to buy the shoes, See Kai Run is commited to helping supply children around the world with desperately needed footwear. This summer, See Kai Run hosted a "Share a Pair" matching donation charitable event. With customer purchases combined with the support of their retail stores, See Kai Run donated over 8,000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls and World Association for Children and Parents. You can feel good knowing that you are giving to a company that is commited to "giving back."

Now for the official review (based on a four-star scale)

Design and Ease of Use **** - Like I said, I've always been impressed by the intelligent design of See Kai Run shoes. There are no laces, but each pair has a velcro or zipper closure which allows you to be able to open the shoe up wide to help stuff those chubby little feet in. My little tester has no problem getting them on and off by herself which is so very important to a toddler.

Materials and Durability *** - The materials used to make these shoes are incredibly high quality. Don't be fooled by the softness of the leather, they are still very durable. The only complaint that I've ever had is that with a couple of the pairs, the suede and leather does scratch and scrape pretty easily. While they are still completely functional, after just a couple of outings with a beginning walker, the shoes didn't look quite as beautiful. Obviously, there's not much you can do to prevent scuffs, but I felt these scuffed just a little bit more quickly than most.

Cost -
$ under $20

$$ $20-$30

$$$ $30-$40

$$$$ over $40

$$$ for most of the shoes, $$$$ for boots - I did notice that there are a few pairs of previous season styles for $28. I feel that the styles are typically pretty timeless which makes these older styles a real steal!

See Kai Run makes flexible-soled shoes for children from ages 6 months to about 3 years. Sizes 3-9.

Overall Rating ***1/2 - If you value comfort and durability along with bold and fun style when you shop for shoes for your children, then you will not be disappointed by what See Kai Run has to offer. We are on our 5th pair for Nadia alone, and you can bet that her brother will have his first pair soon enough!

Do you want to win a pair of See Kai Run shoes for your toddler? Visit the See Kai Run website and choose your favorite style, not including any styles mentioned in this post. Come back here and tell us which one you like best and you will be entered in our contest to win a pair of See Kai Run shoes in your choice of style and size. All entries must be received by midnight on Wednesday, September 17th. Please only one entry per household and you must be 18 or older to win. We will choose one winner using random.org. Feel free to leave your email so that we can contact you when you win, but also know that we will be submitting winner info to Prizey Winners. Thanks for reading and Good Luck!