Review and Giveaway! Stonz Wear Booties

Stonz Wear booties are an interesting twist on kid’s footwear. Stonz Wear booties are functional on their own or as extra coverage over other shoes. The booties are crafted of nylon on the outside and are fleece lined inside. The “sole” is soft and extends up on the sides of the booties about an inch. They have a rubberized sole to provide traction and prevent slippage. They are spacious so they fit over nearly any kind of shoe (I can’t find any they do not fit over). But don’t let the word “spacious” fool you, they fit snugly because they have two sets of elastic and toggles, one at the ankle, the other at the top of the bootie. These can be cinched to create a custom fit. The booties end up kind of looking like a moon-boot, but just not at all stiff.

Anastasia tried these out in the “Daisy- Brown Bootie” which are adorable. There are plenty of different styles, even ones that are unisex.

Anastasia wears her booties in the house, as slippers (yes… we’ve already had cold enough weather for that!) and we test ran them outdoors when she helped her Daddy rake our yard. While they are designed for outdoor use, the Stonz Wear website instructs for “light” outdoor wear, so we did not have her running on pavement, but on our yard only. Her feet were warm and dry and because of the elastic at the top of the bootie, no stray leaves made it into our house by way of her shoes. Another plus is that since the opening is so large, we were able to tuck her jeans into the booties, and cinch the elastic over them which kept her pant legs dry as well.

Our house has both carpet and wood floors. When Anastasia runs around in socks on the wood, I always worry that she will slip and fall. Even when she is wearing slippers I worry because she can and does take them off whenever she feels like it. I don’t have to worry about her falling now. Once we put the Stonz Wear booties on her, she could not take them off. This is the only kind of shoe that she has not been able to remove. It actually frustrated her (but not me). I didn’t have to worry about her tumbling and sliding around on the floor. The rubberized soles are slip-proof, in my opinion, so much so, that at first Anastasia’s feet caught on the floor if she shuffled. She adjusted just fine.

Some necessary items to know: these are machine washable! Yes! They are roomy so they should last quite a while, especially if you go from using them as a shoe cover to just a slipper. The sizing is different from other shoes: the booties run S (0-9 mos), M (6-18 mos), and L (1-3 yrs).

Now for the formal review, each of four stars:

Design and Ease of Use: *** and a half- Until they are on and cinched, the Stonz Wear booties look like little nylon bags. They make the opening large enough for the bootie to go over any shoe. This means the booties are dual purpose- slipper and extra coverage for outdoor use. So easy to put on and adjust. Near impossible for children to remove- keep that in mind!

Materials and Durability: ***- So many good points, all in one. The nylon exterior is water and wind resistant. The interior is fleece lined for warmth. The sole is rubberized for traction. They have held up to light outdoor wear, but would not be supportive on rocks or other “pokey” terrain if worn alone since the sole is soft.

Cost:
$ under $20
$$ $20-$30
$$$ $30-$40
$$$$ over $40

$$$$- The booties are $46.95 a pair. If you can work it to use your pair as a shoe cover as well as slippers, you will get great extended use of this product. I am sure we will get this extended use even with the large size. As someone who is used to paying a lot for winter-wear (Minnesotan all my life), I don’t see the price as too high, especially if you can extend the use to “slipper” after more intense wear.

Overall Rating: *** and a half. Excellent idea and a new way to look at foot wear for kids. Our northern friends (Stonz Wear is a Canadian company) “get it” that we need warmth- but without all the bulk. Comfy, secure, water and wind resistant shoes. My only suggestion is to make these a bit more durable for more aggressive outdoor wear, not just for light outdoor wear. I think anyone would be happy with this purchase.

Would you like to win a pair of Stonz Wear Booties? Stonz Wear and KBP are giving away one pair of Cow booties in size Large. Visit the Stonz Wear website, tell us which is your favorite pattern (excluding those in this post), and leave a post here for us. All entries must be received by midnight on November 3, 2008. Please click the following link to see our official rules for entering this giveaway: http://www.kidbuyproducts.com/2008/09/update-whats-new-at-kid-buy-products.html. Good Luck!

The winner of the Stonz Wear booties is Jenna! Congratulations Jenna. We hope you enjoy the cow booties.