Review and Giveaway!: Smaller Shoes by See Kai Run

Our little guy is finally up on his feet and cruising around! Bring on the cute, soft-soled, yet supportive, non-skid shoes! I was delighted to learn that my favorite shoe company from Lilly's shoe collection, See Kai Run, is now making shoes for the smaller crowd (0-18 months), aptly named, Smaller. One of my favorite things about See Kai Run is their self-proclaimed "Modern take on classic styles" and the Smaller collection is no exception. In fact, I think I can honestly say that I have never seen a See Kai Run or Smaller shoe that I didn't like and I am constantly searching the racks of my favorite children's shops for good deals on them. I think that you will agree that Max looks quite dashing in his Mazi trainer-style shoes. The Smaller line includes several different colors and styles including some super-cute MaryJane styles and some boot-type items for the winter days that are all too fast approaching here in the midwest.

Moving is a big deal for Max these days and the Smaller shoes allow him to do just that. The soles are very flexible and allow the little guy to go from his belly crawl to sitting to standing and cruising easily- That may sound obvious, but the same is not true for some of the more rigid soled shoes out there. Smaller shoes have earned the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Society. They also have two little non-slip pads on the bottom, not a big deal here at home, but pretty important for the slippery floors at school!


In addition to designing and producing great shoes, from my point of view See Kai Run appears to be a great company, too! They have two features which I am always a sucker for- The first is that they were started and run by a mom on a mission! The second is that they are a successful business who looks for ways to give back to those in need. The See Kai Run website notes that in the last four years they have donated thousands of shoes to organizations and people around the world. In fact, in June 2008, See Kai Run invited its customers to participate in a donation matching event which resulted in the donation of 8000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls and the World Association for Children and Parents. (You can read more about Souls4Souls, whose mission is "To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes", at their website.)

And now for the official review (based on a four star scale):

Design and Ease of Use *** As I mentioned, I love the look of all of the See Kai Run and Smaller shoe styles! The position of the velcro allows them to be as tight or as loose as necessary depending on your little one's foot width. I wasn't able to give the full four stars, though, because despite the large opening when unvelcroed, we still have some difficulty wiggling them onto Max's little feet when he is wearing socks with any thickness at all.

Materials and Durability **** Max has not spent too much time outside in his Smaller shoes, but based on their construction and on our experience with Lilly's See Kai Run shoes, I can vouch that this company knows how to put together a quality shoe. In fact, the one complaint that I had about the shoes that Lilly has worn is that the tops of the toes wore out quickly (Who knows what she was doing as a fully up and running toddler to wear out the tops of her shoes!) This problem is remedied, though, with these Smaller shoes because the leather which makes up the bottom extends up and over the toe area.

Cost -
$ under $20
$$ $20-$30
$$$ $30-$40
$$$$ over $44
$$$- The Smaller line of shoes runs from about $32 to $38 a pair. The company's website does have a sale section with some pretty good deals, but it is worth finding someone in your area who sells them as I have gotten at least 4 different pairs of See Kai Run shoes at an awesome $10 each!

Overall Rating ***1/2
As a bonus, Smaller Shoes come in a cute little carry case that is perfect for gift giving!

Thanks to the good people at See Kai Run, we have a pair of Smaller shoes to giveaway to one lucky reader! Go visit the See Kai Run website and find your favorite pair of Smaller shoes. Come back here and leave us a comment on this post with the style you love the most. Your comment will enter you in our giveaway to win one pair of Smaller shoes by See Kai Run in your choice of size and style. All entries must be received by Monday, November 10th. Click here for our "official" giveaway rules. Thanks again for reading and good luck!

The winner of the Smaller shoes was lisa. Congratulations Lisa, we hope your little one enjoys the shoes!