Merrell Toddler Boys' Bare Steps A83 Sneaker

So I want to start this off by saying I bought these because I LOVE the bare steps kids boots Merrel makes. They’re ergonomic (nice wide toe box and flexible sole), great quality, so cute and my daughter can easily take them on and off by herself. They’re amazing. In fact I plan to buy her another pair this year. The same cannot be said for these shoes. They’re still great quality and ergonomic, but they are SO DIFFICULT to put on. Don’t let the Velcro fool you. The elastic band (which is what REALLY holds the shoe on the foot) is super inflexible so I can’t open them wide enough to put her foot in. It’s not impossible, but it’s such a challenge that I rarely bother. At which point…I’m just paying good money for shoes that sit in the closet.

I bought these shoes for my son and daughter about 2 months ago. I love the look and flexibility of the sole. However, my kids won’t wear them because the are too tight around the middle of their foot. My daughter even had a half size bigger than her normal shoes size. If there was a way to adjust the strings to loosen them, then I think I would love this shoe. It would also help to get them on the foot easier. But as of now, I have bought my daughter two sizes and they are both too tight around the middle of her foot.

So glad to find rainbow shoes but these are not durable. The first pair we got, the Velcro didn't stick after a couple months. Merrell sent us another pair. This second pair we've had for less than a month and they already have a hole. There are two little breathing holes(?) that are built into the shoe, but they are in a spot on the shoe that is prone to ripping, which then makes a big hole. I am so sad because my kid LOVES these shoes, but they are just not durable.

This shoe has been the BEST for my 2 year old. They are sturdy, and made of quality materials, yet they are flexible and not stiff. The wide toe box has been amazing for my daughters feet. They are no longer squished ! I love the easy velcro strap. I use these shoes and an arch support insert for my toddler because she has pronation and needs it. She runs and jumps and plays in these better than any other shoe we have tried.

The shoe hurts my child's feet when putting it on and taking it off, despite having purchased the wide width. I thought the velcro strap would make it easy for her to wear the shoe independently as she is able to do so with other brands, but that is not the case. The opening is a bit narrow, tight/stiff, and not very flexible, which makes it difficult for her to wear. She refused to wear the shoes as a result.

We’ve put our kiddo in these since he started walking and he’s now 4.5. Love them!! They stay on, are easy to put on and take off, and are durable. Our only complaint is that now that he’s older and much harder on his shoes, the Velcro closure could be more robust as the Velcro is wearing out faster than the rest of the shoe. But overall, best shoe we’ve found for small feet!

Love these toddler barefoot shoes, really sad that they don’t go up to any higher sizes! We always buy two sets – one for home and one for daycare. Not sure what we will do without them after size 10! Only feedback would be that the Velcro on the daycare pair always ends up shredded and not very sticky with the constant on & offs, but the home pair never ends up like that.

Pros: Flexible sole, available in wide sizes. Cons: Too hard to put on. My kid loved the bare steps boots and the water shoes, but these are impossible to put on his feet. We wore these (tried to wear these) this year and I bought another pair a size bigger to take advantage of the sale at the time. Now we won't wear the next size and wasted money.