Anyone here have experience with Umi shoes for kids?

[gatorsmom]

Are they good quality? Are boys' Umis durable? I'm considering getting leather Umis for by boys' school uniform shoes but they are expensive. If the shoes last all year, it will be worth the price. I'm ordering online since there is no place to see them IRL.

Thoughts?

[Mikey0709]

Tried them on several times, but we found they ran narrow....especially in instep. They did seem high quality, and have seen quite a few pair at consignment that held up well. I've also seen them alot at Nordstrom rack.

[Nooknookmom]

Was coming to post about the Rack! They seem on par with Geox and maybe better quality than the current Stride Rite. Look for a deal then you won't feel bad about the $$!

[gatorsmom]

Was coming to post about the Rack! They seem on par with Geox and maybe better quality than the current Stride Rite. Look for a deal then you won't feel bad about the $$!. I really won't feel bad about the money if they last the entire school year. For the past 2 years I've had to replace the boys' plastic Kohl's dress shoes about 3 times because the sole fell off within weeks or they rubbed away the plastic on the top. If Incan find nice leather ones that are well-constructed, it will be worth the extra money!

[bostonsmama]

I have a pair of Umi sandals for DD that are wearing beautifully. It's hard to say anything about fit b/c both the ankle strap and foot bed/instep are velcro adjustable. DD has a wide toe box and long feet for her age (size 10 at 2.5), but these have worn well for many months now...although I always put her in her beater Vans for the playground b/c she tends to drag her feet and mussy up good shoes something fierce. Drives me nuts. It's tempting to get suede instead of polished leather next time (for closed toe shoes).

[citymama]

I have no experience with Umi boys shoes, but I do with girls shoes. My DD1 is very rough on her shoes, so keep that in mind. I bought a beautiful pair of Umi pink mary-janes for her when they were on sale at one of the Hanna outlets - paid around $30, something like half off. Great combination of sporty soles and cute to look at, we loved them. Well, the flower attachment came off within weeks, so I called Hanna and they sent me a replacement pair immediately. The flower fell off the next pair as well, and the shoes looked scuffed and worn within a month, and really old looking soon. So they went from being her dress-up shoes to her beat-up shoes! That said, when the black pair got even further marked down (maybe $22?) I bought them but saved them *only* for special occasions, so they didn't get as beat up. I would only buy Umis if they were super marked down, but they're not rugged enough for my kids to be worth paying anywhere close to full price.

[Nooknookmom]

. I really won't feel bad about the money if they last the entire school year. For the past 2 years I've had to replace the boys' plastic Kohl's dress shoes about 3 times because the sole fell off within weeks or they rubbed away the plastic on the top. If Incan find nice leather ones that are well-constructed, it will be worth the extra money!

If you are looking for GOOD quality I really recommend Geox! I just thought u wanted Umi. DD's last her two years...no joke. Her feet have grown slowly so far.

I easily get over a year of use with buying a .5 size up. Then she likes to wear them even when they r tight. They have a removable insert that breathes and is leaner. U can see where their toes are and makes sizing easy!

She has worn them since she was around 18 mo. They are pricey.

I wait for sales but even off sale are worth every penny!!!

[Kindra178]

We had a very average experience with UMI for Sunday church shoes (meaning they weren't worn much and certainly didn't take a beating of every day kid wear). I much prefer Keen, Geox, Sperry/Stride Rite or Merrill. Of all those, Keen seem to hold the best in my experience. I definitely would expect Keen to last all year and then some. I don't know what style/how dressy you need but Keen does make a sport loafers like the Rintin and Timmons.