Whose idea was it to make new shoes white? There is probably a lake in China half full of the chlorine bleach used in the shoe manufacturing process. And for what? So my kid can cry on the way home from school about how her "shoes aren't new anymore" after one day on the playground? That was sure worth the extra money to get her the Stride Rights.
Why not make the shoes gray from the start. And use recycled materials. They outgrow the shoes in 4-6 months anyway, at which point they'll be on their way to the dump. Or waiting around to be little sister's play shoes.
These are the first shoes she has had with strings. The strings are stiff and short - I can barely double tie them myself. It's going to be a nightmare if we try to teach her to tie these shoe strings. At least they're so short they won't trip her when the come untied. Apparently no part of the Stride Right surtax goes into the strings. But they did come with a magic wand which, when waved over the tongue of the left shoe, triggers the shoes to play a little song. Only top of the line stuff for my kids (when the grandparents are paying).
