Little kids shoes can cost a parent a small fortune if they aren’t careful. Just like with clothing, our kids grow out of their shoes quickly. In one case, my child had worn a pair of little kids basketball shoes that he grew out of in less than four months. At the time I was very naive and paid way more than I should have for these shoes.

This is why one of the most important things you can do before buying shoes for little kids is to set a budget. In the past I would spend close to $50 or more for my son’s shoes, until I realized that I was spending hundreds of dollars a year on his shoes. I didn’t want to skimp out on the quality of shoes he wore, so I thought paying a little more would ensure his feet weren’t going to be ruined by cheap shoes.

You know what I discovered? That when I bought the cheaper shoes, they held up just as well as the other shoes. In fact, some of the more expensive ones would fall apart before the cheaper ones. Now this isn’t to say that there isn’t a difference in quality between a $10 shoe and a $70 shoe, but in most cases I have found that my ideal budget is about $30.

This has always been able to get me an affordable kid’s shoe that can take a pounding, and these shoes have rarely ever left pressure marks or blisters on my son’s feet. This is why I would suggest keeping your shoe budget for your child to $40 and under. I have found that spending more rarely translates into a better shoe. There are of course exceptions, such as dress shoes, but in most cases you aren’t going to ruin your child’s feet by buying a more reasonably priced shoe.