Wild Footwear Used to Be Walking Tall, but This Year, the Shoe’s on the Other Foot

It’s time once again for school-age kids to pitter-patter down the campus hallways instead of through the living room. What do they want to wear back to school?

Cool shoes, of course.

And that often means something cloth with a rubber sole. Kids’ tennis shoes have gone from simple canvas lace-up sneakers to high-tech athletic shoes with all kinds of neon colors and gizmos. Now the trend is returning back to the simpler sneakers, according to Audrey Blenden of Kids ‘R’ Us in Paramus, N.J.

“Sneakers are going back to a cleaner look. Now kids just want the plain leather or canvas,” Blenden says.

What are parents looking for in children’s shoes? Reasonably priced kid-proof stompers.

“Durability is important,” says Denise Russo, a fitting specialist for infants and children at Stride Rite in the Huntington Beach Mall. “The blacktop that coats playgrounds hits about 110 degrees in the sun. Shoe rubber needs to withstand the heat and not break down.”

But kid-size leather street shoes have their place too--on your children’s feet when they (or you) want something a little more dressed up.

Here’s a selection of where to find shoes that are gentle on your wallet and that will withstand rough treatment.

Oh, yeah, and be cool too:

BEN’S JR. BOOTERY

Girls have a lot to choose from at this store, including the Stride Rite sling-back leather shoe that comes in black and blue ($38). For a little more color, there’s the Hush Puppy sling-backs with heart cutouts in black, red, or blue ($32). Or, settle on the Stride Rite traditional black and white saddle oxford ($41).

For active play, there are L.A. Gear high-tops for preschoolers in white with flowers or stars ($31), or the whimsical white high-tops with pink music notes ($31).

Boys’ Peaks high-tops come in olive, black or brown ($32-$36) and Mitre high-tops in green, black, white with green, and white with black ($39-$41).

The lower-priced footwear includes washable suede black or olive Hush Puppies low-tops ($30) and high-tops ($33).

For special occasions, boy’s basic black oxfords are available from Willits, Stride Rite and Hush Puppy (all $34).

This store also offers kids orthopedic shoes at reasonable prices. It carries several orthopedic custom-fit shoes, including lace-up or buckle oxfords for boys and girls in black, brown or white ($46-$48).

12093 Brookhurst St., Suite D, Garden Grove. (714) 530-5790.

BROOKS SHOES FOR KIDS

Until Aug. 31, Keds canvas shoes for girls in a multitude of colors are on sale ($23-$32), Converse high-tops in purple, black, white, red and blue ($27) and the Shaker basic black-and-white saddle shoe ($45).

For boys, the ever-popular black Nike Air Jordans are on sale ($76), as are Converse tennis shoes ($27) in black, purple, white, red, and blue. For more special occasions, there’s the basic black oxford ($35-$38).

Brea Mall. (714) 529-9961.

KIDS ‘R’ US

The selection for girls includes Keds classic canvas oxfords in plain white ($20) and the Gitano skimmer ($10) in a black patent leather look and decorated with a small string bow. There also is the trendy Melanie Taylor black skimmer with a gold chain with three hearts of purple, green and red ($20).

When the days grow cooler, there’s the Caprini suede slouch ankle bootie in black ($20) or, for younger girls, the OshKosh fuchsia hikers ($25).

Little boys can get their OshKosh hikers in dark navy with striking brown laces ($25). Or you can put your little tyke’s feet into Kid’s Stuff Mickey Mouse low-top tennis shoes in black with blue and neon-yellow accents that picture Mickey kicking a soccer ball ($13) or in the blue-accented black high-tops with Mickey dunking a basketball ($14).

Shoe up older boys in Transtars pump style shoes, which come in black with white accents and white with royal blue and black accents ($25). For those other occasions, there are Campus Club Topsiders look-alikes in smooth black leather with black and brown boot laces ($25).

755 E. Birch St., Brea. (714) 256-1936; 1447 S. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. (714) 992-1980; 12110 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove. (714) 748-0362; 7600 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. (714) 848-6155; 3921 Bristol St., Santa Ana. (714) 241-9377, and 3011 El Camino Real, Tustin. (714) 669-9796.

KINNEY SHOES

Kinney’s Colorados for girls are less pricey versions of Birkenstocks ($17-$29). These two-strap suede shoes come in a variety of colors and sizes.

For active days, Capers tennis shoes come in plain black, plain white or a multicolor version with eyelets ($15 for canvas, $20 for leather). Dibas are a pink, purple and light blue leather shoe ($33).

For boys, the Colorados ($17-$29) come in navy blue, tan and deep maroon. The canvas World Cup tennis shoe comes in purple, orange, black or white ($17-$19), and NFL white all-leather high-tops have logos of the 49ers, Raiders and Rams ($35-$43).

Brea Mall. (714) 671-0100; 5801 Lincoln Ave., Buena Park. (714) 827-0760); 13141 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove. (714) 638-7722; Huntington Beach Mall. (894-7016); Laguna Hills Mall. (714) 581-8320; Mission Viejo Mall. (714) 364-5558; Mall of Orange. (714) 998-3392; South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa. (714) 545-3289; Westminster Mall. (714) 894-0946; MainPlace/Santa Ana. (714) 835-6313, and the Outlet Store at 2603 South Bristol St., Santa Ana. (714) 545-6836.

STRIDE RITE

All “Super” styles are replaced free-of-charge if defects or damaged happen with normal wear and tear. Stride Rite’s Superstep low-top for girls come in white and pink with heart cut-outs ($39-$42), and the Super Glo high-tops glow in the dark ($35).

For dressier occasions, there are the navy or black T-straps ($40-$41), the black Cross Walk flats ($45-$49) and the basic patent leather Mary Janes for smaller girls in sizes 5 to 12 ($30-$32).

For boys, Stride Rite makes the Super Play, a rugged canvas shoe that comes in dark blue in the Velcro version and with navy blue and white in the lace-up ($36). There also is the Mustang, a leather low-top tennis shoe that comes in either Velcro or lace-up ($38-$43). For the traditional look, there’s the Gretchen oxford in white and dark navy ($37-$46).

The stores stock a wide variety of sizes, including hard-to-find narrow and wide widths. The City Mall, Orange. (714) 634-8477; Huntington Beach Mall, (714) 898-8414; MainPlace/Santa Ana. (714) 541-5107 and Westminster Mall. (714) 898-4831.

WAREHOUSE SHOE SALES

If it’s tennis shoes you’re looking for, this store sells name-brand ones at 30% less than regular retail. The policy here is that if you find active footwear at a lower price, the Warehouse will sell you the same shoe in the same color for 5% less.

Fashionable L.A. Gear’s Brat II for girls comes in white with lavender or pink ($30). Or slide your little angel’s foot into Reebok’s Little Princess soft white tennis shoes. These have a pink trim and come in younger girl sizes 8 1/2 to 12 ($20). There’s also the Little Mermaid leather shoe in white with a mermaid picture, also in sizes 8 1/2 to 12 ($20).

For boys, Reeboks Black Top basketball shoe comes in black or white ($45), Ocean Pacific Shoe’s high-tops in white or black ($22) and L.A. Gear Destroyer black suede hiker high-tops ($35).

1051 South Lemon St., Fullerton. (714) 525-9185.