I have used 2nd hand shoes and also buy new.

My eldest has terrible feet. We’ve spent big $$ on expensive, expertly fitted shoes for him. At 8, he still has terrible feet. Any of the shoes he ever wore more than just occasionally, are unsuitable to be handed down as his gait is so awkward/flat feet/etc. His feet are impossibly narrow. Even if most girls shoes weren’t adorned with pink strips, glitter & butterflies, they’d still be too wide….the moral being that both of the younger children have feet that are too wide for his often rarely worn expensive and expertly fitted shoes.

I don’t have issue with the two younger boys wearing handed down shoes - as long as they are not worn down into an obvious pattern of wear. Like you, I like their main pair of shoes to be new. #1’s main shoes are black school shoes. #2 wears handed down elastic sided riding boots (from a friend whose child wouldn’t wear them so they were basically new) or velcro sneakers I had in the cupboard bought on sale for $5 & #3 is into handed down velcro sneakers that #2 wore briefly, or handed down riding boots. Baby’s shoes I purchased new over Summer are now too small (sob).

And in case I miss next week’s discussion, expensive shoes are “generally” not worth it. Most expensive shoes are costly only because of import tarriffs, exclusivity and brand name. Kids can just as easily scuff an imported italian leather boot, as an imported Chinese one. The greater issue is probably in “shoe miles”, or ethical treatment of manufacturing workers. Does anyone make shoes in Australia anymore? Lisa x

Would if I could but have funny shaped feet (thank you Mother for the bunions) so can never find anything suitable.

You KNOW what my answer is… and I wouldn’t wear second hand underwear either…

Those shoes can’t be handed down either as she beats the heck out of them and the toe walking really stretches them.

Annie gets one good pair of runners at the beginning of winter and usually needs a new pair by the beginning of summer. She is 5yo and a size 13 - only one up from her sister.

Hubby wears a size 16 shoe and it is impossible to get cheap let alone second hand shoes in that size.

My mum often sends me her old runners as we are the same size. Mum has this thing about clean footwear and usually buys white runners. Once they start getting a few stains she sends them to me. Plenty of wear left in the shoes as mum is in a wheelchair and rarely walks any longer - the shoes are there to keep her feet warm and dry.

And the thought of wearing something which has had other people’s smelly feet in it doesn’t inspire me!