About a week ago, the nice UPS man dropped off a box at my door. Inside this box were three pairs of Stride Rite shoes . . . one for each of my monkeys. I have never seen such an uproar. Even my husband was excited. Can you tell that we were already fans of Stride Rite?
I know you are all dying to get to the giveaway and since you already know that Stride Rite offers only top quality shoes, let me just tell you quickly what I thought about each of the three pairs of shoes . . .
First up is the Baby Rio Sneaker in blue from Stride Rite's Playground Collection for baby boys. These were for my 2yr old son. Here is what impressed me about these shoes:
1) The soles are extremely flexible.
2) There is Velcro on the tongue of the shoe, so it is held in place securely.
3) The technology used in this shoe's construction promises to keep the feet cool and dry.
4) I can machine wash and air dry these sneakers.
5) The curvature of the sole really supports the walking motion of a little one's foot.
As far as the appearance of these shoes goes, they just look like your classic boys sneakers. There are no fun characters or wild colors and will match just about any casual outfit.
Next up is this adorable pair of NMS Gabby mary jane walkers in the Azalea/Begonia color combination. These were for my 2yr old daughter. Here is what I liked about these shoes:
1) The leather is very soft.
2) The Velcro goes all the way across the top of the foot. It is much more secure than shoes that just have the small piece of Velcro on the side.
3) The sole is constructed so there is extra bounce at the ball of the foot.
4) These shoes can be worn with a dress, but they give the security and support of sneakers.
I could do without the bright green accents showing on the side of the sole. I just think it makes the shoe more casual and reduces the range of outfits we could pair these with. I also prefer not to have big bold patterns on shoes, but then I'm not a 2yr old girl. My daughter absolutely fell in love with these before she even tried them on.
Our third and last pair of Stride Rites are these SuperBall 13 II A/C sneakers in black, silver, and red. These were for my 5yr old son who loves super balls, so I don't need to tell you how excited he was to try these on for size. Here is what I found to be impressive about these shoes:
1) The sole is really thick. You get the extra bounce of the SuperBalls without feeling them through the footbed.
2) The strap across the top is woven and is not bulky like other Velcro straps.
3) The tongue is held in place with the fixed elasticized laces.
4) These sneakers are extremely lightweight.
5) These shoes are just plain cool looking!
My 5yr old thinks these are the coolest shoes he's ever seen. He asked me if they were Spiderman's shoes when we first opened the box.
I highly recommend that you use the online e-fit sizing calculator or have your child's foot measured in-store prior to purchasing. I took a stab at what size I thought my children would need, but the shoes I received are about a half size too large for them. That is why you do not see photos of my little ones monkeying around in their new shoes.
What you can win:
What you can win:
The prize for this contest is the winner's choice of one pair of Stride Rite shoes. The winner may choose the style and size of shoe from Stride Rite's in-stock selection. If the shoe chosen is unavailable, the winner will be asked to make another selection.
Limitations:
This giveaway is for anyone with a mailing address within the U.S. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of Stride Rite shoes. Leave a comment with the link to a style of shoe you would love to own AND tell me who would be wearing them. You must do this at least once to be eligible to win this contest. You may do this as many times as you would like for the duration of this contest for unlimited entries.
Extra Entries:
1) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites
2) Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post.
3) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave your link in a separate comment.
4) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
5) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
6) Help me promote an upcoming event for my other blog by adding this button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Limitations:
This giveaway is for anyone with a mailing address within the U.S. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of Stride Rite shoes. Leave a comment with the link to a style of shoe you would love to own AND tell me who would be wearing them. You must do this at least once to be eligible to win this contest. You may do this as many times as you would like for the duration of this contest for unlimited entries.
Extra Entries:
1) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites
2) Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post.
3) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave your link in a separate comment.
4) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
5) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
6) Help me promote an upcoming event for my other blog by adding this button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Good luck in the drawing!