"I chose these shoes because I bought a pair of Stride Rite shoes (second-hand!) that I just loved for the details - velcro that was hinged so it opened up completely, the rubber on the toe came way up and was reinforced with a stitch, and the soles were very soft. The X-Celeracers are shiny, slippery, plastic junk. The soles were slippery and stiff, almost no flex or traction whatsoever. They remind me of the pair that I bought elsewhere that wore out within a month. I was hopeful that Stride Rite could make a shoe that both moms and kids loved, but this is a fail in the "moms love" department. I returned them. This is a below average shoe for an above average price."