Price comparing popular kids' shoes

HOUSTON

The kids we talked to say they can compromise on almost anything but when it comes to shoes, they have a strong opinion on what they want to wear. So to help parents out, we went in search for the trendiest shoes on the market for the best price.

"I think I wear Sperrys most of them time," said one student with whom we spoke.

The survey was random and unscientific, but there was no question the kids we talked to at Memorial City Mall know what kind of shoes they want.

"Probably Sperrys, Vans, and TOMS," said another student.

And there's no talking substitutes for most of them.

"Umm, I liked to have the real thing," a student told us.

So whether they are break dancing in their favorite shoes or just strutting their kicks, brands are important and that means price matters. The first must have shoe -- Toms.

"We're looking at TOMS. Right now she has about four pairs and she is looking at two right now for school," said mom Lana Dubberke.

This shoe is unique because for every pair you purchase, another is donated to a child in need.

"TOMS stands for tomorrow -- you buy a pairs of shoes today, they give a pair of shoes tomorrow," said Jonathan Graf of Sun and Ski Sports.

The price for TOMS at Journey's is $54.99 for girls and $59.99 for boys. But we found the shoes cheaper at TOMS official website. Canvas classics for both men and women are $44.

At Sun and Ski Sports, the store is the largest distributor of TOMS in Texas and the options are endless. Prices start at $44, but now until August 14 at Sun and Ski Sports, you can get $5 off any pair of TOMS when you donate a pair of gently-used shoes.

"Bring in the shoes and get that $5 redemption at the time of purchase," said Graf.

Another hot trend are Sperry shoes.

"They're really comfortable," said student Katie Blocher.

But they are pricey. At Journey's, we found them the most expensive for $84.99 for women and $99.99 for men.

At Shoe Carnival, Sperrys were on sale for $74.98 for women and $94.98 for men.

But the best price on Sperrys was at DSW. The shoes were $69.95 -- that's $30 cheaper than Journey's price.

Vans are also a big hit with kids. At Shoe Carnival, men's shoes are $47.99; women's casual slip-ons are $44.99. At Journey's, Vans for both girls and boys are $44.99. But once again we found the best deal at DSW for $39.95.

Another shoe was just launched and they are called Bobs and made by Skechers. They are about $40 to $45 and are sold for women only. Like TOMS, Bobs also donates one pair to a charity for one pair purchased.

The prices we compared above were for adult sizes, so if you are buying kids' sizes, expect to pay about $10 to $20 less.