Durango Kids BT287 (Toddler/Youth)

Santa definitely scored this year! My five-year-old loves these pink-and-brown cowgirl boots so much she wants to wear them every day -- and believe me, she's not one to suffer shoes that aren't 100% comfortable! She's generally been wearing either a 10 or an 11, depending on the brand and style, and these 11s fit okay, if on the large side. I figured she could wear thick socks during the coldest part of the winter, then she can wear them with thinner socks in the spring when her feet have grown a bit. The quality is quite good, with lovely stitching and beautiful rich colors (the pink is very muted and subtle -- not too princess-y). The leather is soft and flexible, not nearly as stiff as some of the others I've seen. The soles are clunky, as is typical of a cowboy boot style, but the rubber is very lightweight. She definitely clomps around in them, but she can run well enough, and the square toe seems to keep her from tripping too much. The insole seems supportive, although the arch isn't as well-defined as her Keens. She did complain about her feet hurting a bit in the evenings after the first few days, and again when she first put them on, but that seemed to go away after she wore them for a few minutes -- and overall, it got better as she wore them more. So I think her feet are just getting used to a different footbed and a bit of a heel, especially given that she'd been wearing her flat, flexible Converse sneakers nonstop for the last few months. She can get them on and off by herself, partly because they're on the loose side and partly because of those handy finger-holes. They're loose enough up top that all she has to do is jam her foot into the lower portion. They go over leggings or skinny jeans easily, but we end up stuffing her straight-leg jeans back down inside after she puts them on. (She does have skinny little legs, though.) All in all, totally pleased with the purchase. Not cheap, but since they're on the big side we should get a fair amount of wear out of them. Also, just by way of comparison: Santa also delivered a pair of Justin Kids Gypsy Cowgirl boots, in case these didn't fit on Christmas morning, and I didn't think the quality was nearly as good. The pink seemed brighter and cheaper, and the leather was stiffer and the stitching looked sloppier. Yes, the Justins were a little cheaper, but the difference in quality was much greater than the difference in price. Santa and Mrs Claus were very glad the Durangos worked out!