Hand-Me-Down Shoes: Good or Gross?
I’ve got a love-hate relationship with hand-me-downs. Love that they save me money. Hate that I feel so guilty having standards.
It started, really, with the first pair of shoes. I’m a thrift store shopper, but I wouldn’t dream of sticking my tootsies in set from the Salvation Army.
So why are kids’ shoes any different? Yes, they wear them for a much shorter period of time than the average adult and his/her shoes. But they’re also fairly less hygenic than said average adult. And they don’t watch where they walk.
There’s nothing quite like pulling a pair of hand-me-down mary janes out of a bag to realize there’s something brown smeared across the crepe sole. And it still smells. If you have to take a stick out on the front porch, it’s not worth it.
There’s also a grodiness to the inside that I can’t get past. Feet sweat. Feet stink. And dirty little feet stink doubly . . . not to mention breed fungus.
Of course, all shoes are not created equal. I’ve shoved a set of Crocs in the dishwasher, rendering them stink and dirt-free, then handed them on to a friend for her daughter. Cotton sneakers can likewise be run through the washing machine with some bleach. I’ve gotten pairs of boots from a cousin, only to be told “she wore these once . . . literally once” and placed them on my daughter’s feet.
Do you dress your kids in hand-me-down shoes?
Image: Stride Rite
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Tags: clothing, feet, foot, foot health, hand-me-down, hand-me-downs, Jeanne Sager, shoes
8 Comments
leahsmom commented on Jun 23 09 at 11:26 amI confess to the same squeamishness - I can’t buy shoes for me at Goodwill, either. Even the idea of shoes in the dishwasher also brings my gorge up - you’re a braver woman than me!
DCMama commented on Jun 23 09 at 11:30 amHa. Put the DS in hand-me-down sneakers this morning and didn’t even think about it. But, I do check the soles before I buy anything at the consignment shop.
Kelly commented on Jun 23 09 at 11:31 amYou are WAY braver than me. I wouldn’t do used shoes for myself or my son. First it’s gross. Second I figure everyone even two year olds walk in their shoes a certain way and the shoe takes the shape of THEIR foot.
PlumbLucky commented on Jun 23 09 at 12:07 pmSuffice it to say that I have purchased second-hand hockey skates for myself, hit them with Febreze anti-microbial, and called it a day. (At my footsize, what’s a teenage male wear them for, what, three weeks?)
Wendy commented on Jun 23 09 at 12:35 pmI am an avid used shopper - clothing, toys, anything, really. But I won’t buy used shoes either - not just for the yuck factor, but especially for a toddler-aged child, I read that it was bad for their feet to be walking in shoes that had molded to someone else’s foot. I have bought her “party shoes” used that looked like they were never worn, and that she would only wear for short times once in a while. But for her everyday shoes, I buy new.
DCMama commented on Jun 23 09 at 1:19 pmWell just to clarify. The used shoes are not wore — they look pretty new, so I think the hand-me-downer friend’s kid did not really wear them very long or hard. I don’t buy or use hand-me-downs shoes that are worn or dirty, but I’m willing to accept that some other kids stinky feet were in them for a while.
elohveeee1012 commented on Jun 23 09 at 8:55 pmI guess for me it depends on the shoe. Well I did accept some shoes from my aunt who has a daughter only 5 months older than mine. I knew who they were coming from so I didn’t even think about it. But the consignment shop I go to is very picky about items, so i do check the shoes over, but I dont really think about it. Though thinking about it I have only bought 2 pairs of used shoes, one for easter that looked as though they had never been worn (seriously there was not one mark on the bottoms) and a pair of crocs.
I would never buy used shoes for myself though… then again I dont wear shoes unless i absolutly have to, so i dont go through shoes too often.
Louise commented on Jun 24 09 at 12:24 pmWhether it is summer or not, it is not that important when we speak about good quality shoes. Because a smart-dressed man is sure to have find shoes , let’s say, in reserve. Before I didn’t know, but lately I found some cool ones at Shoehustler.com . They are comfortable and surprisingly inexpensive. I just wanted to let others know about it. Now finding shoes for me seems to be a lot easier then before.
