babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
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
Related Posts:
Go Back To Strollerderby
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.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
8