Kidsurplus.com

We were blessed with a child whose feet are almost perfect rectangles in outline, and ski-jump-like in profile. It is difficult to find shoes to fit such fascinating feet, and StrideRite wide-sizes usually do the trick.

Of course, they are expensive. A quick look at the striderite.com website for some summer sandals for our boy: $30 at the low end (what we used to call “thongs” back in the day – the word has shifted meaning since then), and $50 for those that  provide some protection from toe-stubbing and the like. (Okay, he’s a bit clumsy.) It kills me to spend so much money on something that he will outgrow in three months. But it has to be done: everyone needs good-quality shoes that fit.

Kidsurplus.com takes some of the sting out. They regularly feature close-out StrideRite shoes at about half the regular price, as well as good-quality kids’ clothing (Lands End, Old Navy, Gymboree, Eddie Bauer, as well as some “boutique” brands) and toys (Melissa and Doug, HABA, Munchkin, Sassy, etc.).

I’ve ordered from them many times and always with decent results: problem-free shipping, a good return policy, and merchandise that is as-promised. Often you can find a promo code for free shipping or a discount at one of the code sites, such as couponcabin.com (I never shop online without a promo code!). Best of all, you can shop from home—in bed—while wearing your pajamas, and avoid a trip to that megatoys-we-are store that should be granted its own very special circle of hell.

Pros: Great quality, dependable service, good deals on StrideRites

Cons: Prices are a bit high on some items; site search function returns far too many results, without an easy way of filtering