Shop Back To School Shoes + Give Back, Too // Stride Rite Joins Soles4Souls

As moms and dads all across the country prepare their little ones to head back to school for an exciting year ahead, millions of children all across the world are not only unable to attend school but also more susceptible to illnesses because they don't have access to adequate shoes.
Once again, Stride Rite has teamed up with their longtime non-profile partner, Soles4Souls, just in time for the back to school retail rush. They pledge to get families in need the shoes required for their children to attend school by donating up to $100,000 to the Soles4Souls cause. 

You the consumer can help Stride Rite reach their goal by shopping their amazing, cant-miss BOGO sale one new shoes for the year ahead. Stride Rite will donate 1% of its net profit on the sale of shoes to consumers now through September 5th, 2016. In store and online through September 5th, buy one pair of shoes and get one 40% off, on select styles. 
"At Stride Rite, we're parents first  and foremost and we believe that every  child deserves a pair of good shoes," said Gillian Meek, senior vice president of product  and marketing for Stride Rite. "We're committed to  the mission of Soles4Souls and our extended partnership will alow us to help give kids the proper footwear they need to take advantage of all the opportunities an education can provide."
In addition, families can give back by bringing a new or used pair of shoes to a Stride Rite store and drop them in the Soles4Souls donation bin. As a thanks, they will receive 5% off a new pair of shoes on the same visit. You can find your local store here.
We recently visited our local Stride Store in the Columbia Mall in Maryland to donate several pairs of our old shoes that were in excellent hand me down condition. It was a great teachable moment for the boys and a reminder to them how fortunate they really are. 


While we were there we checked out the many back to school styles that Stride Rite is currently offering and left with three new pairs of shoes to add to the boys' back to school shoe rotation. 

When it comes to shopping for the big boys, I really try to aim for a style that is versatile enough to be worn with their school uniform as well as their casual play clothes. Thankfully we have one more year left when they aren't relegated to a specific style uniform shoe and can get away with wearing any appropriate gym sneaker that doesn't light up or make sounds. 
The Caleb sneaker in both brown and gray more than foot the bill for the style we were seeking.

For Collins, my youngest child, who seems to wear through sneakers faster than he can sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider," I couldn't resist choosing a neon sport sneaker for him in the Breccen style.

Each of the styles from Stride Rite's Made2Play line are designed with busy little kids in mind. Not only are they machine washable but they boast a memory foam footbed and anti-stink soles for increased comfort for growing feet. The easy "do-it-myself" strap also allows kids to express their independence by making it easy to pull on and take off their shoes themselves. 
I've been shopping Stride Rite for my kids since their early walker days and it's the quality and function of their footwear that keeps me coming back for more. Stylish and functional, Stride Rite brand shoes grow with my kids keeping their feet healthy and happy. 
You can find more about Stride Rite here: Website / Facebook /Twitter / Instagram