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Must-Have: PLAE Kids Shoes

2013 December 16
by WWGD

PLAEKidsShoes-WhatWouldGwynethDo

Do your kids need new shoes? Ha, who are we kidding? Your kids always need new shoes.

These are the ones you want: PLAE kids shoes.

A few pairs of PLAE shoes arrived on our doorstep a week ago and my kids were absolutely GIDDY about them. First they spent about an hour switching out the customizable tabs over and over and over again. Then they ran around the house in them, pretending they had super PLAE powers. And then they took them out of the house to try them out at the park…and haven’t worn anything else since.

The best part? I am giddy about them, too.

PLAE is the brainchild of Ryan Ringholz, a former designer for PUMA, Diesel and UGG turned dad, who was looking for a cool, durable, well-designed shoe for the mini set and when he couldn’t find it, he made it himself. Thank you, Ryan.

These shoes are super cute (no light-up soles or characters to be found), comfortable from the first wear (per my kids), and easily washable (per me). They promise to be durable as well, which we will quickly be able to attest to given how much wear they are getting.

Each pair comes with a set of easy-to-remove “tabs” and you can buy custom ones to switch up your schoolyard style on the daily – everything from neon flowers to camo (our personal faves) to metallics and shimmers and holiday styles. And trust me, your kids will love to switch them out.

And did I mention no light-up soles?!

Shop PLAE’s whole collection online here.

*disclosure: PLAE sent us two pairs of shoes for review but all opinions are mine (and Little D and Kai’s) and I LOVE them. 

19 Responses
  1. liz permalink
    December 16, 2013

    I feel like they’re a little pricey for my wallet, but I like the simplicity of them. I’m sorry, but I can’t stand all the recent flashiness of kids clothing and shoes. I know it’s hard to say to kids when they see something they love, which is why I don’t think I’ll be able to ever take mine (when I have them) in stores with me. Realistic? I doubt it.

  2. January 3, 2014

    Wow, that’s a great idea, thanks to Ryan Ringholz. Every kid is gonna love these shoes. Even if they look really pretty, we must remember that comfort is very important. When it comes to buying shoes for my kid I prefer the ones made from natural material and let my child’s feet breathe. Thanks for sharing, it surely is a lovely idea.

  3. Amber permalink
    August 19, 2014

    We received our plae shoes this week and love the design. My son loves changing the tabs and says he’s super fast in them. Will be buying more 🙂 thank you !!

    • WWGD permalink*
      August 19, 2014

      So happy to hear it! We just ordered two new sets for back-to-school, they lasted beautifully and my kids just love them. Thanks for sharing, Amber!

  4. January 22, 2015

    I bought my son a pair of plae shoes had he got them wet once in snow and now they’re ruined ! The company said that is normal wear and tear

    • WWGD permalink*
      January 23, 2015

      Oh no, so strange! We toss ours in the washer and they come out great…!

  5. SarahFae permalink
    February 10, 2015

    I’m wondering how these have held up. How many months of wear did you get out of them? My girls are crazy hard on shoes, especially the toes. How would you rate them based on durability?

    Thanks for any help you can give!

    • WWGD permalink*
      February 10, 2015

      Hey Sarah – ours have held up GREAT. No lie. I do need to throw them in the wash every now and again to get them clean but the actual durability is amazing and my kids wear them daily. I would definitely give them a try.

      • SarahFae permalink
        February 10, 2015

        Thank you so much! Next time we need new shoes, I think we’ll take the plunge!

  6. Chrishana permalink
    March 2, 2015

    Do they run true to size … Big … Small ?? Also they say they come up to a 4.5 but all I could find was 3’s

    • WWGD permalink*
      March 6, 2015

      Ours run pretty true to size, yes. I would check with them directly re. sizing!

  7. Keri permalink
    April 3, 2015

    I was thrilled to try these shoes on my son. However, after having issues with the shoe and notifying the company, I was asked to provide pictures and descriptions of the design issue. The concurred after corresponding and offered new shoes. THEN after realizing I purchased them at Nordstrom’s and not off their web-site, they told me they could no longer help me and that I would have to return the shoes myself, thus passing off an admitted design flaw onto the retailer and making me work double time to remedy the situation. At 65$ a pair, plus the cost of new tabs for wide feet and the cost to ship back to Nordstrom etc etc. These shoes would cost me upwards of 100$ an investment I am leery of as they have already proven to be flawed. I bought the hype about this company and it’s social media campaign and I am disappointed.

    • WWGD permalink*
      April 3, 2015

      Sad to hear it! We just got two more pairs and they are great, but every case is different…hope you find something else to love!

  8. Kelly Beatty permalink
    July 19, 2015

    Hi! How do you think these would hold up for 3 year old soccer?

  9. Megan F permalink
    March 17, 2016

    Do they run narrow/wide/normal? My son has wide feet, but their new sandals look awesome so we may try for the summer… Just curious, though! Good feedback in these comments!

    • WWGD permalink*
      March 18, 2016

      Hmmm. I want to say normal? Ack, I dont really know! If you are looking for really wide, maybe call them and ask for a rec? Am sure they have something that would work and I promise you will love them!

  10. Teresa permalink
    May 10, 2017

    I was excited to try this brand. I placed an order for shoes and an extra pair of tabs 6 days ago. The tabs arrived today with no shoes. After calling customer service, I was told they had oversold this shoe and it was not available. This is really poor service. It would have been nice to get notified immediately so I could choose a different pair. Now I have to return the tabs because we have no shoes. In addition, I was charged for the shoes and was issued the refund after I called. Not a great first time experience ordering Plae.

    • WWGD permalink*
      May 10, 2017

      Sad to hear it!

  11. Kristi permalink
    June 16, 2017

    These shoes are seriously the greatest thing since sliced bread! My 5 YO son is BRUTAL on shoes. Vans, DCs, Stride Rite he wore through them all in 4-6 weeks! Yes, Plae is a bit more pricey per pair, but I’m buying far fewer pairs of shoes b/c they are SO durable! My son has been wearing his for a month and usually that would mean it’s time for me to buy new shoes b/c his were too ratty. With Plae, I actually think he might grow out of them before they wear out. SCORE!! That’s worth $54.95/pair . . .

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