I bought these shoes for our 16-month-old son. He has very wide feet and we wanted a good brand of shoe to help support him as he learns to walk and run more steadily. Since we do not have a store anywhere near us, we had to use Stride Rite's online sizing chart. We printed it out and followed the instructions. While the measurements suggested that he should be an XW width, the shoes that arrived are actually quite narrow. He probably should have been the next width higher. These are expensive shoes and I doubt we could return them after he already wore them outside and got them dirty. These shoes are built very well and have good grip. We're definitely happy with the design. Just be sure to get the right sizing figured out before you order. If you have access to a store, you'd be safer getting your kid's feet measured there first.