Bought these sneakers for my 4 year old. They are sturdy, and provide good support for playing and running. In the past, I bought the cheaper sneakers, with the characters on them or the blinking lights, and they always seem to fall apart quickly. So far so good with these NB sneakers. He can put them on himself and secure them easily. The back is kind of stiff so he has to work his foot in, but I would rather that than the sneakers fall apart a few weeks after I purchased them. Also, he likes them, and appreciates being able to put them and secure them himself.