My 8-year old daughter loves these shoes and so do I.  She wears them to school all the times and they still looks good after almost 6 months!!!.  They're great with or without socks so she can wear them all year long.  She runs in them and never complains of sore feet.  When they are dirty, my husband polishes them and they looks brand-new.  That's the advantage of buying leather shoes.  This is probably my daughter's 5th pair of Mary Jane by Stride Rite and we've never been disappointed.  This is a great pair of shoes.  They are comfortable and durable and I would recommend them to anyone.