I think the extra money is worth it for real wool boots for my boys. I bought my 4yo a pair of boots with faux sherling on the inside. He loved them b/c they were warm and he could slip them on himself, no socks, blah blah blah. Well, within 2 weeks they REEKED.. stuck to high heaven and the interior started to pull away and fall apart. And these were not cheap boots. They were around $30. So I chucked those, and paid the extra for the Bearpaws. I have Bearpaw boots for myself and really like them and they never stink. Neither do my son's. I will buy him Bearpaw's next year too w/o trying to save money by going cheaper- I ended up having to spend more! The bear paw's don't fall apart and I like that there isn't a fabric seam between the suede and the sole. That's the part that rips and shreds when the kids play.  I like these boots for myself and for my kids!