Merrell Mix Master Jam Running Shoe (Toddler/Little Kid/Big Kid)

These shoes have great traction on the bottom, which is good and bad. Good: you leave great footprints after jumping in muddy puddles. Good: you won't slip and fall in muddy puddles. Bad: into the house goes a lot of mud from muddy puddles. The bottom of the sole is sturdy, but the inner part seems more foamy (I am not an expert on shoes), making your stride cushy and bouncy, at least while the shoes are newer. It also means that the shoes are very lightweight. This is good if you will be carrying them around, such as as in a gym bag. The upper part of the shoe is mesh, so it won't keep your feet warm on a cold day, but it also won't get mildewy because it has great air circulation. All in all, these shoes are fun and comfortable to wear and look at. Another upside is traditional laces that help adjust the width of the shoe. The laces pull and tie. That is an upside for some but not for those who can't tie their shoes yet or who prefer slip-ons.

...I was confused with the name "Mix Master Jam" Is it for club DJ's who run during the day and work at clubs at nights?I got this sneaker for 5 year old son, and little kids don't buy their own shoes. I wonder what Merrell was thinking when it came up with the name.Anyways, I didn't buy it because of the name but the brand and look. Merrell is a bit expensive for a sneaker that will be thrown into a trash can after 6 months due to wear and tear.For this time, I took a chance because of bargain deal from Amazon for the well-known brand, and I liked the LOOK and design.I didn't want the sneaker to be heavy because my son complains about knee pain due to growing and love to wear crocs (very light).This Merrell Running Shoe (Toddler)/Little Kid/Big Kid) is light enough that my son loves to wear. It's been more than a week but it seems durable and very well-made.Believe me, I have a sneaker that only lasted two days with a hole in front. (Plasma riding on down a slop for hours would do that)I recommend this sneaker because of its appropriate weight, cool look, durable built quality, and pricing. For pricing, it is subjected to change, so just check and compare with local malls/stores....

Got these in size 4 for my son. He drags his feet, can't sit still, wants to run everywhere, and generally destroys shoes within a month and a half. We had a long talk about taking care of shoes, tying them right, etc. A little bit of that stuck, but these still look great a month after he got them. He loves the way they fit, and a previous pair of Merrells that we found on sale held up well, too. I thought that we might have been really lucky with the first pair, but this second pair is doing well, too.Nothing is indestructible, but I wear a lot of Merrell minimalist shoes, and they hold up well. I'm pleased to say that these are holding up really well for my son, too.

My son usually wears Keens and they last at least three-quarters of the school year. He really liked the style and color of these. Since I'm a fan of the Merrell brand (I have some myself), and based on the good reviews, I bought him two pairs, a half-size apart because kids grow so fast at this age.School starts in late August. By Thanksgiving, the shoes were falling apart, with holes in several places on the mesh upper. He switched to the new/larger pair (which fit OK by then). Those have already started coming apart in the same way, and it's not even Valentine's Day yet. So for ~$45, the shoes lasted less than 90 days each. Not a good price-durability ratio.

I only buy Merrells and they have always lasted for at least one year or he out grows them before any major wear can be seen. After less than 3 weeks the rubber around the toes started wearing off. It has been 6 weeks now and already there is a hole in the toe area in both shoes. The bottom tread is almost entirely worn off also. Since there has been snow on the ground these shoes are mostly worn at school and not even outside. Very disappointed with the quality. Unfortunately my kid loves them and says that they are the most comfortable tennis shoes that he has ever had. They fit a half size smaller than all of his other Merrells.

I bought these for my son. He loves them. This is our 3rd pair of Merrell's. The last 2 are still in great condition, but he just outgrew them and will be handed down for a third child to use. Needless to say, if these shoes can hold up to young boys' abuse of footwear and still be able to be handed down for another one to use and abuse as well, I will keep buying them. Well worth the money in my eyes!

with his grandparents extremely good taste in kids shoes! How do grandparents keep up with what kids like and what is popular? for us, purely hit an miss. These shoes are a winner, he wears them to school all of the time and thinks he is now part of the "in crowd"---just kidding. However he does like these shoes and the fit is true to size, as far as a nine yr. old can tell. Seem well made and they do looks good----at least from his perspective.

This is a good running shoe for an active boy. However, from the picture I did not expect full-on tie up laces. As I bought them for my three year old, this means that he is not independent with them. We've gotten around it by knotting the laces in a loose tie, but it is not ideal. When given the choice, he chooses different shoes that he can put on by himself.It is an attractive, good quality shoe. It is somewhat narrow, which is a good fit for my son.