It's probably no surprise that when a pair of Fayvel shoes for kids arrived at my house, my brood went nuts. There may have been some fighting, actually.
Designer Erin Slater was inspired by her own nostalgia for sticker collecting to create shoes that allow today's kids to do just that, only on their feet. The final concept is brilliant: Shoes with velcro on the sides that allows kids to customize their pair with special patches known as Frieze tags.
Think Jibbitz on Crocs, but way cooler. Way way cooler. At least to me, anyway.
As it turns out, it's not just a gimmick. The sneakers are comfortable, stylish, and sturdy. My own six-year old popped them on last week, and hasn't taken them off since. I wouldn't necessarily run track in them or anything, but they're a good solid back-to-school shoe if you're in the market, with four cool colors and two simple retro styles (velcro and laces).
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If you're like me and wondering whether the Frieze tags actually stay on and if the velcro picks up every single particle outside, well yes, they do stay on. And no, there's no particle collection to speak of. Granted, we have yet to hike through the woods or roll through piles of hay, but overall, I'm surprisingly impressed with how everything about these shoes works as it should. Of course, the big marketing hook is that kids will start to collect the Frieze tags and trade them with friends. I'll admit we've seen a lot of similar premises over the years that didn't quite take off, and even in this case I can't say that my kids will go that far. However for the price, which is comparable to other well-known retro sneaker brands out there, they're a fantastic shoe that's high on the cool factor with the kids. And quite frankly, with this mom too. You can purchase Fayvel sneakers for kids on their website. Thanks to Fayvel for providing CMP a pair for review.
