New Shoes.... again!

So I had mentioned that we shelled out $50 the week before Samantha's birthday party for her first pair of sneakers, and we loved them, and they were her first pair so we tried not to mind. Well, three weeks later we're trying to put said sneakers on her feet, and next thing I know, I'm holding the tongue of the right shoe in my hand! I don't know if it was defective, or if my daughter has super-human strength, but I do know that for a pair of $50 sneakers, a tongue should not just be detaching, especially on kids shoes.

Luckily I still had the original box and receipt, all in the same bag, so last Sunday we went back up to StrideRite in an attempt to make a return. Being in retail, I'm always on the offensive when it comes to returning or exchanging merchandise, especially defective merchandise, so I was planning on raising hell should it happen that they refused my claims. Well, I will say I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only were they shocked and extremely apologetic for the broken shoes (as if it was their fault) they first offered an exchange for the same pair of shoes, which would have been fine. Unfortunately they didn't have any in stock, which I kind of expecting because I noticed the pair Sam got was no longer on the shelf or the StrideRite website, so I assumed it had been discontinued... so instead the clerk told me that we could exchange for a new, different pair of shoes, or they would give us a complete refund!

Well, Samma needed shoes, and even though she was sleeping in the car with Chris while I was wheelin' & dealin' we couldn't pass this up. So with a groggy Samma, we began trying on shoes, and this time we were a little more cautious about the price tag. We finally decided on this cute little pair:

The upside? They were only $32, so we got about $16 refunded! Yay for new, cheaper shoes, and money to boot! Plus they're just so damn cute!

So long story short? StrideRite rocks. They stand by their product, and they have a no-hassle return policy. Major props from this mom!