Nike Flex Runner Boys Shoe Review
Today we’re talking all about the Nike Flex Runner Kids shoe (big kids and little kids sizes). This review is not sponsored and all opinions are my own (as always). Spoiler: these are our favorite running shoes for our little boys.
Nike Flex Runner Kids Shoe Review
A little background:
Lincoln’s (now 7) obsession with Nike’s started when he was very little. During the holiday season right before his second birthday we did a marketing campaign with Shoe Carnival and each of us ended up with a matching pair of Nike shoes, or “swoosh” shoes as little Lincoln called them. At 2, is there anything cooler than matching with Mom and Dad?
A few months later we were all together celebrating my brother’s 25 birthday by collectively running 25 miles and Lincoln was PUMPED to discover the “swoosh” extended past just our immediate family.
We bought Lincoln his first pair Nike Flex Runner shoes when he started Kindergarten and they were an instant hit.
We’ve since purchased the next size up for our 7 year old and a matching pair for our 2 year old.
I was really hoping to find a shoe that was easy to put on, stayed on, was comfortable for lots of physical activity, and held up well to all of that running.
Here’s how the Nike Flex Runner stack up:
First impressions of the Nike Flex Runner Kid + Toddler:
I really liked it right out of the package. I light grey is really good and the material is soft. It is a bit thinner than I might guess for a sweatshirt.
Nike Flex Runner Fit:
These fit true to size and, while I usually recommend getting your child fitted for shoes, you can also print off a size chart online and measuring their feet yourself.
The great thing about these shoes is you can get away with ordering them a little bit big and extending their life / how long your kids can comfortably wear them. We’ve ordered these 1/2 to a full size larger than needed and they still work (planning to let our kids grow into them but they didn’t want to wait and so ended up wearing them a bit big).
We have tried both the Nike Flex Runner Little Kids and Big Kids and vouch for both of them!
Ease:
My favorite thing about these shoes is they look a lot more like a “big kid” shoe without the velcro but they are very easy for kids to put on all by themselves. We have yet to teach our first grader to tie his shoes but he LOVES these ones.
The lace free construction means you just pull these shoes on without velcro or tying. My two year old can’t put them on by himself yet (we haven’t had him try) but at 5, Lincoln had no trouble with these.
We left my son’s first pair back in New England while on vacation and when we took him shoe shopping for new sneakers for first grade, he tried on a handful of pairs and then said “Mom, I really just want to get another pair of my old shoes. They’re better.”
Nike Flex Quality
These have held up well for the year or so we had them (before leaving the first pair back in New England). We haven’t had our second pairs long enough to see how they’ll do as hand-me-downs but all our other Nike’s have worked well through two or three kids.
So far we’re halfway through the school year and my 7 year old runs in them for at least 30-60 minutes a day. They get dirty but every once in awhile I’ll use a white cloth or a magic eraser on the soles to clean them up (okay, I’ve done this once) and on one occasion we’ve thrown them straight into the washing machine because he played in the mud.
He’s now in a running club and wears these to practice and they’re still going a strong.
Conclusion:
We LOVE these as a kid-approved, comfortable, good quality shoe that kids can put on all by themselves. They stay on toddler feet (and are really easy to match with Mom or Dad).
Where to Buy Nike Flex Runner:
We have bought them online from Amazon and in store at Nordstrom Rack. Here are a few places to check if you’re searching for the best price:
- Nordstrom Rack (limited sizing available in specific colors)
- Amazon
- Nike.com (the most color options)
- Nordstrom
- Zappos
A few other details:
- Lincoln’s polo shirt: Ralph Lauren
- Lincoln’s shorts: Primary (this style is no longer sold but everything we’ve had from Primary is super comfortable)
- Westley’s polo: H&M (great price for this 2 pack – a hand-me-down from Lincoln that is still going strong)
- Westley’s pants (LOVE these jogger pants – have had them for both boys in just about every size + color option at this point. Good quality, comfortable, and great price).