My kid wants some Puma shoes.

[Maddy McCall]

I just looked at the website, and, except for the classic styles, they are pretty hideous--and expensive.

I never see anyone wearing Pumas. Are they coming "back in style?"

[tjdee]

1. Yup, they're coming back in style.

Before I moved from Ultra-Trendy NJ town, I noticed all the soccer moms had them, and that was a year ago.

I'm seeing them on teenagers a lot too....that and the Beatles hair, coming back.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Well, I'm not paying $100 for a pair of shoes that he...

will only wear for three months, tops. His foot grows at the rate of a size every six months.

If they have them at the department store on sale, he might get a pair...but I'm not paying $100 for athletic shoes that he'll quickly outgrow.

He's never cared about this kind of stuff, but, then, he just turned eleven. Maybe the nightmare is about to begin. :7

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Set limits now on fashion.

It's either earn the money or a flat-out HELL NO.

Materialism is a bitch, isn't it?

[Maddy McCall]

21. He's not materialistic.

I'm blessed on that, I guess. But he's recently started going through the stage of preteen years when he cares about his appearance.

No--I'm not buying expensive clothes. He's never asked for any--just these shoes. I'm going to take your and another DUer advice: If he wants to earn the money, he can have the shoes.

[Ellen Forradalom]

25. Good.

Help him stay that way. The marketers and advertisers will light out after him in full force in his teen years.

[JohnKleeb]

8. Ha youre reminding me when I was his age Maddy

My foot would grow and grow. BTW my little brother who is 14 is very obsessive about foot wear, I tease him to no end about it. I myself have never been too big on shoes, I just like something that looks good but other than that I dont care. You could get him new shoes like that when hes older because his foot will stop growing in the middle of high school, well at least mine did.

[Maddy McCall]

24. He gets the shoe thing from me, I guess.

Shoes are the only fashion thing I really care about. I love boots and I've paid more than I should for them, but I'll buy a pair of boots and wear them five years.

At this stage in his childhood, a pair of shoes last a couple of months, tops. Can you imagine what a pair of $100 Pumas would look like after being worn on the dirtbike, through the mud and dragged along the ground to stop the bike Fred Flinstone-style? LOL.

[JohnKleeb]

28. You should see my brother

He hates it when I tease him about it but its my job.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

22. Puma shoes....

:eyes:

[Abelman]

2. Lame

Adidas Sambas are where it's at, I tells ya.

You should purchase these for your kid --->http://www.nosweatapparel.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=NSS&Category_Code=NSS&Product_Count=0

See the look on their face.

[Maddy McCall]

11. He wears these adidas now.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/karatemartinc_1802_967506

They are martial arts shoes. I love them...I steal them from him and wear them sometimes, but they are too big for me.

He just turned eleven and he's wearing a mens size 9. Unbelievable how big his foot is.

I like the Sambas. They remind me of Chucks. :-)

[Orangepeel]

3. wow! that was the cool brand when I was in high school

close to 20 years ago.

[SmokingJacket]

4. How old is your kid?

I'm wondering when kids start caring about clothes.

Right now I get away with home haircuts and hand-me-downs, but this won't last forever I'm sure..

[Maddy McCall]

14. He's eleven. And he's never really cared what I bought...

until recently. Now he's into cologne, jewelry, clothes...he likes the skater look.

I'm getting ready for the arguments over expensive clothes. :scared:

[SmokingJacket]

20. All right, I have about four years before the sh** hits the fan! nt

[Maddy McCall]

26. Until about six months ago...

I could go shopping without him, pick out his clothes and shoes, and he'd wear whatever I bought.

Just recently, he's become really appearance conscious. He lays his clothes and accessories out every evening for the next day. He asks me to iron shirts.

Before, I could pick out his clothes and chunk them at him and he'd put them on. Now, I wouldn't dare do that, because he likes to coordinate his own outfits. (And sometimes I want to say, "You aren't going to wear that with THAT, are you?" but I bite my tongue because I know he's developing his on independent identity.

It's kind of humorous to watch, and it brings back memories of when I was his age and how much all of this mattered to me. As long as it's not pierced tongues or tattoos right now, I guess I should be glad. :D

[Billy Ruffian]

27. For a lot of kids, it seems to be middle school

It's when they really start growing, and kids around them are getting bigger, and it becomes important to blend in. Clearly, that's a generality, but it's pretty common.

When they get to high school, they'll start into some individuality.

By the time they're ready for college, you're ready to help them pack :evilgrin:

[Maddy McCall]

30. My son is homeschooled, but he has buddies his age with whom

he packs around.

I can't imagine sending him off to college. :cry: I know that day is coming, though.

[mark414]

6. yeah all the kids got pumas these days

i even have a pair (that i don't wear much anymore)

[JohnKleeb]

9. I dont, I wear New Balances

I used to wear skateboarder shoes and I didnt even skateboard but I wasnt a poseur and lied, oh yeah man I Am good, I was candid, no I fall off.

[mark414]

13. yeah i got a pair of those too

however i just got my tax return back and bought THESE slick puppies

[JohnKleeb]

15. I like that color, I had a pair of Andrew Reynolds' like that

when I was in middle school, Reynolds if I recall is like a big stoner, Baker I think was the company he skated for or something like that, I dont know, my brother no longer skates and neither does my best friend.

[mark414]

16. right on both accounts

i never skated but damn i've seen enough skate videos to last me a lifetime...that's all my friends do, get high, watch skate videos, and/or skate

[JohnKleeb]

19. You know to my shock my friend isnt a stoner

You would think he would be because hes who turned me on to Sublime. He drinks I think but thats all. Weird, ha I think he wuold make a good stoner that said. Reminds me though, I gotta get us set up with some booze for spring break since his sis is 21 now.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Remember when ZIPS were all the rage?

[bilgewaterbill]

12. How long would it take for him to save his allowance?

Any odd jobs he do to earn money?

[Maddy McCall]

18. It would take him ten weeks. He gets about $10/week.

But, you know, I might up his allowance if he wants to do some "chores." :-)

He's good about doing stuff around the house. I don't want to have to start paying him to do the stuff he does now.

I might make him row up the garden with the hoe...or rake some leaves that need to be raked.

I can't complain, because he isn't a complainer and does more than I ask him to do. HE came in the house soaking wet yesterday. He had washed my car, and I had no idea that taht was what he was doing.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask his grandfather if he has any chores that his grandson can do for him.

[bilgewaterbill]

23. Good idea!

Grandfathers love to help out industrious kids.

[Maddy McCall]

29. Imagine my shock a couple of years ago...

when I drove up in his grandfather's driveway (my dad, but the dad identity is now subsumed in "Grandfather," because his grandfather prides himself in that status :-) ) and granddad had grandson on the huge riding lawnmower mowing the yard. I almost had a stroke, until I saw the pride in my son's face that he was doing such a bug-guy's job.

Granddad has some wood that needs to be split--he has a hydraulic splitter. Maybe grandson will volunteer to help him for a day. :-)

[bilgewaterbill]

33. 11 is such a good age.

Kids want so much just to please. In a couple of years they get to be too cool for that stuff. Best, Bill.

[Hatalles]

17. Then and Now

I used to buy around $70.00 athletic shoes during middle school (8th) and high school. I don't know what I was thinking then... I usually pick up $20.00 casual shoes from Payless now.

[CanuckAmok]

31. It's okay, they're not made from real puma hides.

No pumas will be harmed in the creation of your kid's shoes.

[Maddy McCall]

32. LOL!

Thanks for the info. :thumbsup:

[MidwestMomma]

34. Have him earn the difference between what you would pay & the Pumas

That's a compromise that might work. That way your're paying your part and he's paying his.

The fun is just beginning. :)

[Telly Savalas]

36. Good idea.

I'm filing that one away for when I'll need it 9 years from now.

Thanks.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

35. Our German exchange student was obsessed with Puma brand.

She says in Europe Puma is even more expensive and even more popular. So she bought a ton of Puma stuff while she was here that she wouldn't get as cheap over in Germany. I think it's still pretty expensive.