Toddler shoes by Combi

These are the shoes that my son used to wear on a daily basis. These toddler shoes are by Combi, a Japanese company. These are excellent shoes except for one thing (more on this in a later part of this post).

Currently, my son wears a pair of Adidas toddler trainers which I will feature in this blog at a later time.

Now, I really like these Combi shoes because of the thoughtful design features.

The toe box is roomy and has a round shape so little toes don't get squeezed as they grow. Just think about how quickly kids' feet grow!

The shoe upper has lots of mesh so ventilation is good. It's also neat to have one fat velcro strap to fasten the shoe. Most toddler shoes have at least two velcro straps on the upper.

At the bottom of the shoe, you can find a couple of flex grooves so that the shoe flexes (bends) at where the foot naturally flexes during walking or running. This is a very important feature. Without these flex grooves, the shoe would either be too rigid or bend at the "wrong" place.

The traction provided by the outsole is reasonable. It's nice to see that the toe area has deep circular grooves to provide additional traction.

On the right is a photo of the instep (medial or inner part) of the left shoe. I like how the outsole rubber wraps around the foot, especially at the heel and arch area. It's as though the foot was cupped by the outsole. This feature is helpful since toddlers move about in all directions.

 

The design of the shoe is really quite robust, and these shoes can be worn for just about any kids' activity that doesn't involve water.

The insole is made with compression-moulded EVA foam; the foam is of a substantial density based on my touch. Notice that the insole has flex grooves similar to those on the outsole.

This pair of Combi shoes came with two pairs of insoles. One pair was thick, and the other pair thin. 

This is to accommodate the rapid growth of the child's feet. This is done by starting the usage of the shoes with the thick pair of insoles in the shoes. As the child's feet grow, replace the thick insoles with the thin ones. Used in this way, the shoes can be used for a slightly longer period before having to replace the shoes entirely.

Look at the final photo below. My only gripe about these Combi shoes is that the rubber outsole could be more durable. The heel is a high-wear area for most shoe designs, so I wish that these Combi shoes had come with a longer-wearing rubber in the heel.

I like these Combi shoes enough to want to buy a bigger pair for my son, who enjoys outdoor activity. But I believe this particular design of Combi shoes might no longer be available for sale in retail stores in Singapore.