jurgrace's Full Review: Western Chief Infant Boys Fireman Boots
My son is almost two, and now that rain season has begun in the Pacific Northwest, I have realized that he pretty much needs to wear rain boots every day. Even if it doesn't rain one day, there are still plenty of puddles left on the sidewalks and playgrounds, and my son will find a way to get into them. In anticipation of this season, I anxiously awaited the arrival of Western Chief Rain Boots at my local shoe stores. My three year-old daughter has a pair of the Pink Kitty Rain Boots, and they have served us well.
I've got to say, the pickings were slim this year. I was hoping for something similar to the cuteness of the kitty boots, like the green froggy ones I saw last year. Unfortunately, all I could find early on were $40 Thomas the train boots, or some funky green boots with "paint splatters" all over them for $19.99. I can't express my relief when my local Famous Footwear outlet finally got their shipment of boy boots in, including the Western Chief Infant Boys Fireman Boots. The boots were cute, I was already buying school shoes for my six year old, and there was a '1/2 off second pair of shoes' sale going on, so of course I bought these (for $12.00).
The Western Chief Infant/Toddler Boys Fireman Boots are fairly simple in design. They are black rubber boots with a yellow stripe along the top and bottom, as well as a red fire chief 'badge' in the center (#34, to be exact). Behind the badge, there are two yellow stripes that wrap around the boot, each with a reflective gray stripe in the middle. To aid in pulling the boots over small feet, each boot has two black rubber handles along the top.
Inside the Western Chief Fireman Boots, there is a 'Return to' label, in case your little one loses his boots. The inside of the boot is also lined with a 'quick drying, moisture absorbing' cotton and a removable cushioned insole. This is actually where I have my main problem with these boots. For one thing, the 'moisture absorbing' cotton doesn't absorb so well, nor does it dry quickly. On one outing with his father, my son somehow managed to get the inside of his boots quite wet. The next morning, the boots were still damp and starting to smell odd, so I hardly feel the moisture was quickly absorbed or dried.
The good news from this experience is that I learned that the Western Chief Infant/Toddler Fireman Boots wash well in the washing machine. They also come out of the dryer (on low to medium heat) looking brand new afterwards; the rubber doesn't warp in the heat. On the other hand, the insoles popped right out (something that has never happened with our kitty boots), and when I put them back in, they wouldn't go in firmly; they are still a little loose. Personally, when I am dealing with a toddler, I want to deal with as few items as possible, and it's not comforting to know that I'll have to look for more than just the boots whenever my son pulls them off his feet.
Aside from this issue, the boots are great when used as intended. The traction on the bottom has a nice thick tread, and my son does not slip around when walking on mud-like ground. His feet also stay dry if he jumps in a puddle or walks around in the rain (part of this is helped by the fact that the lower part of his pants fits nicely inside each boot).
Since my son doesn't really know what a fireman is yet, the design did not originally have much appeal for him, but he certainly got excited about the Dalmatian on the box they came in. The box is pretty cool, too, and is designed to be re-usable as an attractive storage box for other toys or "fireman items."
Overall, I think the Western Chief Infant/Toddler Boys Fireman Boots are a pretty good boot to get your little one through the rain season, or to keep around for dress up. While I have doubts about the long-term durability of these boots, kids' feet grow so quickly at the age these boots are intended for, that they are not likely to fit for more than one season. For that reason, I think the $24.99 price tag our boots had on them is high, but if you can find them for half off (or even better, less), they shouldn't disappoint.
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