We're doing our last two weeks of back to school prep, before B starts preschool. Next week will be filled with orientation and open houses, and this week, we're getting those last minute needed items for our first ever experience of sending B off to school. One of the things that has helped B to feel a bit more comfortable talking about preschool, is that we've been driving by the school, pointing out the playground, etc. He sees the playground and his face just lights up, so I know that he's at least a little bit excited about going. B needs to wear comfortable play clothes to school, and the children have to wear sneakers (no sandals, open back shoes) for good reason. I wanted to make sure that B had a new pair of sneakers that fit him well, gave a little room to grow, and would be comfy for a day of play at school.

I was so excited for the opportunity to team up with the wonderful folks at TSUKIHOSHI, a shoe company that caters to infants, children and youth, which was established in Japan in 1873. TSUKIHOSHI has won a prestigious PTPA Award, and provide a children's shoe technology, which is designed specifically for a child's growing feet, and to provide them maximum comfort and support.

We were able to select a pair of shoes for B, from TSUKIHOSHI's new fall line of shoes. B actually helped me pick the shoes out, and gave me his color preferences.

B's TSUKIHOSHI Shoes arrived, in a brightly colored yellow box. I couldn't wait for him to see his snazzy new shoes!

Here's B, excitedly opening up the TSUKIHOSHI Shoe Box...

...and here's B's reaction: 'New blue shoes? They're just what I've always wanted, mommy!'

I knew that B was super pleased with his new 'sneaks,' as we call them, from TSUKIHOSHI. He told me that he really loved the colors, and that they didn't look boring. I had no idea that my three-year-old would be so into boys fashion at such a young age. He noticed right away, that the shoes were flexible, which is one of the reasons I was drawn to TSUKIHOSHI from the start. He grabbed up the shoes, and ran to show them to his daddy, asking to put them on right away.

The TSUKIHOSHI SPEED Shoes

We chose the SPEED for B, because they looked very colorful and unique, they were from the new fall line of TSUKIHOSHI, and they looked like they would be the perfect shoe for a little boy who loves to run and play outside- on the playground, at the park, or in our own backyard. The shoes are made of a synthetic leather (upper), nylon, and mesh. They have Velcro closures, for easy on and off, and provide plenty of support. We love the black, yellow and blue color combination on the shoes, because they're extremely unique, and different from the majority of boys shoes we see being worn by other children, or those we see on the store shelves.

We love the shape, colors and overall style of these awesome boys sneakers!

There are lots of things to love and appreciate about the way TSUKIHOSHI shoes are designed. 

1. Balanced Landing: The shoes give the child a balanced landing. Children tend to over-reach when they take their steps, often landing on the arch side. TSUKIHOSHI shoes offer a solid half sock board and a solid heel counter help to provide this stability in the heel area.

Take a look inside of the TSUKIHOSHI SPEED Shoe...

2. Arch Support: TSUKIHOSHI recognizes that children's feet aren't yet fully developed, which is why they provide a 'Molded Cup Insole'' is designed for children's arches while helping to neutralize foot odor.

3. Light & Flexible: Children's feet can't really bend and kick forward all that well, because their feet are not yet fully developed. TSUKIHOSHI's "Flex-Joint Outsole" helps to allow children's feet to bend along the line from the joint of the big toe to that of the little toe.

4. Barefoot Comfort: Excessive inward tilting towards the arches when walking and running is very common among children. TSUKIHOSHI's ''Comfortable Shoe Last'' provides space in the toe area to help keep the child's toe in an unrestricted position, allowing them to splay on contact with the ground.

These shoes provide a comfortable, flexible fit for children who are always on the move!

B, examining the shoe, and ready to try his new TSUKIHOSHI 'sneaks' on!

As soon as B got his new shoes on, he was running and dancing around the house! I asked him to slowly walk back and forth in them, so I could make sure that the fit was right. We checked to see where his toe was it in the shoe, checked to make sure it wasn't tight on the heels. etc. It seemed that the shoes fit B extremely well, and would give him room to grow into them a bit more this fall. The shoe fit, but wasn't tight, and I love the fact that we can adjust the Velcro closure across the top of the foot, as he grows.

B, modeling his new SPEED shoes by TSUKIHOSHI.

The SPEED shoes provide just enough cushion and plenty of support. They have lots of tread on the bottom, for gripping, and preventing the chance of slippage.

I have noticed a big difference in the way B walks, since we received the TSUKIHOSHI shoes. He has big feet, and is now in a size 12- one step away from entering the youth sized shoes! B has very thick feet, from top to bottom, and we have had problems finding shoes wide enough to fit him comfortably for the past couple of years. This is the first time that I have felt 100% sure about a pair of well-fitting sneakers for B, because I can see the difference they have made in the way he moves, when wearing them. They offer him a sense of balance and support, whereas in his previous pair of sneaks, he was tripping all the time.

I also love that B can get these shoes on and off by himself. He's becoming much more independent, and this is just another step in encouraging that. He and I are both so proud each and every time he puts his shoes on without any help. The shoes come off just as easily, so B knows that he can take them off as soon as we get home, and then he puts them away.

TSUKIHOSHI Shoes have a Cup-Insole coated with Green-Tea Polyphenol deodorizes the smell in shoes. I love this feature! If you have little boys, you will definitely appreciate this! You can double up a pair of clean, fresh scented socks on your boy, and his feet will still be stinky after wearing shoes! This makes is easier for me to handle B wanting to kick his shoes off if we plan on being in the car for a while! TSUKIHOSHI shoes are also machine washable!

TSUKIHOSHI has such a wide variety of styles and sizes available for infants and children.

Take a look at some of my top picks...

Baby Natsu

Flame

Kaz

Youth Storm

Youth Speed

I have already made a wish list of shoes for B, and I have happily been telling the other moms I run into during the week about TSUKIHOSHI, as we have had many compliments on B's shoes. B's new shoes have kept his feet comfy when we've been out shopping, they've kept him stable on the playground, and they've been great for our family after dinner walks. I am so happy that I will be able to send B off to preschool with a good looking, great fitting pair of shoes that will last (hopefully- if B doesn't grow a ton in the coming weeks) through the fall season. I would absolutely purchase these award-winning shoes for my son, and we'll definitely be picking up a pair when he's ready to move into the youth sizes.

Want Them? Buy Them!

Head on over to TSUKIHOSHI to browse all of their wonderful styles of infant, children's and youth shoes! If you see the red 'NEW' stamp, that denotes the styles which are new for the fall season. You can purchase TSUKIHOSHI shoes online, or check for a store in the US, Canada, or Australia. You can also connect with TSUKIHOSHI through Facebook, and Twitter.

Special thanks to our friends at TSUKIHOSHI for helping us to get ready for the new shcool year, by providing us with an awesome new pair of TSUKIHOSHI shoes!