Dinosoles Dinosaur Shoes - Raah!

Dinosoles are children's shoes featuring dinosaurs. We like dinosaurs! These sneakers have dinos on them, the soles make footprints and some of them have flashing lights. They're also well made and great value for money. On this page we look at a selection of designs and also the company that makes them.

My four-year old boy asked for T-Rex Dinosoles as a Christmas gift last year. Great! He needed new sneakers anyway. I've included a personal review based on our experience. I updated the review after a couple of months of wear and then again when he grew out of them.

This company knows how to make footwear that will appeal to small children. With both my kids we've found that they go through a stage where they are capable of putting their own sneakers on (especially ones that use Velcro) but they are reluctant to do so. Choosing sneakers that they love and actually want to wear can cut down on the tantrums and get you out of the house faster.

Image: Double Eye X-10 Shoe (Toddler/Little/Big Kid)

1. They are well made, high-quality shoes. This isn't the case for all novelty footwear. Kids feet are important and their shoes need to cope with a lot of action. They get great reviews on their quality. I'm really pleased about this because it's really annoying if a product that your kids love is badly made.
2. Kids love them. No more arguments about getting your shoes on. (Maybe some arguments about taking your shoes off! "No, you can't wear your new sneakers to bed ...")
3. They're good value. We think they are well priced given the quality and the appeal to children. They're affordable.
4. They're exciting enough to make a great birthday or Christmas gift. You have to buy shoes for your kids (well I suppose technically, they could go barefoot, but you know what we mean ...) so buying them as a gift is a bonus.
5. They're made by a private company based in California who had a cool idea and made it happen. We like to support companies like this.

Dino Soles is a privately owned company based in California (company info). They seem to be doing pretty well. These sneakers and the other new footwear and accessories in their range are everywhere at the moment. They also use the brands Dino Soles and DinoRama.

The first thing he loved was the printed design on the box - a very nice touch. Then he opened it as was so excited as he discovered one dino feature after another. T-Rex! Volcano! Another T-Rex on the back! Dinosaur eyes! T-Rex footprints on the bottom! Then he tried them on, and wow, Lights. Preschooler heaven.

They have been comfortable from the start. The first day he wore them to childcare I sent his old shoes too, but they stayed in the bag. He can easily put his Dinosoles on by himself - the velcro straps are great. He says they are really comfortable - he's very particular about shoes, he has an expensive pair of brown leather shoes that only got worn a handful of times because they 'don't feel right'.

They seem pretty durable. He wears them everyday. He's not at school yet so he can wear them all the time. And he does. He got lots of attention wearing them at preschool - one of his teachers in particular loved them!

Update: My son has now been wearing his T-Rex Dioramas almost every day for 3 months. The toes are scuffed - like any kid, he drags his feet and messes around on the floor. Other than the toes, the sneakers are in good condition. I wouldn't take him to a smart event in them but they're still perfectly fine for casual wear. The lights are still flashing too.

Final Update: My son wore his Dioramas until he grew out of them. They were his main footwear for around 9 months. He wore them unless it was wet and he needed wellies. By the end they were pretty scuffed. He had worn them for many trips to the local park. They were not in good enough condition to pass onto his younger brother, but I don't think any of his sneakers have been. (We have managed to pass down leather shoes.) I notice that the newer designs have more protection around the toe area which was the area that got scuffed.

The prices may vary for different sizes. These are just a few of the styles available.

Click through to see prices as they can vary by size.

If you haven't come across these shoes before, this 30 second video shows them well. You get to see the shoes close up so you get a real idea of the detail and bright colors of the designs. And we like the T-rex on a see-saw at the end, nice touch ;-)

If you're looking for cheap Dinosoles shoes, it's worth looking on eBay for a bargain. You might get lucky and find a pre-owned pair that got grown out of quickly.

Dinosoles are very popular. They are often spotted on celebrity kids.

We love the caps that match the footwear, they make a very cool combination, dinos from head to foot!

Tees too. T-rex and friends all over! There are designs that match the graphics used on the footwear.

Do you know kids who would like shoes with dinosaurs on?