An online representative of the New Balance website told me that the bow is essential; one of the largest arches that there is in children's shoes. Not true. You can put your hand in the boot and barely feel the arches. Disappointing. My child has functional flat feet and should have an arch. Velcro is very strong which I like.

They look good when new and are very comfortable. However, after only wearing them a few times, they look dirty and old. Could it be the color or the material? I tried cleaning them but it didn't work. My son's "new school shoes" didn't stay new for long. For the price paid I had hoped for more.

We always go back to kv990. After trying different models from NB, this is the only one that is really wide enough for wide feet. We've had the kv990 for the last few school years and thought we'd try a different style this year, but neither model was this comfortable width. We now have our 4th pair! This year's version also features a more secure Velcro closure.

My boys have been wearing NB for a few years now. They are well made and wide enough for her wide feet. This new model has a problem: it is not easy to open because it is very strong. The N shape makes it harder to open than the old style. These shoes are not cheap. But it does the least, so we'll still buy it again.