how bad can they really be? These are Clarks after all. I would have preferred a little bit more growing room, but with his foot size and the next size up wont work. A beautiful little shoe. Our son, who will soon be 4, LOVES this boat. The soles had worn down and we had to buy new ones the first week of September. They are literally super easy to install and gave made my headphones look good as new! Very good. Was worries about the velcro rubbing but not an issue. The sound volume is easy to adjust. About 15-20 mins to put together