Designed by a pair of severe-looking gay Swedes, Vincent shoes have fun names like "Lorenz," "Tor," "Face," or "Vidar," just like the furniture at Ikea. My son Bosco recently wore a pair of cool black leather mini-wingtips named "James" ($49.95) to a fancy birthday party. Afterward, we met his friend Matilda in the park with a pair of "Love" Mary Janes ($44.95) in black leather with a rubber cap toe and small, tastefully applied hearts. After an extended session of slides, sandbox, swings, climbing, and racing around, James and Love were still in great shape, and neither Bosco nor Matilda took a nosedive the way they usually do in slick-soled dress shoes. Anything that goes from the restaurant to the playground is fine by me — putting on Bosco's shoes is like wrestling a greased lizard, so changing his shoes is out of the question.
I'm also partial to the "Smith" striped sneaker in yellow and blue, which could certainly function as a dress shoe in a pinch, and the red "Toni" sandals that make Bosco look like he has racecars on his feet.— Meredith Broussard
