Shoe Train

My 3 year old needed foot inserts and shoes. Shoe Train had exactly what we needed. The sales person was very helpful in providing the inserts and selecting the right shoes.

Simply the best! I was sized for my fast pair of shoes by Mr. Ed at the old store in the mini mall in Potomac Woods. He sized my son’s first pair of shoes. They are kind, down to earth and meticulous about sizing and proper fit. They take their time to find the correct shoes for your child. My son had orthotics and they are the best fitting specialists for those too! I love Shoe Train.

This is a fabulous store for getting high quality shoes and a perfect fit for children. Other childrens’ shoe stores don’t always know how to properly fit shoes, but show train does a great job. We have been getting my son’s shoes here for four years. He has a very wide foot that’s difficult to fit and they always find him the correct shoes. I now take my one year old daughter here and they also fit her with the right shoes for her foot. Their customer service is great and of course they are very kid friendly! David fit my son on our last visit and did a great job!

A friend recommended this store to me for getting good shoes. My 2-​year-​old daughter has really wide feet, so it’s hard to find shoes that fit her correctly — sadly, no Target shoes for her big ol’ feet. Since my daughter is so young, she cannot tell me if a shoe feels good or not, but they are able to measure well and know how to tell if the shoe is fitting correctly.
I had always thought Stride Rite was the only place to get good kids’ shoes, but they carry a variety of quality brands here. The shoes are, price-​wise, about equivalent or a little less expensive than a Stride Rite store (SR is in my experience about $ 50, the past two pairs of shoes I’ve bought at Shoe Train are $ 39 and $ 44). Shoe Train staff really know their stuff. We will keep coming back here even though it’s a pain for us to get all the way to Potomac.
I can’t comment on the wait for the average weekend visit — I work part-​time, so I intentionally take her on the weekdays I don’t work. (Same thing for our Costco visits!) I’ve not waited longer than just a few minutes to be seen, and they are really patient with taking all the time my active toddler needs.

When I came here as a child some thirty five+ years ago it was always a special occasion. After recently moving back to the area & taking my almost 5 year old daughter here, I’m glad to know some things never change! In an era of rising prices and diminished service, Shoe Train bucks the trend! Can’t remember the fitters name, but I’m certain they are all great. He made her feel comfortable, asked HER what she was looking for (while still checking with me first), listened to what we both asked for and gave us great options. He also recommended a few other brands that would work well with her feet for our next trip. No, this isn’t Nordstrom rack BUT you can rest assured that your child will walk out with shoes they love, that FIT WELL and don’t hurt or damage their feet. Such a great experience for both Mother & Child. Honestly made a usually painful outing A LOT of fun and something to look forward to. Highly recommend!

I have two boys and have been coming here since they were infants. We first heard about this place via word of mouth and we’ve been just really amazed how great it is. They give you that comfort that they know exactly what type of shoes your kid’s need. When you leave you feel like they took out all the guess work with your kid’s growing feet. Definitely recommend, best place for kids shoes.

The only place I’ve found that consistently works for my boys with big, wide, pronating feet. We’ve had several fitters there, and all have been good at watching how my kids walk/​run and giving specific suggestions for shoes, and inserts. It’s more expensive than most places I’ve looked, but for us its been worth the extra money for the extra help and knowledge, and (usually) a solution to my 9 year old saying his feet hurt.

Wonderful experience. Very helpful and knowledgeable salesperson. Great advice and very patient.

Shoe Train is THE place to find shoes for kids that are hard to fit and/​or hard to please. They have been the only source for tennis and dress shoes for my child with double extra wide feet for years, and they are a consistent source of *comfortable* shoes for my other child who has narrow feet and needs shoes to feel just right to wear them at all. The shoes are not cheap, but the price is well worth a lack of drama every school morning while the kids get dressed. If you must shop during a peak time, come prepared with books or screens for you and kids and settle in — the service and shoes you receive once it’s your turn will be worth it!

Bill Wong, the man, the legend. Went in for the first pair of shoes for our 15mo old. Bill sized him quickly and painlessly. Brought out three pairs of shoes, explained the differences between them, and it was the best retail experience I have ever witnessed. For all of the negative reviews here, what can I say, haters gonna hate.

Excellent service and very knowledgable staff!!! A reason why it’s been THE go to kids shoe store for so many years

We’ve been going here for about the last year and a half since our son demanded lace-​ups sneakers — not Velcro! Our son has big extra-​wide feet and the Shoe Train staff fit him quickly. The staff is kid– and adult-​friendly and knowledgeable about their products.

Our daughter-​in-​law loves this store. Our grandkids require custom fit shoes and this store is where she shops. I spoke with Layla about getting gift certificates and she was most helpful with options. Thank you.

Great staff and always a comfort knowing they are making sure the shoes are a great fit. They are knowledgable about all the brands. I have 3 kids and usually spend several hundred dollars in one visit, but I know their shoes fit properly and that’s all good for me. They also keep a record for each child. And of course, locally owned… :)

We had another great experience yesterday, as usual, at Shoe Train. We always find the sales staff to be honest and knowledgeable and helpful, and Pablo was no exception. He did a great job fitting our son for new sneakers, and was a champ about it when hunger (it was dinnertime and we had not yet eaten) overcame our child and overrode some of his «best behavior» instincts, finding ways to appease him easily and quickly. Thanks again!

First-​time customer this morning with a 10YO w/​sensory issues. We’d already been completely ignored at two other shoe stores yesterday in Montgomery Mall and we were pretty deflated about it, but a neighbor recommended Shoe Train and I’m so glad we went. I cannot remember the name of the clerk who assisted us once our name was called (after we signed in it was about a 10-​minute wait; even the 4 – 5 clerks assisting couldn’t make up for the back-​to-​school shoppers on tax-​free week!), but she was fantastic with my daughter, even took her to the stockroom to help her choose shoes that she liked when her preferred shoe style turned out to not be the best choice for her feet (wide and 2 slightly different sizes, so hard to fit!). While we were there we picked up some new socks (they have socks without seams at the toes! YAY!) to boot; the clerk helped us pick ones that were the right size for my daughter’s feet (there was a size overlap and we weren’t sure which one was best). We really didn’t pay much more than we would have at the Stride Rite where we got such substandard service yesterday, but the attention to my daughter’s needs was worth the wait and the extra.
Very happy customers here; will indeed be coming back. :-)

My husband and I came in with our child so she can
get fitted for arches. I was greeted right away by a lady. There is a sign that tells you where to sign in. We were seen right away. Ken is the one who evaluated my daughter and told Dave which arches to try on my daughter. Dave then showed us shoes and my daughter tried them on with the arches.
It started to get a little crowded, but Dave didn’t rush us and took his time with us.
Definitely going back, great customer service.

Like many other reviews, I love this store. Though it can be busy at times and waiting for great people to fit my daughter’s feet with sometimes an impatient child can be trying, this is the best place and they do the most for you. I will continue to bring my kids to this store until they outgrow the store. I drive from Virginia and its worthwhile even though traffic is a nightmare. I do a lot of online shopping and whereas you might price out the items cheaper, the service you are getting from the salespeople is unmatched anywhere. This store is like shoe stores of old where you felt like you were getting a great service and a great fit and reasonable prices.

I usually don’t write things like this, but I feel compelled that something needs to be said about our experience at Shoe Train in Cabin John today.
Let me start with a very brief history. We went a few months ago to Shoe Train and spent a fair amount of money on shoes and orthoitcs.
We went in today for some new shoes and updated specialty insoles. While waiting our turn we were talking to another mom and mentioned that we just came from Nordstroms, where they had kids shoes 20% off.
A couple minuets later one of the employees, and older woman, pointed me out in front of the entire store and YELLED at me for mentioning the sale at Nordstroms. and when I say Yelled, it was loud, in front of a packed store, to the point I heard customers asking «what is this all about» and EVERYONE was staring.
She had a few more choice words for us. I said «fine, we’ll just leave». she screamed out «good» and we left.
After a not-​so– happy meal break at McDonalds, my wife, who NEVER looks for conflict went back in hoping to express her disappointment to a more rational employee. She was met with even more attitude from another employee who was clearly (by her attitude and body language) looking to escalate the situation. My wife walked out, letting them know that we will tell everyone we know how they treat customers who dare speak of another store. Also, if you need Orthotic insoles, the brand they carry are called «Chipmunk» and can be found online for less than half of what the Train sells them for.
It really was a surreal experience. We were there to BUY shoes. We had a great experience there the first time, but will never step foot back in there. They clearly do not appreciate their customers. Do yourself a favor and buy elsewhere. You’ll save money AND be treated with respect.
Sorry for the long post, but this was just ridiculous. I hope they read this and are ashamed. We have never been treated this poorly before. Especially by a small local business.
—UPDATE– Response to Mariana’s reply to my review
Mariana,
Thank you for responding. I am glad that your online response to the situation matches the response my wife received when trying to address the situation in person. You are nothing, if not consistent.
I find it hard to believe that another customer was upset because of the conversation we were having with another mom about shoes in a shoe store. As for repeatedly telling everyone within earshot about the sale, the store was packed. I was talking. People hear what other people say.
My last name is NOT Nordstrom, I was not walking around handing out flyers in an attempt to drive business away from you. Quite the opposite. I actually was defending Shoe Train when another mom was complaining about prices and selection. And let’s look at the core of why I was there. I WANTED TO BUY SHOES FROM YOU! I also find it the epitome of hypocritical that you find it okay to belittle and disparage the employees of Nordstrom’s who, like your employees are trying to make a living. I was simply speaking of my experience, nothing more, and nothing less.
In regards to your 75 year old grandmother of 9, she could be 15 years old, or 130 years old, and it would make no difference to me. What she said, the tone in which she said it, and volume in which spoke it in, is completely unacceptable for ANY Person to address a customer. She should be ashamed of herself for embarrassing my family the way she did, in fact, I am embarrassed about how she made herself look.
I agree that some of your employees are wonderful and very skilled. Bill is the reason we chose to come back to Shoe Train as a repeat customer. We were willing to pay more because of his expertise. We came in with all intention of spending money –we spent about $ 120 the first time we came in on shoes for a not-​yet-​walking toddler, and were willing to do it again.
Shoe Train does have a great reputation that was built over 35 years BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. It’s only a matter of time before you can no longer ride his coat tails. Clearly, by other reviews your service is slipping, and strictly by the attitude we encouraged in store, and online, I can only imagine you realize this and are under intense pressure.
I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I can buy shoes anywhere. You only have a selective pool of potential customers. Conversations like this should be unnecessary, but when they are, well, I can buy shoes anywhere.

I wish that I could find an adult shoe store that compares to Shoe Train. The selection of shoes boggles the mind and excites the shoe lover in me. But, alas it is only for children. I am constantly amazed at the expertise and honesty of the employees that work there. My granddaughter and I stopped by on a Sunday at 3:00 o’clock. We picked some of the shoes on sale and our sales clerk was honest enough to tell us that the shoes were not a good fit for her. Don’t despair, because my granddaughter found Disney, Sleeping Beauty light up shoes that delighted my granddaughter. Of course, we didn’t stop there, she found shoes that can be worn in the pool as well. She has a double wide foot and it is difficult to find attractive shoes in her size. Shoe Train has never let us down. She can be a fashion plate and still have shoes that fit her perfectly. The staff is always kind and know how to work with kids. It is not cheap, but what good fitting shoe that lasts is? Woe is me, please Shoe Train, open an adult shoe store. I would be first in line. Spoiler alert, I have been going to Shoe Train since my kids were small. There quality and selection is second to none.