Cheap sneaks at Foot Locker outlet

Yes, we're big fans of the Starbury line at Steve & Barry's.

What's not to like about $15 celebrity-endorsed sneaks?

But sometimes a kid wants to brandish a brand that doesn't scream:

"My mother is motivated, frugal, sane, and setting aside money for my college fund."

Enter the Foot Locker store on 69th Street, in Upper Darby, one of only two Foot Locker locations in the Delaware Valley that carry outlet-priced sneakers, along with normal-price shoes and men's apparel. (The other Foot Locker store with some outlet merchandise is at Broad and Olney.)

The highlight is the clearance tables in the center of the store, piled high with boxed brand-name sneakers for children and adults from Nike, Fila and Adidas.

The shoes typically are marked down by 25 to 70 percent and sometimes slashed to 85 percent off, in which case you'll pay just a pair of Hamiltons for sneakers that typically run in the Benjamins.

You're not guaranteed to find something you like in your size on the clearance tables, but to our mind it's the thrill of the chase that makes outlet shopping fun. Should you come up empty, you can always buy a men's polo shirt as a consolation prize.

The outlet has heaps of them, selling at two for $20. You can mix and match stripes and solids.

Foot Locker Outlet, 92-98 S. 69th St., Upper Darby, 610-734-

2201. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

- Becky Batcha