Sandal Suggestions for an Active Three-year-old Boy

it's pricey but what i found wrks best are keens (REI has them) great for playground/water park/hiking

Years, and I do mean years ago, I got salt water sandals from Nordstroms. They were tough enough to wade through salt water and last two more years. I don't know if they still exist.

I highly recommend Keen Newport Sandals. They have them with nylon straps and leather straps. I, personally, prefer the nylon straps (called Keen Newport H2 Sandals. You can get them at REI. See them on the following web page:

http://www.rei.com/search?cat=4501308&brand=Keen&...

Crocs are also a good brand. I know people have their own opinions regarding these shoes, but I am a mom who loves them! They are definitely easy on/off shoes. These do run quite wide, though the length is true to size.

I work for REI and talk to many people everyday. There are parents who swear by Crocs and those who hate them. Same with Keens, though most people love them! My daughter has had both brands since she was about 4 years old. Hope that helps!

My all-time favorite kids' sandals are Saltwater sandals. They are all leather, made well enough that they EASILY walk through water and muck and wash right out, even while still on the feet! No nasty, built up muck in the insole. We also noticed, after buying them for all three of my children for years on end, that one pair of sandals will tend to "grow" with the child. Buy them at just a little on the big side, but fitting well for the first year, and don't be surprised if the leather has stretched with their feet to still fit perfectly the next year. And...they stay in great shape so that, in our case, we handed them down to the next child, and the next child. And then we passed them on to someone else's child--still looking great.

Saltwaters are very basic. They come in a variety of colors but are the same simple and comfortable design for boys or girls--just that the "girls" version might be hot pink, purple, or white with flowers and the "boys" version might be chocolate brown, black, or navy blue.

And one of the parts I like best? They are made in the U.S., and cost in the neighborhood of $20 or less, depending on where you get them. If you are in Oregon, Fred Meyer has always been my source.

We have the Keen sandals for our 3 three year old and love them. We have bought him a pair for 3 summers now and they totally keep up with him. We live in an old growth forest area with a creek and he can go anywhere in them; in and out of the creek, up and down steep hills, etc. So worth the money in my opinion.

Good Luck,
S.

I wouldn't suggest Croc style shoes. My daughter (21m) has no trouble taking them off when she wants to, and I've noticed like a previous person mentioned that she falls a lot more when she wears them. I would say KEENS as well. She is on her 3rd pair since she began walking and they are fantastic. You can usually find them on sale if you spend a little time looking online, and REI.com is a great place to buy them for around $15 at the end of summer. I generally buy 2 pairs at that time, 2 sizes ahead of the ones she is wearing now. They can be used with socks if it's cool so they are good almost any season. At that price you can sell them when you are done for what you paid.

I washed her last pair in the washer with a load of towels before I sold them and they looked almost new (and they were pretty beat up looking before washing).

Keens all the way! They are waterproof, breathable, durable and awesome for running around. I've also heard they wash up great in the washer. We get a pair for my son every year. Love them! Good luck!

I am the parent of 2 (3 & 6) very active little girls and love the Keen sandals, they protect the toes and stay on the feet much better than crocs. They can also put them on and take them off with no help. They are rugged, washable, great sole (won't slip like salt water sandals). They can be spendy but look on ebay after you get his feet sized. They last through many children. Although if you get them at Nordstroms and find that you don't like them you can return them.

Saltwater Sandals. My boys wore them until them were 8 years old. They come in a variety of colors, for the boys I always got brown or navy. They are leather with a buckle strap around the ankle. And for my daughter, she wore them until she was 14 and just recently dug my pair out of the my shoe stash, she's be 23 next week. Indestructible, well made, they'll out grow them. A friend of my Dad always wore them during the summer. I remember him seeing my boys during the summer just before he passed away and hey were comparing their sandals. The boys then called them their Ray shoes.

we LOVE Keens! Pricey, but worth it!

We too love the Keens! I got them a little big to make them last longer for our son, but he does fine in them and they protect his little toes, while still being open. The clean up VERY well too. He used them for stomping in mud puddles and all I had to do to get them back to looking new was rinse them in warm water. :)
We also love his crocs, but they are better for when you need quick on/off and maybe not as much actual running-although he does fine with them at the park etc. too. I think the trick with them is that they have to FIT-when they were still a bit big on him, they would fall off when he was running.

StrideRite or Teva!

(I'd avoid croc's like the plague, they create a really "cute" skippy-hop-flop stride that's bad for bone/joint development. Kids who wear croc's also fall a LOT more then kids who don't. <grinning> every parent I know who has them, swears that their kid's DON'T fall as much, but these are my friends' kids. I not only see them all the time, I've watched a couple of them for more then a year. They fall at least once or twice an hour, skidding/catching themselves/or the full frontal slide kaboom. Not that this slows them down, they've seemed to learn that falling is a part of walking/running. They fall less then a baby learning to walk -maybe that's their comparison- but a LOT more then kids in shoes or sandals that fit. )

I definitely recommend Stride Rite. That's what I got for my very active little guy (13 months). He has the "reid" style which are very nice and work for everyday and even dress up nicely if need be. They stay on and are very good for their feet. As others have mentioned, they are not cheap, but they are durable. If you are in the Seattle area, there's also a Stride Rite outlet at the North Bend outlet mall. They are about 50-75% off there.

Good luck!

I found some stride rites at clackamas tc-- an aqua sandle with straps- We love them

Hi L.,

I love Keen sandals. You can wear them with or without socks, get them wet and they dry perfectly, they have rubber on the toe to help against stubbing. I've gotten them for my granddaughter and she goes everywhere in them. You can get them at REI, Nordstroms and other stores.

I try to stay away from sandals that have closed toes, because it limits the amount of time your child will be able to wear them. Crocs are my one exception. But if you want strappy sandals, I'd recommend Tevas. They are extremely durable and comfy.

I really like Keens. They sell them at Nordstrom and they will help fit your child.. and if for any reason they do not work out they will return. (like once my daughters shoes kept giving her non stop blisters)
Lenc

Hi - I got both my boys the Superball sandals by Stride Rite. They were on sale a little while ago at Nordstroms. They are not the cheapest but I think Stride Rite has great shoes that hold up. Here is a link to see them. This is from the official Stride Rite website.

http://www.striderite.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp...

Stride rite seems to stand the most wear! I have a pair of sandals that both my girls wore for months on end! They're also one of the best brands for growing feet. They'll tell you to buy them a bit bigger so they last even longer! I love see kai run and they're having a warehouse sale today until 3 in woodinville. Good luck!

We picked up a pair of Teva's for our son, who is two, and they have worked like a charm. They stay on, they allow the foot to breathe and yeah, they cost quite a bit, but I consider it an investment for a summer without shoes sliding off or falling apart in the water! They have them at REI, and I'm sure you could find them elsewhere.

$5 @ Payless got my 5-y-o Cars Croc-like sandals. I've seen several kids wearing them now. They're definitely not the same quality as Crocs, but they're only going to need to last him through the summer, and they look capable of doing that. No problems w/ tripping, but he's older than yours. For $5 it's worth a shot.

GL! :-)

We went with Crocs for our son. We got him his first pair when he was about 2 and a half and keep on buying them. They work great, are waterproof and he can get them on and off himself!

My son is 3.5 years old, and I found some great leather fisherman sandals for him at Target. They are open for "fresh feet", yet have enough straps to protect his toes and give him good support while running. The name is "Dillan" and they cost $14.99. My son has wide feet and these fit him well. Good luck to you!

Hi L.!

I also recommend Keens or Vincent shoes. The Vincent shoes are on sale at Hanna A. right now. You can check them out here:

http://www.hannaandersson.com/Style.asp?from=SRCH&amp;sty...

(or just go to www.hannaandersson.com and query on "Vincent.")

Good luck!
M.