Do kids need tennis shoes?

[becca-becca]

I am packing and trying to keep it light. My girls don't always wear tennis shoes, they wear a lot of crocs. We are thinking of bringing flip flops for dressy and casual and a pair of crocs and skipping the tennis shoes. Is there any reason for two girls to have tennis shoes on board? Are there any activities that require them?

 

[trwprid]

I'll be watching this. My son doesn't even own a pair of sneakers that fit. He wears Crocs pretty much year-round. Hopefully we won't get any significant snow here this year.

 

[AbsyBabsy]

I can only think of 2 reasons to bring sneakers - first if you want to play basketball on the court - crocks will likely stick. The second is on excursions if you are doing a lot of walking.

 

[ededmd]

I can only think of 2 reasons to bring sneakers - first if you want to play basketball on the court - crocks will likely stick. The second is on excursions if you are doing a lot of walking.

Exactly. I think it depends more on your chosen excursions than anything else.
The only other thing would be activities in the kids clubs. Some are more active - climbing for example. Are the crocs secure enough?

 

[abdmom]

I can't remember if was Carnival or Royal Caribbean - we sailed both in 2009 - one of the lines prohibited Crocs in the kids clubs. There were too many injuries to kids feet/ankles.

 

[kcashner]

Agree with above--basketball or other games on the sports deck will require tennies. Excursions might, especially those with a lot of walking. Beyond that, pack what they will wear.

 

[kaseyC]

A great shoe that works as both a sneaker and a sandal are Keens. They are very comfortable, durable and cute. I buy them for the girls every spring and they wear them through the whole summer.

 

[scootch]

I packed them for our last trip(DCL, WDW and DisocoveryCove/SeaWorld) .... but they were never worn. They wore their crocs all the time(sometimes with socks).... and then flipflops with their dresses(ages 7 and 10 so easy to do). I am not packing the tennis shoes next trip.

 

[Goofy Mum]

I'm hoping to travel light and wish I didn't have to bring my son's trainers because they're so bulky but I want them to have comfortable shoes for walking so I'm stufifng them in their flight carry-ons.

 

[ScouterJT]

I have to say, I love my Crocs (okay, DW says it's part of my charm) and I wear them all the time.

But, I make sure to buy NEW Crocs before a cruise. I found that if the sole of the Crocs has worn down a bit, then they don't grip as well on the wet spots around Deck 9. Now that I have new Crocs, I'm not "creating new dance moves" walking by the pools ...

 

[Goofy Mum]

About Crocs, how comfortable are they? I don't have any because I honestly hate the way they look but everyone raves about them so I'm curious. Can you walk long distances (flat) in them? I wear a US 8.5 and worry they'll make my feet even bigger than they already are. But if they're good for walking and by the pool I may give them a go.

 

[FreeTime]

I find that it is not comfortable to walk long distances in them, if I do I have to have socks. My kids though wear them everywhere. To the original OP, I would have them wear the tennis shoes and pack the Crocs as they take up less room because they can be somewhat flattened if you think you will do an excursion where they will need them.

 

[croppincolburn]

Goofy Mum, you can print out a size chart off their website. One has to follow their printing instructions to get the scaling correct. Crocs come in styles like the Mary Jane that are more elegant. (For walking at the parks I prefer running shoes. I need the better arch support and stability.)

 

[Anj]

My girls wore flip flops almost exclusively on our 7 day cruise. They were age 4 and 6. We didn't do any major excursions at ports, maybe 30 minutes walking each way to the end of the piers and around, before we went to the beaches. On the ship, they weren't in any activities that required proper shoes.