Which Style Crocs for kids?

[ambiancetc]

Since we're planning on spending a considerable amount of time in the World this year I want to invest in a few pairs of Crocs for the kids after reading all the great reviews. I know Keens are also popular but we are a "dressy" family and I just can't accept the look. Last year all the girls wore sun dresses to the parks every day and not only do we look pretty in all the pictures it was SOOO much cooler than the day we wore shorts and t-shirts. Anyway...

What style sandal/flip flops have your kids tried and liked? What about blisters? Do they run true to size across styles (if we try a style in store but see a different one online will it be similar?)

What is the best place to buy them?

Thank you so much! I tend to be a bit shoe challenged. They have a closet of shoes, most they don't like to wear!

 

[Tiger926]

I can't give you Crocs recommendations, as we don't wear them, as they are totally unsafe, especially for kids, especially on wet days at Disney.

Our young kids wear: Keen, Teva, Merrill, New Balance (hybrid water/running shoe) and Stride Rite. All are very well made and work fabulously for Disney.

As an aside, I find it funny that you think that Keens aren't dressy (they definitely can be), yet plastic shoes (Crocs) are? Maybe I misunderstood you?

Good luck in your shoe quest! Tiger

 

[ambiancetc]

I guess when I looked up the Teva & Keen sandals all I could find were ones that look like these:http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/u...rt=3&o=1&_suid=136107164164009586444475166018

When I googled Crocs Girl Sandal I pulled up ones that looked like these:
http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/u...rt=3&o=0&_suid=136107196395409171079809676748

To me the crocs would look better with a sundress. So they are slippery in wet conditions? Might have to rethink this....I'll also look into stride rite, hadn't thought of them. Although, I do want something they can wear in the parks and water rides.

 

[chloesmommy]

Tevas and Keens make dresser shoes. My oldest jus bought a pair of sandals that were tevas and I think will look appropiate with sundresses and dresser things for dinner. My youngest wears mary jane crocs to school but they do have fairly slick bottoms.

 

[ambiancetc]

In that case, where is the best place to get Tevas and/or Keens?

Thanks for all the help, last year, not knowing WDW is larger than it appears, we alternated between ordinary flip flops and cushy Gap tennies but the girls ended up with sore feet and it was a pain dragging a bag of shoes around everywhere as every few hours they'd switch. Trying to avoid that this year.

Do the Tevas & Keens dry quickly if they get wet?

 

[Lisa71]

Try www.6pm.com for discount name brand sandals. Our son just got some cute keens from there.

 

[chris31997]

We wear our crocs everywhere. In fact our DS for the first couple of years of his life only wore crocs. We love the fact that when they do get wet, they dry pretty quick. Water drains out/off quickly and feet air out.

The only time we had an issue was when DS at the age of 2yrs got his croc stuck on an escalator. But because the croc was big on him, it twisted right off. Now he is very good aabout ensuring his feet are away from the sides and he steps off. We never had an issue with the crocs being wet.

 

[ambiancetc]

Thank you Lisa!

 

[Tiger926]

I guess when I looked up the Teva & Keen sandals all I could find were ones that look like these:http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/ambiancetc/media/71PKvWqPAL__SL1500__zps16531c24.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1#/user/ambiancetc/media/71PKvWqPAL__SL1500__zps16531c24.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1&_suid=136107164164009586444475166018

When I googled Crocs Girl Sandal I pulled up ones that looked like these:
http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/ambiancetc/media/71PKvWqPAL__SL1500__zps16531c24.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1#/user/ambiancetc/media/crocsandal_zps1b00a06a.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0&_suid=136107196395409171079809676748

To me the crocs would look better with a sundress. So they are slippery in wet conditions? Might have to rethink this....I'll also look into stride rite, hadn't thought of them. Although, I do want something they can wear in the parks and water rides.

My daughter wore those exact shoes to dinners at WDW with many sundresses.

I would go directly on the manufacturer websites, and check styles.

Yes, Crocs are very slippery in wet conditions, and if worn down on bottom, they are very bad.

In that case, where is the best place to get Tevas and/or Keens?

Thanks for all the help, last year, not knowing WDW is larger than it appears, we alternated between ordinary flip flops and cushy Gap tennies but the girls ended up with sore feet and it was a pain dragging a bag of shoes around everywhere as every few hours they'd switch. Trying to avoid that this year.

Do the Tevas & Keens dry quickly if they get wet?

Choosing good quality shoes with support is key. Flip flops should only be worn at the pool and I don't consider Gap shoes to be good at all.

We spend a mint on shoes because our needs dictate such. We go to Disney multiple times per year, so we need support, excellent traction on soles, waterproof and always buy closed toe. When you spend the money on sport shoes like Keen, Teva, Merrill, etc., you will get these factors as they are made for outdoor activity.

Keens and Teva dry very quickly, as well as wash well. Easy to take care of too!

We wear our crocs everywhere. In fact our DS for the first couple of years of his life only wore crocs. We love the fact that when they do get wet, they dry pretty quick. Water drains out/off quickly and feet air out.

The only time we had an issue was when DS at the age of 2yrs got his croc stuck on an escalator. But because the croc was big on him, it twisted right off. Now he is very good aabout ensuring his feet are away from the sides and he steps off. We never had an issue with the crocs being wet.

We find the opposite. Crocs are horrible for support as well. As someone with foot and back problems, we don't do Crocs except for a few minutes at the pool.

The escalator thing is a big problem and there were lots if lawsuits because of it. Glad to hear no injuries with your child.

Tiger

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

I personally wear Crocs for the support. Certain ones at least. I love the ABF line.

But I agree on the slippery when wet bit. I've wiped out in various degrees a few times. Especially walking into our garage.

 

[NYCDiane]

Since we're planning on spending a considerable amount of time in the World this year I want to invest in a few pairs of Crocs for the kids after reading all the great reviews. I know Keens are also popular but we are a "dressy" family and I just can't accept the look. Last year all the girls wore sun dresses to the parks every day and not only do we look pretty in all the pictures it was SOOO much cooler than the day we wore shorts and t-shirts. Anyway...

What style sandal/flip flops have your kids tried and liked? What about blisters? Do they run true to size across styles (if we try a style in store but see a different one online will it be similar?)

What is the best place to buy them?

Thank you so much! I tend to be a bit shoe challenged. They have a closet of shoes, most they don't like to wear!

THAT cracked me up!! You're a "dressy" family but you're going to put crocs on your kids' feet????

The best style of Crocs: NONE. They're hideous looking plastic shoes.

Why not get your kids some nice leather sandals?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

THAT cracked me up!! You're a "dressy" family but you're going to put crocs on your kids' feet????

The best style of Crocs: NONE. They're hideous looking plastic shoes.

Why not get your kids some nice leather sandals?

 

[WDW Lover]

The flip flops, Crocs, sandals craze is systematically ruining children's feet. Wait, I take that back... ruining their gait. I have seen my nephew grow up (to now age 10) having worn Crocs as a toddler and into his early years. Though they are comfortable, kids learn to run improperly and have problems later in their life because of it. Imagine training a 10 year old kid how to actually run properly in athletic shoes, because he learned to run more like a shuffle when he was younger to keep his Crocs on his feet. Kids are meant to run and have fun and play... if they do this while wearing Crocs or flip flops, they will do so improperly and it will hamper them as they get older and try to compete in sports like soccer, etc. No, I'm not a doctor, I'm a college cross country and track coach... I hate to see this wave of strange running form start to take shape and ultimately will lead to even more of a gap in athletic performance between Americans and other countries! I grimace every time I see a young child wearing any of those types of shoes!

 

[havaneselover]

We own crocs mainly because they are easy to put on after swimming. If I run to the mailbox when it is raining in mine, I have to be incredibly careful in my garage because they are slippery.

My kids also have keens. I really like Keens, but my daughter's feet stink in them. I wash them and the smell comes back. Probably has stinky feet, but I have more of a problem with these than any other shoes.

Do they make kids' fitflops? I love fitflops. In the summer when I have to stand for 4 hours as a timer at a swim meet they are the only shoes I can wear. Regular flip flops do not have enough support for me to walk in. I don't buy into the nonsense that they are toning my legs though.

 

[ambiancetc]

THAT cracked me up!! You're a "dressy" family but you're going to put crocs on your kids' feet????

The best style of Crocs: NONE. They're hideous looking plastic shoes.

Why not get your kids some nice leather sandals?

I should probably have better explained the situation in my original post. I am not at all familiar with the nicer shoe brands. Unless I can find them on clearance for under $5 a pair they don't come home with me (or didn't). We simply have not had the money (the hospital has all of it) So to us, Gap tennies were an upgrade from Walmart ones. (If I could get them on clearance) It has been cheaper to sew the girl's sundresses and at least LOOK like we we live above the proverty level. So perhaps because we were so poor it has been more important to me that we all looked put together, well groomed, coordinated etc... (Do people really put athletic sandals with sundresses these days?!?)

Last year I'd have LOVED to just pop out and buy several different pairs of leather $25-$45 shoes for all three of my kids 3 times a year (they grow fast!). Perhaps they'd have actually liked wearing them more often too! Thankfully, we are not handing our paychecks over to the doctors as much this year and we can afford more, like a vacation and bit more expensive shoes. I read a lot of old posts looking for recommendations on here and so many people suggested Crocs I thought they deserved a google search. I don't like the look of the traditional ones (the ones I remember DID look like cheap plastic and ugly as sin) but the newer, strappy, sandal styles looked nice. I don't get out to shop and see things in real life much so how am I supposed to know they don't look as nice as they do online? To be honest, I'm still getting used to spending as much on shoes for all three as I do on two weeks of groceries. Do I think $5 shoes are good for my kids feet? Heck no! But it was better than no shoes at all. Now, I'm looking for a comfortable flip flop for around the pool and short trips and a comfortable sandal for the 4-5 hours we'll spend at a time in the parks. I have to get all 6 pairs for under $150 if I am to stay on budget. (yep, still getting used to spending money!)

I would still like their shoes to be dressier vs athletic as we are not an athletic family and more money or not, if I am going to squeeze two trips to the world this year out of our budget they are going to have to match their current wardrobe

I do appreciate the recommendations you all have given. Very helpful to start me on my search. Maybe I'll schedule an evening out so I can see some of these shoes in person before finding a good deal on 6pm.com

As an aside, just because some of you can spend a mint on footwear every year doesn't mean everyone else can, sometime we just have to get the best we can afford at the time

 

[NYCDiane]

I would just be more careful in what I put on my kids' feet. Crocs are not only hideous looking but they are NO GOOD for kids' feet. Neither are flip flops or Uggs.

Get them some sandals with a decent arch support.

 

[Tiger926]

I should probably have better explained the situation in my original post. I am not at all familiar with the nicer shoe brands. Unless I can find them on clearance for under $5 a pair they don't come home with me (or didn't). We simply have not had the money (the hospital has all of it) So to us, Gap tennies were an upgrade from Walmart ones. (If I could get them on clearance) It has been cheaper to sew the girl's sundresses and at least LOOK like we we live above the proverty level. So perhaps because we were so poor it has been more important to me that we all looked put together, well groomed, coordinated etc... (Do people really put athletic sandals with sundresses these days?!?)

Last year I'd have LOVED to just pop out and buy several different pairs of leather $25-$45 shoes for all three of my kids 3 times a year (they grow fast!). Perhaps they'd have actually liked wearing them more often too! Thankfully, we are not handing our paychecks over to the doctors as much this year and we can afford more, like a vacation and bit more expensive shoes. I read a lot of old posts looking for recommendations on here and so many people suggested Crocs I thought they deserved a google search. I don't like the look of the traditional ones (the ones I remember DID look like cheap plastic and ugly as sin) but the newer, strappy, sandal styles looked nice. I don't get out to shop and see things in real life much so how am I supposed to know they don't look as nice as they do online? To be honest, I'm still getting used to spending as much on shoes for all three as I do on two weeks of groceries. Do I think $5 shoes are good for my kids feet? Heck no! But it was better than no shoes at all. Now, I'm looking for a comfortable flip flop for around the pool and short trips and a comfortable sandal for the 4-5 hours we'll spend at a time in the parks. I have to get all 6 pairs for under $150 if I am to stay on budget. (yep, still getting used to spending money!)

I would still like their shoes to be dressier vs athletic as we are not an athletic family and more money or not, if I am going to squeeze two trips to the world this year out of our budget they are going to have to match their current wardrobe

I do appreciate the recommendations you all have given. Very helpful to start me on my search. Maybe I'll schedule an evening out so I can see some of these shoes in person before finding a good deal on 6pm.com

As an aside, just because some of you can spend a mint on footwear every year doesn't mean everyone else can, sometime we just have to get the best we can afford at the time

Well, that info would have pertinent in your first post.

Since budget is a concern, I wouldn't waste money on overpriced plastic Crocs. You should look for supportive shoes that are going to serve your needs.

If I were in your position, I would spend the money on the shoes that they are going to spend most time in. Buy cheap flip flops for the pool, as they aren't needing support in that case.

Good luck in your shoe shopping search and enjoy your vacations!

Tiger

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I should probably have better explained the situation in my original post. I am not at all familiar with the nicer shoe brands. Unless I can find them on clearance for under $5 a pair they don't come home with me (or didn't). We simply have not had the money (the hospital has all of it) So to us, Gap tennies were an upgrade from Walmart ones. (If I could get them on clearance) It has been cheaper to sew the girl's sundresses and at least LOOK like we we live above the proverty level. So perhaps because we were so poor it has been more important to me that we all looked put together, well groomed, coordinated etc... (Do people really put athletic sandals with sundresses these days?!?)

Last year I'd have LOVED to just pop out and buy several different pairs of leather $25-$45 shoes for all three of my kids 3 times a year (they grow fast!). Perhaps they'd have actually liked wearing them more often too! Thankfully, we are not handing our paychecks over to the doctors as much this year and we can afford more, like a vacation and bit more expensive shoes. I read a lot of old posts looking for recommendations on here and so many people suggested Crocs I thought they deserved a google search. I don't like the look of the traditional ones (the ones I remember DID look like cheap plastic and ugly as sin) but the newer, strappy, sandal styles looked nice. I don't get out to shop and see things in real life much so how am I supposed to know they don't look as nice as they do online? To be honest, I'm still getting used to spending as much on shoes for all three as I do on two weeks of groceries. Do I think $5 shoes are good for my kids feet? Heck no! But it was better than no shoes at all. Now, I'm looking for a comfortable flip flop for around the pool and short trips and a comfortable sandal for the 4-5 hours we'll spend at a time in the parks. I have to get all 6 pairs for under $150 if I am to stay on budget. (yep, still getting used to spending money!)

I would still like their shoes to be dressier vs athletic as we are not an athletic family and more money or not, if I am going to squeeze two trips to the world this year out of our budget they are going to have to match their current wardrobe

I do appreciate the recommendations you all have given. Very helpful to start me on my search. Maybe I'll schedule an evening out so I can see some of these shoes in person before finding a good deal on 6pm.com

As an aside, just because some of you can spend a mint on footwear every year doesn't mean everyone else can, sometime we just have to get the best we can afford at the time

While I like crocs for certain things like when my kids run around at the camper but don't want want to tie up tennis shoes I would not recommend them as the primary footwear. They are not cheap and in fact leather sandals can be purchased for nearly the same price and are more practical and versatile. Crocs are fun for occasional wear and I just bought some for our upcoming trip (and our seasonal) because I don't like leather getting wet but they are not the safest shoes and not the cheapest especially for a limited budget. However crocs is offering free shipping and 20% off for new customers who sign up for their newsletter

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[hsmamato2]

why not buy a pair of crocs to try first,then decide if you want them for your kids...... they are very comfortable and casual shoes, I never have sore feet when walking in them, however I don't think of them as dressy..... and they ARE slippery on the bottom on wet pavement. Very slippery,especially as the tread wears down. I don't consider them 'unsafe', but you have to be careful. one thing I will say,you should NEVER take shoes to WDW that aren't tried and true for you...it isn't a good place to give shoes a test run

 

[hsmamato2]

FWIW, I still have a ton of crocs from years past but my fave summer shoe is Teva mush flipflops...... when i wear my sneakers for a long day I get sore feet,crocs and TEva..no problems! (except for slippery pavement) and crocs are the best shoe when you camp IMHO