[nzsewist]

It is spring here in the southern hemisphere now, so I am starting to think about spring/summer shoes for my girls. N has well and truly grown out of the sandals she wore last summer and L’s feet aren’t big enough for the ones her big sister wore when she was this age.

I had noticed salt water sandals popping up in a few modelled photos in the flickr pool so wanted to ask your opinions on them. They aren’t readily available in New Zealand. Only a couple of brick and mortar shoe stores stock them and charge more than NZ$100 for them (approx US$65)! I can buy them second hand or new online though for a fair price.

I used a printable size guide from the salt water website and N would need a size 10 (she is about to turn 4) and L would need a size 5 (she will be 2 in January).

Those of you who are familiar with these sandals…

Do they end up getting very scuffed?
Do kids find them comfortable?
Do they last more than one child?
Is the open toe style ok for toddlers or do they just end up stubbing their toes?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts. 🙂

[Nicole]

As someone who spends a lot of money on children’s shoes I feel qualified to answer 😉

They are awesome!
My American galpals put me on to them. I can buy them new for about $70 AUS, which is half the cost of the Gavarlin shoes I was sending them to school in and they last so well.

They don’t scuff, we clean them at night with a wet one ( inside and out, a quick wipe) they do hand down, in fact they just soften up and feel nicer to wear.

Buy them a wee bit big and toes stubbing is not a problem.

All my girls wear them.

~Nicole~

[Tamara]

I have just a had a wee look at what you are talking about with regards to these sandals and price etc. They look to be available in Australia for the same as what you say they are in the US. What is the exchange rate like between the Aussie and NZ currencies? I thought they were pretty much on par but admit I haven’t checked that out lately.

You could get them from Australia for much less than $100 because kids grow out of their shoes so fast, personally I think that is too much to pay for kids shoes (and here I am spending close to $300 on shoes for my nearly teen because she has hard to fit feet). $69.95 sounds reasonable but like you say you want to know they are actually worth the money.

Unfortunately, I am not able to see for myself to tell you. But I would say they look good they look pretty and they look as though the different styles can suit the differing needs of developing feet.

That said, I hope someone jumps on and says they have them in their kids’ wardrobes and that they are worth every cent.

[nzsewist]

Ha ha @motherof5! I bet a shoe store sales person would get rather excited if you walked in with all of your kids in tow! 🙂 Thank you for your thoughts on the salt waters. It sounds like the marketing talk behind them actually plays out in real life!

@justsewit I can buy them online new for NZ$65 and I’ve even found some second hand pairs online that are my girls’ sizes for NZ$45. It is tricky isn’t it balancing out getting good shoes for our kids without spending the earth. I will happily spend NZ$100 on a pair of well made leather boots for them in winter but I can’t bring myself to spend that much on summer sandals when there are much less materials and construction to them.

[juliamom2009]

I love them as well – my daughter is on her 3rd pair…that have now sadly been chewed through by our puppy. I am going to stitch them together however….but they totally last; I hand them down to our friends when outgrown and they really look brand new. Super comfortable (per my kid) – sad though that she can’t wear sandals to school.

[Tamara]

Are they a standard width though? I found that Clarks were the only shoe my kids could wear because the size and width were fitting. With a standard width we would have to go up several sizes and then they’d look like clown shoes. Both my older ones are now in adult sizes!

I have been referred to this place for more grown up type shoes for my eldest https://www.shoesofprey.com. Such fun designing pretty shoes and it means we are not stuck wearing sneakers in summer!

I am so glad they last well. It means that with multiple kids the shoe budget doesn’t have to be so exorbitant. Hope you manage to get the new ones @ann-maree as they sound well worth it.

[Sarvi]

Nicole is spot on. You could run them over with a tractor and they’d still look good. They were my favorite shoes to wear as a child, and now my kid always has a pair. She doesn’t give them the same hard wear I did since she’s usually wearing school shoes, but I’ve never known a pair to give out before being outgrown.

[nzsewist]

@sarvi That is the best shoe recommendation I’ve ever heard! Did the tractor incident actually happen!? 😉

@justsewit That website looks quite fun.

[Liesl Gibson]

We’re huge fans, too. S has worn them since she could walk. We buy a pair every spring and they last and last.

[Sarvi]

Haha, I wish the tractor incident had happened, it would make a great story! I’m afraid it’s a hyperbolic tractor 🙂

[lilypadmontana]

My daughter and I love these sandals! I’ve been getting her a new pair each spring for the last 3 years and each year she wears them to death. They are very comfortable and never cause blisters, they don’t wear out easily, and they can be easily cleaned. One time we even got a ton of sap on a pair (white ones) and i thought for sure they were stained for good. All I had to do was wipe them off and then leave them in the sun and the stains were totally gone. Also the re-sale on these is great! I’ve only one daughter so I sell her shoes after she outgrows them and always get a great price. Buy them. Go do it now 😉

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by lilypadmontana.

[with love Heidi]

Does anyone know how these sandals hold up to being worn to the swimming pool?
I’m looking for something nicer than my fake crocs to wear, so I look more dressed up after my daily swim 🙂

[cybele727]

Goodness me. I hope I remember in our spring. Our long time local children’s show shop closed. I had the darnedest time finding my girl even sneakers because no one “fits” kids anymore. She’s literally got one pair of shoes (not counting ballet, tap, and cleats). And I’m willing to spend a fair amount on decent shoes. My kids feet grow slow. WeeGee is almost 6 and only a 10. Mr Sunshine is 9 and wears a 1.5.

[Tamara]

Don’t I know that dilemma well @cybele727. We don’t even have kids shoes in a proper shoe shop near us! We have to go to Target 😱 and even then I don’t, simply because they don’t fit and I hate having to try on every pair of shoes in the department to try and find something that does! That’s why I’d be interested to know if they cater for wider feet and not just standard b fitting. We’d be able to squeeze Imogen into a 9 ladies if they were wider.

The green eyed momster comes out when I see the pretty shoes girls with “normal sized” feet get to wear!

[Tamara]

😂 whoops I meant Monster!