One Summer Shoe My Picky Kid Actually Loves (And I Don’t Have to Argue About)

Trying to find summer shoes for my kids has become one of life’s persistent questions.

They need shoes they’ll wear, are appropriate for the activity at hand, and aren’t a huge pain for us to get onto their feet. 

That’s proved harder than it sounds.

The Shoe Battle Was Infuriating

Our kids move constantly between the house, the yard, the woods, the creek, their bikes, and whatever other activity they find—sometimes approved, oftentimes not. And very rarely does one pair of shoes seem right for all of it.

Long ago, we mostly gave up on the idea of protecting shoes for school and designating others for outdoor play. The shoe battle was too exhausting. We started settling for any shoe our son would willingly put on, with bonus points if he could do it himself.

But there were limits. He loved his rain boots because they were fast and easy to put on, and they're great for mud, but they slipped on bike pedals, especially when wet. He loved the high tops we intended for school, but we hated when he decided to wear them into the creek. And the hardest battles came when he suddenly changed activities and the shoes that were fine became immediately inappropriate.

Then we found the KEEN Newport H2 sandal.

Keen

KEEN Kids' Newport H2 Sandals

Best Kids Water Sandal

$60.00

What We Love

• • Closed toe protects against rocks, roots, bike pedals, and playground stumbles
• • Works for water play, light hikes, camp, and everyday summer use
• • Grippy rubber outsole handles wet and uneven surfaces
• • Secure bungee-and-strap closure
• • Machine washable
• • Durable enough for hand-me-down use

Worth Knowing

• • Heavier and bulkier than minimalist sandals
• • Takes longer to dry than lighter water shoes
• • Can hold odor if worn wet and not dried fully
• • Younger toddlers may need help getting them on
• • Runs warmer than open sandals

Read Review →Check Price - REI

It is a water-ready sandal with much of the protection of a regular shoe, and that combination changed the summer shoe equation immediately. It was rugged enough for bike rides, playing in the woods and on rock piles, and long playground sessions. It handled the creek better than sneakers (and they’re machine-washable!), with enough toe protection for everything from kickball to the jump lines on our backyard pump track.

He Actually Wears Them

Of course, none of that would matter if he refused to wear them.

Mercifully, our son loves them. That may mean he tries to wear them to places where water sandals don’t match the preferred dress code, but I would rather negotiate over KEENs at dinner than watch nice shoes disappear into the creek.

They also come in enough colors and styles that even picky kids have a decent chance of finding a pair they like, at least according to their taste that day.

Not Perfect, But Good Enough in Most Places

The Newport H2 is not the panacea of kids shoes. It does not have the same cushioning or support as a good sneaker. It is bulkier and slower to dry than a minimalist water shoe. And it does not provide the same full-foot coverage as a traditional shoe.

But sometimes the best products are not the ones that win every category. They are the ones that work well enough in more situations and reduce the friction around getting out the door.

That is what the Newport H2 did for us. It cut down on shoe changes, reduced arguments, and gave our son one pair of summer shoes that could handle bikes, playgrounds, creeks, and whatever else the day turned into.

If you have an active kid who is always outside, this is the summer shoe I would start with.