Am I too granola for crocs for my 2.5 yo?

[ellyflowers]

We had some hand-me-down crocs that my toddler wore all the time. We live in Hawaii so I need something that is easy to get on and off and comfortable when it’s hot. Now he’s grown out of the crocs but I’m having hesitation about buying a size up. As far as plastic pollution, I’d try to buy used on Mercari so I’m not really adding more plastic to the world… But what about phthalates or other chemicals in plastic touching my son’s skin? I don’t put hot food in plastic but we’re not super strict about no plastic anything.

Anyways should I care about the plastic on his skin? Or what’s a great alternative to crocs that’s not plastic?

Thought I’d come here with my waffling granola overthinking? Confused if this is something I should care about lol

 

[lazhar]

@ellyflowers My bff is a ped dentist and says all the kids coming in because of falls are wearing Crocs. They're very unstable shoes I guess. My kid loves Keens and Merrells!

 

[racheldiane]

@lazhar Apparently part of it is because they are designed as deck shoes and are too anti slip for running or walking in normal floors. The shoes stay put when the kid doesn’t. They are good for the time around potty training if your kid has lots of accidents that pool in their shoes.

 

[pasquale]

@lazhar I was just going to say this. They’re dangerous because of the tripping hazard.

 

[katrina2017]

@ellyflowers What about Teva’s? They’re kinda strappy but that might be a good thing for a little one outdoors. I have a pair and I really like them. They seem to be a pretty decent company (I’m sure somebody could prove me wrong though lol)

 

[shiney77]

@katrina2017 i just was thinking both myself and my daughter (1) will need some nice walking sandals and this brand came to mind! you like them?

lol, we both got crocs as a gift for her first birthday/easter, and i have honestly not even considered wearing them outside the yard. they're impossible to walk in! but i have very narrow feet. i see kids running around in crocs at the park that appear to fit much better than mine, but i'm still always surprised.

 

[ganner]

@shiney77 I’ve had my Tevas for almost 8 years at this point and they’re still going strong. They’re my go to summer shoe, I’ve worn them on planes (with socks lol), and they’ve really stood the test of time. I love them for adults, idk if I would spend the money for kids that’ll grow out of them before long.

 

[chuck64]

@ganner I've had mine for 12 and they are still my favorite shoe! I also have a pair of their dresier looking boots that I absolutely love.

 

[joaa]

@ganner Target has had some pretty decent knock off Tevas in the past!

 

[bible_follower]

@shiney77 My toddler has Teva Psyclone sandals and does really well in them.

 

[johnhus1966]

@katrina2017 As a kid, my mom loved the daylights out of Tevas, and I wore so many pairs out... but with bony/narrow/long feet, I always struggled with getting blisters in them, no matter how worn-in, plus simultaneously tripping on the tip of the toe and skinning my own toes.

So I'd say tentative yes, but keep in mind they're built for wider/flatter feet.

 

[nateharr]

@ellyflowers I wear more barefoot-style shoes myself, because a lifetime of wearing pointy-toe shoes plus genetics = terrible bunions. I wish I'd been put in them as a kid instead of into conventional shoes so I wouldn't have to rehab my feet in my 30s. I'm specifically trying to put toddler in barefoot-style shoes as much as possible for that reason - so I'd stay away from Crocs just because of the stiffness/ thickness/ and lack of groundfeel. I bet there's some kind of minimalist barefoot style sandals from a crunchy brand out there. (So far my LO is wearing hand-me-downs from a Scandinavian family we know, so I don't know of modern brands to buy right now, apparently barefoot shoes are big in Scandinavian countries).

 

[blueedgar]

@nateharr Check out Softstar shoes!

 

[lpadr009]

@nateharr Barefoot family here. AnyasReviews.com has oodles of options, but my favorite is Soft Walker Shoes on Etsy because it’s a small, woman-owned company that makes superb shoes for $25.

And Pedterra.com has a ton of options and gives free custom advice if you email them.

There are minimalist shoe b/s/t groups on FB including just for kid shoes.

 

[nateharr]

@lpadr009 Thanks, I will look into those!

 

[dak]

@nateharr We prefer baredfoot shoes too. But we also have a pair of crocs to slip into for some quick gardening. I would not let her run around in them a lot or leave the garden, but for traversing through our backyard djungle and playing in her sand house they are great.

 

[desaran]

@ellyflowers What about birkenstocks?

 

[broken26]

@desaran Seconding the recommendation for cork slippers, but maybe do not give the actual company Birkenstock business. It has a long history of busting unions and worker's committees, sexist pay, and being general creeps. In the 90s, for example, they rented 2 empty factory buildings to segregate their pro-union employees from their production line and give them useless, bullshit tasks to break their spirits. They also payed their female employees less until 2013 and had to have their butts sued out of it. By German standards, this is "why do they even still exist" levels of abhorrent.

 

[bible_follower]

@broken26 Wow, I had no idea.

 

[desaran]

@broken26 I did not know that (never bought anything from them myself), thanks for telling us!