most of the sandals for girls.. (age 9 -shoe size 3) are strappy heeled and more appropriate for a woman than a little girl. Last year I bought my daughter tevas used on ebay.. they were great.. good fit good construction.. held up well all summer.
this year I cant seem to find used tevas.. and the new tevas are 50.. way too much to spend on kid shoes ..
what other brands are similar to teva that are good sandals for active play... for little girls..
We too LOVE LOVE the Saltwater sandals. Worth the investment. My daughter wears hers almost daily and they always make it through an entire summer and the following spring. My SIL buys them for her daughter too. They come in tons of colors.
I buy my kids Land Ends active sandals. They aren't stylish, but they are perfect for active kids.
Keen sandals hold up very well for active kids. A little more expensive, but well worth it.
The Lands' End active sandals. They hold up all summer long for our kids. Buy fast, though, because they sell out quickly.
I've had some from LL Bean and some from Lands End that were more functional than pretty. That being said, they weren't always wowed by them, but they stayed on their feet and were very practical and comfortable. I just made such I got the most girly colors as that was the requirement.
My kids love See Kai Run shoes. They are between $25 to $55 a pair, but unless they out grow them, they will not out wear them! Mine have yet to wear a hole or do any damage to theirs and they do everything in them. I even put the shoes in the washer, but the dryer is a little rough on them.
They are available from the website, seekairun.com if you want to take a look. Also, our orthopedist recommends them as well. Just look under the Kai size as it is for big kids instead of the infant sizes.
Keen makes a water sandal for kids. I have my own (for adults) and wear them all summer. They are sportier-looking; they *stay on*, and they wear well. I buy them a little on the larger side and he usually gets two summers out of them. Because the foot is enclosed, a little extra room doesn't cause problems with fit.
honestly and some won't agree.. but even for active play, I don't think you need much of a rubbery sole.. Flat soled shoes are good because they allow the foot to be more stable (which is great when active) and too... with a wide open toe box, your toes are allowed to properly splay.. which leads me to .... Saltwater sandals .... check em on Zappos.. they come in ALL colors and I think for small kids, they actually do come with a thicker sole.. but even if not.. they are flat, stay put on your feet, which at the same time are cute.. They come in adult sizes too...I should also add that since they have a flat sole, it doesn't wear out like a thick soled might ...
if interested, on nwfootankle.com (check under resources) he the dr has a couple minute video about choosing good shoes for kids.. I found that and all his videos really helpful.
We bought wonderful Timberland sport sandals on Amazon for less than twenty bucks...not the most girly girl, but they have all different colors to choose from. They wash well, have good support, and don't end up smelly after a day of wear. I also have had great success with the Primigi brand of sandals, which if you luck out, you can also find cheap on Amazon...and my daughter got two seasons out the Saltwater sandals. They run about 30 dollars on Amazon. Happy shopping. :)
For active play - sneakers all the way.
