Whether it is weekend trips to the beach or fun and sun in a pool, it is definitely a good idea to invest in children's beach shoes for your young ones. Not only do beach shoes protect your child's feet from unforeseen injuries, they also give them protection against one of the most commonly spread summer conditions known as plantar warts that bare feet pick up in publicly used places.
Children's beach shoes, also called aqua shoes or wet and dry shoes, come in many different types and styles, though one thing remains the same, and that is they can be worn in water and out of water. Beach shoes are made from light and porous material that allows the shoe to float should it slip off in the water, and they are stretchable for a comfortable fit. The bottom of the shoe is durable and has traction grip for protecting the soles while preventing slips.
What to Look for
Again, there are so many different styles and types of children's beach shoe on the market today, but the standard beach shoe you would look for should be ones that serve the dual purpose of being a wet and dry shoe. This way your child does not have to take off the shoes at the beach, and many public pools will allow children to wear certain types of aqua shoes right into the pool or at least on the pool deck. Having this dual purpose can prevent common injuries that occur to children's feet at beaches and pools such as stepping on glass on the beach or a broken shell in the water or scraping a foot on the rough bottom of a pool.
Beach shoes can be your light weight "flip-flop," which are inexpensive, but do not offer all that much safety for the foot. Flip-flops can protect the bottom of the foot; however, there is little coverage anywhere else. They tend to slip off easy in water, and can be a irritating between the toe due to the way they are worn, and often contribute to blistering and skin break-down between the toes from the friction during walking.
Another type of children's beach shoe is the ever growing popular "clog" type of shoe. These shoes are made from light weight material and cover the bottom and top of the foot. Some forms of the "clog" type of beach shoe have a strap that goes around the back of the foot, which will prevent them from slipping off. The bottoms have good traction, and they come is a variety of colors.
There are also aqua shoes that look like a slip on sneaker without the laces. This type of beach shoe has soles that are rubber just like a sneaker, and the shoe part is made of water durable material like neoprene, which allows water an air to flow through. This type of slip on beach shoe is the most durable and offers the best foot protection when worn in and out of water.
When looking for any type of children's beach shoe, you will want to make sure they fit properly and not too snug. Having a snug beach shoe will be a sure way to an unwanted blister and boo-boo. Besides proper fit, make sure the beach shoe is durable, lightweight and has good traction.
Common Pitfalls
Children's beach shoes sometimes slip off in the water, and this can cause a young child to panic and wade in to deep water. Make sure to teach your child about water safety and that the beach shoe is not really that important, get an adult to help get the shoe. The downside to the dual wet and dry function of beach shoes is that after they become wet, the beach sand will clump to it; but, they can easily be cleaned off.
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