The Summer Shoes Strategist Parents Buy for Their Kids

Keen Newport sandals are a supremely popular summer sandal thanks to the durable sole with a reinforced closed toe and water-ready straps made of layered nylon and neoprene.New Yorkfeatures editor Julia Edelstein has two sons ages 9 and 11, and both have worn a version of the Newports every summer since they were about 4 years old. “While my almost 12-year-old no longer has a pair (though I may wind up buying him one too), my 9-year-old is still a huge fan,” Edelstein says. “I prefer the Keens overKanes— which, are, admittedly, a great shoe — because they are adjustable. Ours last all summer and into the following winter or spring break, and hold up very well as hand-me-downs. My kids wear them out and about, by the pool, to the beach, and even to do light sports; the closed toe makes even some casual soccer passable,” she adds.

Strategist deputy editor Simone Kitchens and I both prefer Keen’s Seacamp sandals over the Newport because the sole is thinner and more flexible making them easier to get on and off and less likely to cause little kids to trip. They are just as grippy as the Newport and just as good in water, so they’re my 3.5-year-old son’s go-to shoes for camp and playgrounds. His pair is turquoise, black, and slime green, and he wears them with and without socks. Kitchens says they are good for most of her 4-year-old daughter’s activities, though not tough enough for biking as she still uses her feet to brake.

“We’ve had a pair of these for the past few summers,” says Kitchens explaining that they are good buckle practice shoes that come in two sole thicknesses; they went with the chunkier soles this year. “I try to give her extra time to do them herself,” Kitchens says.

Kitchens’s daughter also has a pair of sandals from Ten Little, which she wears “more like water shoes — going to the pool, water day at camp, splash pad.” Like the Keens they are closed toe with lots of vents but Kitchens says they’re “a smidge easier to wiggle wet feet into after the pool.”

These are my son’s alternate water shoes, which we leave in his cubby at camp for water days. We are on our third pair now, and when he was smaller they were his main summer shoes. I love how easy they are to clean, plus they are surprisingly durable; we have handed all of ours down even after near daily wear.

Yang’s daughter likes the Birkenstock Arizona EVAs because they provide plenty of ventilation to her feet, are comfortable enough to walk long distances in (she’s even worn them on hikes, to Yang’s dismay), and if they get muddy, they’re easy to wash clean. “They’re beach shoes, go-out-to-eat shoes, run-errands shoes. They’re pretty much the only shoes she’s worn for the past two summers except if she’s playing a sport or needs more toe protection,” Yang says.

Tuber told me that her daughter has been wearing a version of these Cat & Jack mary-jane sneakers every day this summer. “They’re so cheap, and I think she’s in the middle of a growth spurt, so I don’t care if they get absolutely destroyed at camp or if she grows out of them in a month. Cheap meaning affordable — they hold up pretty well,” she says.

Several Strategist kids have either worn Ten Little shoes in the past or are still wearing them now. Kitchens likes this style for summer because they look nice and are easy to throw on with or without socks. The only caveat is that they’re not ideal “for sporty or watery things,” Kitchens says.

Kitchens is also a fan of these Velcro sneakers from Stonz. (My son has tested a pair and loved them too.) “The cork footbed is super cushy and breathable and the big Velcro flap makes them easy to put on and go,” Kitchens says.

“We call these ‘car shoes’ and we’ve probably gone through ten pairs of them since my daughter started walking,” says Kitchens. “She rides her pedal bike in sneakers, and since she’s still mastering the hand brake, she usually drags her feet to slow down. The little rubber bumper has held up through that.”

Ro introduced me to the Saucony Jazz, and my son has gone through three pairs over the last couple years; we just keep sizing up as his feet grow. Ro says they’re also a favorite for her 4-year-old son: “comfortable, cute, and the Velcro always stays sticky,” she says. “A great value, too.”

More recently Ro’s younger has been testing these Rothy’s sneakers and loves them. She says the material is nice and flexible but also feels sturdy and they are easy enough to put on. “The tongue kind of gets squished when the foot goes in so you do have to hold it. But otherwise I have no complaints,” she says. “He calls them his Sonic shoes because they are the color of Sonic and he thinks that makes him fast.”

Yang’s daughter has been wearing kids’ Sambas for the last three years. “They’re her main school shoe — kids are only permitted to wear sneakers — and work well for P.E. She’s worn them at sleepaway camp and pretty much everywhere else,” Yang says.

Trolio’s 8-year-old loves these slip-on Sketchers so much that Trolio has repurchased them multiple times. “I wish they came in a bigger size, I would buy the next two pairs ahead,” Trolio says. “She’s picky about her shoes, and now she’s wearing the biggest size they come in. When she grows out of them I’m going to have to start over again.”

When Ro tested these New Balance sneakers for her 7-year-old, they quickly became his main shoes during the school year. While they aren’t her personal favorite style from the brand, they are well made and durable, she says. “He’s also wornBOAsandRave Run sneakersfrom New Balance. I would buy the BOA again,” Ro adds, but cautions that the Rave Run’s Velcro loses its stickiness immediately and makes the shoes unwearable: “He will be running and the shoes will fly off his feet.”

“I regret to share that the price on these appears to have increased since I bought them a few months ago, but no fashion purchase has ever delighted my 11-year-old son like this one did,” says Edelstein of thse Nike basketball shoes, adding that if you sign up for a Nike membership, you can get a pretty good discount on them. Her son got very into basketball this past school year, and wanted real basketball shoes for the championship game in his rec league. “He picked these out at the Nike store; they are his prized possession, and they look great on. He says they’re super comfortable and he plays his absolute best in them,” she says.

Edelstein’s 9-year-old son loves these gorp-y sneakers, which he got about a month ago for summer. “They are very easy for him to slip his foot into, but they’re also very durable. The neon laces are a delight! I’d say these are all-purpose sneakers — great for camp, weekend jaunts to the ice cream parlor, and more,” Edelstein says.

Yang’s 10.5-year-old daughter has had two successive pairs of these Nikes for playing basketball from the ages of 8 to 10; they’re comfortable and supportive for her wide feet.