water shoes

If you don't want blisters on the soles of your wee one's feet, there's one style of shoes that work better than the rest.

Water shoes, the soft, flexible, quick-drying slippers that provide traction for your tot on the beach and in the surf leave lil chance for your child's bare feet to touch the hot sand or heated ground around the swimming pool.

While on vacation last week in the desert, my son and daughter trekked around in these lightweight socks ($13) that kept them safe from burns and slipping.

My local playground is filled with children of all ages wearing Crocs. With several styles to choose from, the shoes have become a favorite of parents and tots alike. But watching no fewer than three kids slide right out of their shoes and end up with scraped knees and elbows last weekend, I went on a quest for a functional and fitted waterproof shoe that could easily move between the local park, the sprinkler and the pool.

A quick search brought up more than a few that would serve any active toddler well, including my favorite of the bunch, the Teva Psyclone ($25), pictured in the middle. Its Neoprene fabric is used to manufacture wetsuits, so it dries fast, features a rubber sole and can easily be put on a wet, squirming foot.

Summer means you may (hopefully) be spending a little more time near the water. I tend to move around a lot while I am at the beach, though most of the time I am chasing after my kids in tide pools. Regular flip flops just weren't cutting it...

Keen's Roatan ($35.00) shoe was the perfect match for my active waterside lifestyle. The stretch Neoprene along with the carbon rubber non-marking outsoles make this shoe super comfortable and versatile. If you're on a boat a lot in the summer, these shoes would be great because they won't slip or mark up the boat like a lot of rubber bottomed shoes. Like to Kayak across the lake for a little stroll on the opposite shore? Can't do that barefoot, now can you? The Roatans will take you from kayak to shore easily. They remind me of AquaSocks (ah, remember those), but are way cuter. Buy them online from TrackandTrail.com.