No more burnt tootsies.

Linna and her new Keens outside the pool.

Where would I be without the solicited advice from my fellow moms?! Stressed out and clueless, that's where. The other day, I asked other parents on Facebook what type of footwear they used to keep their children's feet from burning at the pool, beach, etc. We had a couple incidents earlier this month in Singapore, where Linna and her two bare feet wondered onto some HOT ground at the pool. The outcome seriously had a lasting impact on her. Linna's burnt tootsies made her terrified of the ground outside any pool, to the point where she refused to walk without shoes on. Even if I put her bare feet on cold ground and told her to walk to me, she would simply stand there crying, saying "carry" (she wanted me to carry her), and "hot". As my Singapore mom friends will vouch for me, watching this was heartbreaking.

So I set out on a mission to find my little lady some footwear for the pool and beaches we frequent in Singapore. I started out buying a pair of cheap pink Croc-type shoes that Linna actually liked. They were $5 at a mall here in Singapore, and Linna wears them everywhere. The problem with these shoes is that I have to take them on and off Linna's feet as she gets in and out of the pool. Not something I wanted to do long-term.

After I posted my pool foot-wear question on Facebook, a couple moms told me to look at Keen footwear. The moms explained that their children wear their Keens in and out of the pool, and that they last a really long time. How have I never heard of these shoes?! After hearing one mom say that she simply throws her kids Keens in the washer/dryer when they get dirty, I had to try these shoes out for myself. I ordered Linna a pair of the Keen Seacamp CNX (one of the newer designs). I ordered them in a size bigger than she wears now, so she has time to grow into them, instead of growing out of them right away. At about $50 a pair, I want to get as much wear out of them as possible.

Linna and her new Keens in the water.

Linna can literally wear her new Keens anywhere! It took her a couple dips in the pool to get used to having the Keens on her feet while in the water, but now she doesn't even notice them. It's such a stress-relief to know that she can get in and out of the pool without burning her little feet. I mean, if you could have seen her little face when she was terrified of the hot ground at the pool, you'd know that $50 for a pair of shoes is well worth it! When we leave the pool, I simply put the Keens out in the sun to dry. We will be bringing these shoes to our family cabin in Minnesota this summer too, so I don't have to worry about Linna taking her shoes on and off while she's playing in and out of the water. Toddlers are much too busy for that. I also may or may not have gotten myself a pair of the Haven CNX Keens, since I forgot my "walking" shoes back home in Minnesota, and we do a LOT of walking here in Singapore. They are super comfy, and it's like wearing a sock instead of a shoe!

Thank you to all of the fellow moms out there, who gave me advice on what type of shoes to get to deal with our "burnt tootsie" issue! Now I know what to tell other parents who are dealing with the same thing:)