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Get Out and Play with Keen

June 26, 2009 By 5 Comments



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My son was two years old and was running with open toe sandals and his big toe was ripped right off. Ouch. Ever since then I have become a fan, through and through, of the Keen Sandal for kids. The big toe is 100% protected and mom is happy. Yes, these are expensive. Yes, children out grow shoes quickly BUT here is what I have learned…

You can’t walk well when cardboard or blocks are strapped to your feet.


My kids have legs, hips and developing bodies and shoes are very important in helping them to develop. I am not a doctor but I do know that when my son wears his cheap work boots or slip on garden shoes for the day he tells me at night his knee hurts or legs hurt. I asked his doctor about this and she was very specific in telling me that my child can wear cheap clothing but they need good shoes and not just for looks.

I’m a believer and my choice for kids happens to be Keen. We probably have 6 pairs between my two children in the last few years and each pair through the wear and tear look brand new. They wash up well and boy can my kids run in these shoes. They wear them in the lakes, streams and pool and I’m comfortable with the tread and quality…oh and the toes are protected! What I love more than anything is that they can be used from year to year and that saves me money and that is green! I’m not so sure the shoe itself is eco-friendly but the company is.They call their thinking social responsibility or HybridLife. From the companies website…

At KEEN, we believe in encouraging everyone to create, play, and care…for us it’s a way of life, we call it HybridLife.

However, living the HybridLife also comes with a very real sense of responsibility, reliability, and transparency. Internally, we have challenged ourselves to consider each choice we make, because once we re-think our options and when we take that first step, all sorts of new possibilities appear.

When most companies are giving away luxury trips Keen is giving away a trip to Africa to volunteer. Yes, a trip where you volunteer your time and give to others instead of enjoying the spa or thinking of yourself. How cool is that giveaway???

Check out some Keen’s we have at our home and get shopping for safe toes, quality shoes and from a company that cares!





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  • Petra

    Isn’t this being a bit paranoid? Is this product preying on your fears? I taught in elementary schools in Japan where kids do track and field without shoes on sandy tracks. Isn’t it much better to let them grow into their bodies instead of growing into accessories?

  • http://www.Greenertrends.com Kate

    You bring up some great points here and I have to say I follow them as well. Definitely better to spend more money on shoes in the beginning and spend less money on injuries from bad shoes in the long run :( .

    Kate’s last blog post..Bamboo Bicycle

  • Caroline

    These do have style and comfort going for them! I have a hard time spending a lot on our kids clothes or shoes, but you have a point about proper support. Our kiddos get frequent leg aches and I actually never thought that maybe it is bc of their shoes…we just rub on some Topricinkids pain cream and they feel much better! I love it bc it is natural and it works! I suppose I should also be thinking in terms of prevention too! Thanks for the thoughts! smilinggreenmom

  • Alicia

    My son is 18 months old and I love his Keen sandals for the summer. He is running all over the place and I feel confident that he will not hurt his toes. I absolutely believe that having good shoes for children is very important. My husband has heel spurs from when he was young and not wearing good shoes.

    As for the comment about being barefoot, barefoot is best when kids are learning to walk. I always have my son barefoot in our house. From there, we went to the soft soled shoes. However, now that he is older, we had soft shoes with a better sole for outside play. If we were at a place with just sand, I would let him go barefoot, but unfortunately that is not the case. On our sidewalks, there is glass, nails, and all sort of dangerous items for him to step on. I do encourage him to go barefoot in the grass and on safe surfaces but not in the street. Running barefoot on a sandy track is not the same as going to a public playground with mulch and whatever else on the ground. My child needs his feet protected in these cases.

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