Tennis shoes that are properly laced provide protection and safety

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Advocate safe summer shoes for kids to keep feet safe and moving

When brightly colored plastic shoes, flip flops and unlaced shoes are on the top of the agenda, safe summer shoes for kids may take a heroic effort on your part.

Kids, as well as many adults, love nothing better than kicking off their shoes and running around barefoot when the weather is accommodating. It may require some masterful conniving on your behalf to get shoes on the feet of your offspring.

It is in the best interest of the child to protect his feet by wearing safe summer footwear. Wearing shoes can prevent cuts from broken glass or sticks, bee stings, splinters, stepping on hot coals discarded from a summer BBQ and other injuries related to summer-time activities.

We spend much more time outdoors during the good weather months so the chances of injuring our feet, particularly when we are gallivanting around barefoot, increases exponentially. The great outdoors is a fabulous place but there are built in hazards.

Crocs are a very popular shoe among children, especially during the summer. This type of footwear is comfortable, soft, lightweight, odor resistant, gripping and does not make marks on floors. There are certainly benefits to this type of footwear. However, there is a time and place for Crocs and, as a parent, you need to remind your child that some shoes are inappropriate and can be downright dangerous when engaging in certain activities.

When a child is playing softball or engaged in any kind of physically active event, she should not wear sandals or flip flops. A sturdy sport shoe is much safer. Look for kids summer shoes specially designed for each sport. Tennis shoes that are laced firmly will provide your child with protection and support. Traditional tennis shoes, also called sneakers or gym shoes, are a good option for summertime safety. They often come in fun colors and fabrics, and are built for play and physical activity.

However, if your child routinely does not lace his tennis shoes this is going to create a whole other set of hazards. Try using "lace-keeps" or remember to tie a double-knot. A well-fitting slip-on sneaker is an excellent solution for sloppy laces.

If your child is taking a boat ride or playing at the beach, rubber shoes like Crocs are fine, but these generally fit loosely and can fall off, causing a child to trip. Buy your child water slippers or dock shoes that will protect his feet from needles, crabs, glass, burns and seashells.

Compared to going barefoot or wearing flip-flops, Crocs and other slip-on shoes do afford protection to the foot as well as provide cushion and some arch support. The holes in Crocs prevent feet from sweating and the antimicrobial properties of Crocs lessen the chances that a child will get an infection in his foot. Crocs do not work well in the rain. Advise your child not to wear his Crocs when it is raining because his feet are going to get soaked and he may slip - inside his shoes!

Be especially cognizant of toddler feet because it does not take much to irritate them. Even though toddlers love to walk in the sand, because it feels gritty and stimulating, hot sand can fry their feet in no time at all. Burnt soles will put a quick end to your beach holiday. Prevent this from happening. Insist that your baby wear her water shoes or sturdy waterproof sandals, especially when it is extremely hot and when she is in the sand.

Velcro sandals, as well as sling back sandals, provide some protection to little feet. Canvas shoes are a good choice because of the protection factor that they provide as well as allowing air to freely move through the fabric, which will keep feet cool and prevent sweating and stinky feet.

Regardless of what safe summer footwear that you ultimately chose for your child, have his foot measured so you can get him proper fitting shoes. Don't forget that one foot is often larger than the other, especially in growing children, so you must buy a shoe that accommodates the larger foot.