Are Crocs bad for kids' feet?

[MDM]

One of the staff at DD's nursery said so.... Is it true?

Unless they are fighting to keep them on I can't see why- they are more like barefoot walking and " barefoot shoes" which don't contrain feet at all are all the " healthy" thing at the moment for kids feet.

However they aren't " nursery friendly" shoes IMHO. They'll get caught on play equipment or shredded stopping trikes etc and you can't really climb in them.

( unashamed croc fan here!)

you have to rip them with your toes to keep them on -not ideal

grip not rip

I think podiatrists are rubbing their hands with glee or despairing of all the damaged feet they're
going to be treating in the future.

Terrible things, IMO, young feet have very soft bones & need looking after.
Having sad that, my 2 have a pair for going into garden & to wear swimming - never allowed anywhere they have to walk.

They're not like barefoot shoes because barefoot shoes fit very snugly on the feet, whereas crocs are really loose.

I hate them my DD had pair a few summers ago and constantly tripping and falling over. She has friends who wear them all summer and in the hot week at the end of March I took her and two of her friends who are sisters out to the park and they both had primark crocs on both had a size too big and they were slipping everywhere and the elsdest couldnt even walk as they kept falling off. They are ok for the beach etc or on holiday if they fit properly. I always get mine a pair of clarks doodles sandals best lasting summer shoes on the market!!!

They are bad for people's eyes

Seriously, they don't fit the developing feet properly so personally I just wouldn't use them.

They aren't suitable for nursery and in fact are totally banned at ours. You have to have proper shoes for the climbing frame etc.

I think depending on the child's foot and the fit of the croc, they can be OK. My DD usually gets a pair for the summer and wears them on holiday/pool/beach sort of places but if we were going out for the day then she would not be wearing them. My DS never has any because his feet are much too narrow.

as long as they are well fitting i think they are fine, that being said mine have them for the beach and knocking about in the garden but they also have proper shoes and trainers.

if anyone is wanting to buy some my tk maxx had loads of proper crocs at anything from £5-7 a pair! so i got some for ds1, ds2 and ds3 this week, bargain for summer!

Cool. Thanks for your opinions - good to know. My two girls love them and always look comfy in them, but I guess the key is for them not to be in them all the time. I even have a pair myself...., but won't be seen in public in them..... handy for popping the washing out though!

On a related note, can anyone recommend a good kids shoe measurer?

i always take my children to an independent shoe shop to get feet measured, clarks have always been crap and they dont sell shoes wide enough for my boys feet anyway.

i think john lewis and russel bromley also tend to be good :)

Sorry madthings, rather than a shop, I meant the actual device that the staff use the measure the feet. You can buy your own and do at home (we live far away from bug shops), and then order online.

I've seen a few, but the prices vary from £6 to £60. I wondered if anyone had any recommendations?

No real concerns on how they affect children's feet - but a word of warning about other safety issues.

Two of my DDs fell and broke both their ulnar and radius bones (wrist) while running in playground wearing crocs. Accidents happened nine months apart and I initially just put it down to bad luck, not foot ware. Second time in hospital, again requiring manipulation under GA, had a chat with consultant and found out they had had a run of wrist injuries attributed to children wearing crocs, (summer of 2007 when they first became popular.)

Conclusion - great for beach, not for running about in ( probably obvious to most )

I'm a podiatrist.

They dont grip on the foot over the bridge of the foot so the toes will curl over as they walk to grip on the shoe. Not good for the foot at all.

Kids need proper sandals which fasten over the foot with velcro or a buckle. There is plenty of time for them to wear damaging shoes when they are older, I've had 7 year olds with corns from badly fitting shoes.

Dont even get me started on little girls in heels, ballet flats and heeled boots. Just dont, we'll be here all day.

Spam off @JohnParet786