Found! The Perfect Shoes for Backyard Adventures

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Critts

We're lucky to have quite a large backyard at our house here in Colorado, especially while we're all at home all day at the moment. The space we have means we've been able to put in lots of fun things for the kids including swings, a climbing structure and a trampoline. We've also been able to plant a veggie garden at home for the first time in almost a decade. 

 

But, while our yard has plenty of room for all these things, there's one thing that's not so fun about it: the hard and lumpy ground! Our grass might look lush and green, but the clay soil underneath it is so hard and lumpy that it rather hurts to walk on without shoes. The landscaped areas of our yard aren't much better with either river rocks (which aren't all smooth), sharp and scratchy bark, or thick ground covering conifer plants. Heading out into the backyard to play or do a little gardening always means grabbing a pair of shoes first.

Now, putting on a pair of shoes to walk out to the trampoline or swings wouldn't be too much of a problem if my kids wore flip flops or some other sort of easy to slide on shoes that we could keep by the back door. Nope, not my kids! Neither Lola or Mathilde will wear flip flops, even for just walking out to the trampoline. They want to wear something covered which means they always end up wearing their regular shoes - and that means putting socks on first too because they refuse to wear shoes without socks. 

When it comes to slip on options for my kids, I hadn't had much luck finding anything that worked for them. Crocs seem like a good idea, but they're incredibly wide and never stay on. I usually wear clogs when I go out into the backyard, but the hard soles aren't so comfy for little feet. Plus my kids usually struggle to keep their feet in clog-like shoes unless there's a back - and then they want socks. 

I finally found a solution when I came across Critts.  

Flip Critts are a comfy slip on shoe that tick all the boxes I was looking for. They slide on and off easily, they have covered toes and comfy soles, and they stay on while walking. They're the perfect shoes for kids - because they were designed by a kid!  

Critts were designed by 11 year old Carter "Critt" Waugh. Just like my kids, he struggled to find a decent slip on shoe for outdoor adventures, so he decided to design his own. Critts feature the comfort of a memory foam insole, the stability of a vibram outsole, a leather wrapped foot bed to prevent blisters and sweating, a fully covered toe, and a toe bar like you'd find in flip flops to keep feet in place. They're weather proof and easy to clean making them perfect for adventures in the backyard, park,  beach, lake or where ever your little feet go.

Lola keeps her Critts by the back door ready to slip on to head out to the trampoline or veggie patch. She can slip them off easily again when she gets to the trampoline and keep them on the side - the kids are super strict about the "no shoes on the trampoline" rule! 

Critts come in a large range of colors and feature cute critter shaped ventilation holes for breathability. As you can see, Lola went for black with bat shaped holes. No surprise there! She is her mother's daughter!

Want a pair of Flip Critts for your little critters? Or maybe for yourself? Critts have just launched a Kickstarter which you can find here. There is great early bird pricing so get in quick! I'm thinking I need to get a pair for all of the kids as well as myself.