Last year my mother-in-law spent an arm and a leg at Nordstroms to get a pair of Newport Keens for both of my girls, age 2 and 4. They lived in them! We live close to the ocean, so these shoes went to the beach, biking, hiking, digging in the garden, you name it! If they get dirty, you hose them off or wash them in the sink and they are as good as new. Toddlers trip over their own feet, but even the toe guard didn't show a single scratch at then end of the season. For parents with kids in preschool, you aren't usually allowed to send your kid to school with open-toed shoes, so these are a great way for them to wear sandals and keep cool, while still following the rules. My kids will ALWAYS have as new pair of Keens every year. The fit and function of the ones I bought this year are no exception to the great quality we experienced last year.