it took me a long time to understand that children's feet grow super fast. also, my son is a beach bum by nature and refused to wear  shoes. then i discovered crocs. then i discovered the closed crocs. they are perfect for a rainy day with socks. now i guess i need to find croc boots for our NC winters. we love them. they are easy to put on they are comfortable and my 5 year old kindergartener says they make him run faster. win win.