Average Cost: $24-$28
Official URL: http://www.polliwalks.com
Sizes: 4-13 +1 & 2
Rating:

Upon first seeing Polliwalks I mistakenly thought that they were just a slightly more playful imitation of the children’s clogs that we see everywhere. They are not. Not even close. These little shoes are in a class all of their own and I like them better than any other children’s sandals or clogs that I’ve come across. My son agrees.

STYLE & CONSTRUCTION

Part toy, part shoe. This was the goal of Polliwalks creator Joel Rusnak who spent his early days in the toy design industry before moving on to become a shoe designer. These shoes show a strong understanding of both industries. Rusnak has managed to create something that is 100% toy without detracting from the functionality one expects of a shoe.

Polliwalks currently come in four styles: Gator (navy/army/lime), ladybug (cherry/fuchsia), duck(yellow/orange/fuchsia) and frog (navy/lime/lilac)

Rather than simply slapping slight variations on the shoe, each shoe has distinct features and slightly different molding that makes each Polliwalks character unique.

Each style of these clogs has an “upper” made of a cartoon-inspired 3D rendition of a different critter, complete with large friendly eyes. The surface of my son’s “Gator” shoes have a subtle alligator-skin pattern across the surface of the gator. The vents on the front imitate the shape of a gator’s sharp teeth. On the sole of the shoe is a “footprinter” pattern that will create fun footprints on the ground after walking through mud or puddles. The Gator footprinter sole leaves gator footprints, along with some lilypads and the polliwalks logo. The soles for the other shoes in the line are similar, leaving the footprints of their respective critters. (There is one exception: The ladybug footprinter leaves behind ladybugs rather than trying to guess what a ladybug footprint itself might look like.) The shoe is held snugly on your child’s foot by a non-adjustable ankle strap.

COMFORT

The soft foam of these shoes seems very comfortable. There are no rough edges inside or outside of the shoe, and when the foam rubs against my son’s skin it doesn’t give him blisters. There is no breaking-in period, these shoes are comfortable from the get-go. The toe area promotes proper development of young feet by allowing the toes to spread out naturally. There is a slight curve to the bottom of the shoe which supports the arch of the foot without being rigid and uncomfortable.

Polliwalks have a strap that goes across the heel that is attached to a joint. The joint is affixed in a way that allows the strap to rotate on the outside of the shoe without causing any rubbing or friction inside of the shoe. Many clogs have a a simpler mechanism which involves a circular joint that is partially inside of the shoe that can rotate and actually pinch your child’s skin.

EASE OF USE/CLEANUP

These shoes are machine washable (not machine dryable) and I tested it out shortly after receiving the shoes. They wash without a problem and pop out of the washer slightly damp but no worse for the wear. They seem to hold up well to use of laundry detergents without noticeable fading.

Polliwalks wash out so easily in the sink and do not seem to become discolored with ground-in dirt and sweat. They also have a wonderful trait of not retaining foot odor, something I’m very happy for because my son’s little feet may be cute but they make his shoes stink like nothing else I’ve ever smelled. I haven’t yet needed to make use of their machine- washability although I suspect that after a long summer I will be happy to have this particular feature.

DURABILITY

Since these clogs are made of a cushy foam I was a bit concerned that they would wear down quickly with use. This is not the case at all. They seem to wear very well, and there doesn’t seem to be any significant wear marks inside or outside of the shoe despite hours of playing in them. They actually hold up much better than my son’s sneakers or boots.

SAFETY

Polliwalks clogs seem to be very safe. I’d like to cover one area of possible concern, and a few areas in which these shoes obviously enhance safety.

Possible concern: There are two potential choking risks on these shoes: The eyes, and the joint that allows the ankle strap to rotate. Each of these items are very well-attached and I could not pull them loose even when I tried to pull them off using needle-nosed pliers and quite a bit of effort so it’s unlikely that your child will get them loose but they should be checked every week or so to make sure that they haven’t loosened. The foam, while soft and pliable is not something that you can bite through easily and so it’s not likely to end up in the throat of a teething toddler, so I wouldn’t even classify that as a potential risk for these shoes.

Enhanced Safety: Polliwalks enhance safety of play in quite a few ways through their use of a thick flexible sole, grippy molded foam and the covered toe.

Non-Slip Grip: When I’m washing dishes in the kitchen my son frequently wants to “help” and I let him keep busy with a bowl of water on a towel. If he were to wear his normal sneakers or sandals he’d still go slipping around on the wet linoleum making this a dangerous game. With his Polliwalks slipping is not an issue even on the a slick floor. This makes me feel very secure about allowing him to play on the playground after a spring shower and I’m considering buying a pair just for indoor use as they provide a lot more traction than any of the slippers I’ve found.

Thick Sole: These are great “water” shoes, allowing your child to walk in water without running the risk of cutting their feet on sharp stones, glass or other debris. The open design allows cool water to flow freely around your child’s feet without becoming waterlogged and heavy. The no-slip foam and flexible soles also grip slimy river rocks better than any other children’s shoe I’ve seen so far.

Closed Toe: As a child I lost a toenail to a biking accident while wearing flip-flops and am paranoid about my son repeating family history. During warmer weather no child wants to have to wear sneakers, yet open-toed sandals pose quite a few risks. The closed-toe design makes these sandals safer for use while riding bicycles and scooters, or simply for running around because if your child’s foot slips the toes are protected rather than exposed.

GREEN FEATURES

Those that are tuned in to the “green” trend and concerned about the health of our planet will find quite a few things to be happy about with Poliwalks. The shoes are manufactured with a “no waste” process that recycles any excess material left over after the molding process. The tags and hooks are made from recycled paper and plastic and minimal packaging is used to reduce waste. Environmentally friendly adhesives are used during manufacturing. These shoes are also “vegan” as no animal products (leather, animal-based glue, etc.) are used during manufacturing.

BOTTOM LINE

My son does not like to wear shoes. When I pull out his sneakers, his sandals, his cute fuzzy bear slippers he whisks himself off to hiding and complains loudly when he is hauled back out. His shoes frequently go missing and turn up under the couch, behind his little chair, or tucked away into various hidden corners. Sometimes we don’t find them until long after he’s outgrown them.

As a stark contrast, the little guy frequently comes up to me carrying his Polliwalks and hands them to me, chattering excitedly until I put them onto his feet. Sometimes he’ll even put them on himself and clop around proudly with the strap under his foot. He talks to them like he expects an answer, and has not once objected to wearing them.

Maybe it’s the softness. Maybe it’s the way the shoes flex when he walks. Maybe it’s the fact that they look more like toys than shoes. Maybe the breathability, the fact that he doesn’t have to deal with socks, with zippers, Velcro or shoelaces. Maybe it’s the fact that they slip on so quickly and he doesn’t have to wait 5 minutes while we fiddle around with his feet. Whatever it is, he likes these shoes as much as I do and will wear very little else for as long as it’s warm out. I dread the return to sneakers in the fall.