by Sabrina Garibian posted in Products

I have a hard time buying shoes for my children, because I always want them to have good foot and arch support but hate spending big bucks on shoes. I tend to find a happy medium by buying solid, good-quality shoes for everyday wear and filling in the blanks with bargain picks.
Since summer is rapidly approaching, here are 5 summer shoes that should be in every toddlers summer wardrobe:

1. Rain boots

Rain boots are great for more than rainy days. While most toddlers love wearing their rain boots with their raincoats and umbrellas during a storm, when my kids make mud pies and dig holes for ?gardening" in our yard, I have them wear their boots. When they?re done I simply hose the boots down and let them dry and they are clean as new. They also wear them when we go to the farm to pick berries. Again they are easy to clean but they also protect their feet and lower legs from prickly bushes and low-lying bugs. Splurge: Hatley Waterproof Strawberry Rain Boot (Amazon, $31)

Save: Western Chief Rain Boot (Amazon, $23.96)
2. Flip flops or sandals

If you?re lucky your kids will get to spend some time each summer at a pool, beach, or splash pad. Flip flops or sandals are an obvious choice for water play. They should be easy to put on and take off and not get hot when sitting in the sun.
Splurge: Havaianas Moana Flip Flops (Nordstrom, $20)

Save: Old Navy Mary-Jane Jelly Sandals (Old Navy, $11)
3. Sneakers

This is obvious but ends up b...