Today I wanted to give you guys a more in-depth review of Teddy’s most worn shoes, the Native Jefferson shoes.
I heard about these shoes from so many other local moms before I finally broke down and got Ted a pair back in early summer. And I’m very happy that I did! These ended up being the shoes that he wore all summer long.
The Native Jefferson shoes are a plastic Crocs-like material but thinner and they look like sneakers. They are just slip-on shoes, no zippers or velcro. I never saw a single blister or raw spot on Ted’s feet after wearing these, even when his feet got wet, which was a big concern of mine going into it.
That was my main draw to these shoes but there ended up being so many great features about them. They are ideal for summer because they can go from the splash pad to the park to the beach without any issues. I never worried about his feet getting and staying wet as the water drains right out. No need to worry about wet socks. The plastic is odor resistant so his feet never smelled off-putting. They are super lightweight and ergonomically friendly for kids who just figured out how to walk. Overall the Native Jeffereson’s are just a nice low maintenance shoe for summer.
Ted wore a size 5 in them this summer and they still fit him at the moment. However, since it is autumn, they will go into storage for any potential siblings.
PRICE & CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES
These retail for $35 full price. Depending on what color you want and the time of year, you can find these on sale without too much hassle. Native’s website, Zappos, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Amazon all carry kid sizes in Native shoes but there are other alternatives available to you as well.
There are cheaper alternatives if you don’t want to pay full price for these. Aside from watching for sales, Target carries its own branded version of these shoes. I’ve seen similar looking shoes at a couple of other retailers as well (Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart) but I can’t speak to those in any greater detail.
CLEANING
I questioned whether I should get white or another color that doesn’t show dirt as much but I’m happy I stuck with white. First off, it’s a gender-neutral color so if we end up having any more children, either way, the shoes will work for that child as well. And these ended up being so easy to clean that it wasn’t even an issue.
One of the things that I loved about these shoes was how easy they were to clean. For deep cleaning, which I only had to do twice, I simply sprayed them with some Clorox+Bleach, let them sit for a couple of minutes, then went at the stubborn spots with a toothbrush. Give them a rinse, and voila! Good as new! However, for the most past I simply just rinsed the dirt/mud/sand off with the hose and that did the trick. Super easy.
But if white isn’t for you, there is almost every color under the sun available in kids’ sizing. From your standard ROYGBIV to rainbow to sparkle to camo, it’s all out there.
OTHER NATIVE STYLES
Native makes these same shoes in adult sizes as well if you want a pair for yourself. I read a review from a woman who travels a lot (pre-COVID) and she said the Jefferson style is great for adults as well as kids because they are so low maintenance.
As far as other Native shoes for kids, they also make sandals and boots. I’m interested in getting Ted either another pair of these Jefferson shoes for next year or a pair of the Native Charley sandals. They have the same ergonomic attributes but are a two-strap velcro on sandal.
For winter boots, these pull-on Chelsea boots look very promising, especially for wet climates like here in Seattle. I just wish that there were more color options. Currently, there is only pink and black.
So there you have it! Overall I think that the Native Jefferson shoes were a great option for Teddy this past summer. I hope this helps any of you other moms who might be on the fence about these shoes. It took me a lot of convincing before I finally purchased a pair but I’m really happy that I did.
