Native Shoes Just Launched the Kids Style of the Summer

The eco-friendly kid shoes that are worth every penny

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Native Shoes The Robbie

Of all the kids clothing items I’ve bought over the years, one stands out as worth every penny and then some. No, not the Stella McCartney X Gap collab jacket that I could still sell for three times the purchase price over a decade later. Nor is it the super sweet rosette-adorned French romper I scooped up at Goodwill for pocket change. Hands down the best piece of clothing I ever bought my kids are Native Shoes.

If you’ve got a kiddo under the age of 12, you’ve likely bought a pair of their super popular Jefferson style at least once. (And you’ve 100% seen them on the feet of at least six kids at pick up.) The reason they’re so ubiquitous? Well, because they’re perfect. Shaped like a sneaker but constructed from super lightweight EVA foam, they’re the ideal warm weather shoe for toddlers and kids. The first pair I bought my daughter she wore every single day throughout a spring and summer of traveling, camping, horseback riding, lake swimming, puddle stomping, bike riding, brother kicking, messy art making and who knows what else. The kid is rougher on shoes than a tap dancing elephant and somehow they survived in tact–if not a little worse for wear–and most shockingly, they didn’t stink even a little. (For reference, the Target knock offs I bought first lasted three weeks before she somehow wore a hole in the bottom. Live and learn, I suppose.)

This year though, we can take a break from our Jefferson tradition. Why? Native just dropped a brand new style that promises equal amounts of awesomeness with a few exciting updates!

Native Shoes The Robbie

Launched today, The Robbie is similar in fit to the Jefferson with a retro-runner inspired silhouette and a chunkier, grippier sole that’s durable but also helps keep dirt out. They come in a rainbow of colors for toddlers through big kids and retail for $45-50 depending on the colorway.

Even better, the style also debuts their brand new eco-friendly material, Sugarlite. Made from 40% bio-based content from sugarcane, it offers all the things we’ve come to know and love about the brand: lightweight, easy-to-clean and odor-resistant but with a greenhouse gas impact that is 22% lower than traditional EVA.

The innovative brand has always put sustainability at the heart of their mission and this latest launch doubles down on that commitment. And it doesn’t stop there. Turns out, if your kid wears them into oblivion like mine manages to, their life isn’t over. You can send them back to their Remix Project to become playgrounds for local communities in Vancouver, BC. Ah, full circle fashion. Now that’s the future.

Shop Native Shoes The Robbie below!