Unshoes Children’s Keota sandals – durable, vibrant colors, suitable for water, non-slip,… The sandals had all the characteristics that convinced me to buy these gorgeous open-toe kids sandals available even for the smallest feet.
Children’s Keota sandals are a product of a small American company Unshoes. Their sandals were my first order from the US two years ago when I bought them for all three kids in early spring.
Due to the customs and ordering overseas, I was worried about choosing the right size, but luckily I made the right decision. We use them again this year, when the same “inherited” sandals are worn by my two younger children. In my review, therefore, you will notice a mixture of images from two years ago and this year. All close-up photos are this year’s and show the condition of the sandals after two seasons of wearing.
Disclaimer: I bought these sandals myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. I’m also Unshoes affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase on the Unshoes website through the links on my website at no additional cost to you. Thank you for all your support ♥
♥ Get 10% discount on Unshoes with code BOSENOGICE ♥
(non-affiliate code, affiliate link)
1. General
- Brand: Unshoes
- Model: Children’s Keota
- Colour: blue
| Made in USA | Kids | Vegan | Ship worldwide |
2. Material characteristics
2.1 Upper
Unshoes Keota sandals for children have an extremely minimalist design. These open-toe kids sandals consist of a thin sole and straps that hold the kids foot in place. A thin, black strap runs between the toes, while the strap around the ankle is available in 4 different colors pink, blue, red and black.
Instead of the usual blue strap, an elastic band is inserted on the heel, which enables easy on-off without the need to adjust the straps each time.
2.2 Sole
The sole has a total stack height of 5 mm, of which the sole thickness is 4 mm and the footbed 1 mm. This extremely thin sole for sandals can be easily rolled into a roll, but the sole is a little more compact and firm, so you don’t feel a lot of cushion and softness in it.
This sole does not mould as much to your foot over time, like softer soles in sandals usually do.
The sandals use the same star-shaped sole that you can also find in my adult Unshoes Wokova sandals, which I reviewed here (note the adult model now has a new sole).
The sole has a good grip, and the upper layer ensures that the foot maintains a good grip and connection with the sandals even when walking in the wet. It is extremely important to me that children can easily wear sandals in all conditions – wet and dry.
Also check my video for the close-up and to see how they look on my feet.
3. Sizing information
3.1 Length
The sandals are available in sizes 21 to 35. My kids are wearing sizes 23, 28 and 32 in the photos. These sizes were worn two years ago, and this year the larger two sizes were passed down to my younger son and daughter.
Choosing the right size in Keota sandals is very easy. You only need to print the template which is available on the Unshoes official website. This way you can see if the shape and width of the sole fits your kid well. Be sure to print the template at the correct scale and make sure that the child place the marked dot on the sheet between their toes, as this is the point where the strap is attached.
My daughter stands on the template in size 33 and son on the template in size 28. My daughter wore sandals in size 32, but she outgrew them in mid-July.
You don’t need to choose a lot of additional space in sandals (approx. 7-10 mm is ideal), but it is important that the child’s toes are positioned on the sole while walking. On the other hand, too much space in front of the toes will cause the child to trip while walking.
See post How much space do we need in shoes if you want to know more about that.
The position of the foot in sandals is determined by the point of attachment of the strap between the toes, so if you choose bigger size extra space will mostly be located at the heel.
My son didn’t have a perfect fit in size 28 before the start of summer and he would need size 27 at that time. As you can see on the photo below all this extra length was at the heel, so it did not bother him while walking. Now, when his feet grew, size 28 is perfect.
3.2. Toebox shape & width
The toebox shape of Keota sandals has a more square shape in smaller sizes, which, however, gets a more pronounced slope in bigger sizes. The shape is best suited for foot types 4-6, and the more square shape in smaller sizes also fits type 3 well.
More about different foot types you can read in post What is my Foot Type?
My daughter with foot type 4 sandals fit very well, my son with type 3 has some extra space in front of the smaller toes, but because his big toe is quite close to the end of the sole, this space does not bother him while walking.
Sandals are best suited for medium and wide feet. Check the width with a printable template and make sure that the child’s foot does not hang over the edge of the sole. Also, sandals are not suitable for very narrow feet.
3.3. Fit around the instep, heel and ankle
Thanks to the innovative system of straps, sandals fit well to all foot volumes. Before the first wear, it is only necessary to optimally tighten the strap with the help of the buckle. Be careful not to overtighten the straps or leave the straps too loose. Too tight straps will be disturbing between the toes, and with too loose straps the child will not be able to walk well.
The combination of a thin sole and the strap position can make sandals a little less secure in bigger kids sizes, so more attention needs to be paid to the proper fixation of the straps. The best fixation can be achieved in smaller sizes.
When you kids are putting on sandals, it can happen that part of the strap remains on the elastic. Show them how they can fix this. Little kids will need your help with this.
4. Comfort
How good your child will feel with a strap between the toes depends on the child himself. My youngest son started wearing his first Keota sandals at 18 months without any problem, but the strap between his toes was still bothersome at 15 months when we received them and he tried them on for the first time.
Also, my kids never tripped in them. To prevent tripping in smaller sizes, the sole is slightly raised at the toes. During walking, the sole flattens, but when the child lifts the sole off the ground, this part is raised again.
5. How and when to wear them?
These are our sandals for everything. My kids wore them at home, on the beach, on trips, they can also get wet and not slip in the water. If they are muddy, they are easily washed and dried quickly.
6. Durability
The sandals were worn by my kids for two seasons. There is absolutely no visible wear on the sole, but the pair the daughter was wearing this year (and my oldest son before her) recently fell apart.
I assume this happened because both my son and daughter was bending the sole back at the toes several times, which caused this. In case of normal use, this pair would still be functional, like our second pair is.
7. Price & where to buy
Unshoes Childern’s Keota sandals can only be purchased on their official website. The price for the Keota model is $42 (approx. 35.32€.) If you are located in Europe, you need to add tax, customs and the costs customs procedure to this price.
With my code BOSENOGICE you can get a 10% discount on your entire purchase on Unshoes website (the code is not an affiliate, but the link is).
8. Shipping info
Unshoes ship worldwide. Shipping costs are calculated during the checkout and depend on the weight of the package.
9. To sum up
For summer, I always prefer to choose something open and airy for my children. For their sandals, I want them to be durable, easy to wash when they get dirty, and being affordable is a big bonus. Unshoes Keota has it all. They are one of the few companies that offer such sandals for toddlers as well. Maybe all the kids won’t like the strap between their toes, but I was really positively surprised by them. My kids were happy to wear them and I find them as great open-toe sandals for little kids.
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