Native Shoes for Spring!

I received these products free for review. All opinions remain my own.

This past fall, Cub was rocking bright yellow Native Boots that kept his feet warm and dry and garnered some major fashion kudos from passersby. When spring was (finally) looking like it was around the corner, I knew I wanted to try some of Native’s warm-weather line up, and not just on Cub!

We received a pair of Veronas in Lucy Blue for me, and for Cub, a pair of Jeffersons with glow-in-the-dark soles!

All Native Shoes, made of dual-density EVA, are designed to be:

Washable
Beast free
Shock Absorbent
Odor Resistant
Lightweight

Native Shoes Verona Model for Women

For me, the biggest selling point for Natives as my spring and summer shoes is that they are odor resistant. I have stinky feet. My shoes end up getting embarrassingly stinky. No shoe is going to stop my feet from sweating, but a shoe that doesn’t get stinky itself… yes, please.

So, I’ve checked: my Natives don’t stink. And I know my feet have gotten sweaty in my Natives, but the brilliant thing is that since they’re breathable, I’m not walking in puddles of sweat (I’ve done it, it’s gross). The moisture evaporates, my feet stay cool, my shoes don’t get stinky.

In terms of fashion, I love how my Veronas pair with leggings and dresses. They don’t look as awesome with pants with flared bottoms, but that doesn’t stop me because they’re so comfy and so easy to slip on and off.

Pregnant me is happy with the light-weight aspect of these shoes. I am loathe to carry around any more weight than I have to!

Native Shoes Jefferson Model for Kids

Cub’s Jeffersons are his favourite shoes (and he is very clear about which articles of clothing he likes and which he doesn’t like… if he didn’t like them, this review would’ve been impossible). He always asks for his “blue shoes.” Now, I realize that Natives look better and are meant to be worn comfortably without socks. However, Cub wears socks all day, every day, and I have not yet been able to convince him to try his Natives on without them. I think socks + Natives would equal a visit from the Fashion Police for adults, but luckily, toddlers are exempt.

My main concerns when we received Cub’s Jeffersons were that they might slip off too easily and that they might be prone to getting full of gravel or sand at the playground.

Turns out, his Jeffersons stay put perfectly whether on the swings or in the stroller! (Which is frustrating to him as he thinks it’s pretty fun to send his shoes flying while high up on the swing.)

The snug fit provided by his sock-plus-shoe combo may help protect unwanted pebbles from getting stuck underfoot, but I’ve also not gotten any rocks in MY Natives, which I wear barefoot. Cub was so dismayed by the lack of rocks in his shoes that he actually took one off, picked up a stone, put it in and shoved his foot back in so I could empty it out for him. (Toddlers are weird.)

Let’s face it: all kids’ shoes should be easy to clean. There’s no doubt that Natives are designed with easy washing in mind. Plus, they dry quickly!

Jeffersons are easy to get on and off Cub’s feet, and he’s learning to put them on and take them off on his own, which is much easier to do than with his shoes with laces or Velcro. Some days, he is rather insistent on try to wear them on his head. (Did I mention that toddlers are weird?)

Now, the new feature on Cub’s style of Jeffersons is the glow-in-the-dark sole. Since we are generally not out after dark, I wasn’t sure Cub would ever even notice this detail. However, they glow for him when we head out to the parkade to get our car, and even on overcast days! He’d definitely survive with regular soles, but no kid says no to things that glow-in-the-dark.