The Best Machine Washable Sandals for Kids – Prevent Your Kids’ Sandals from Smelling Bad!
Have you been looking for a pair of machine washable sandals for your child? Are you tired of your kids’ sandals developing a smell after being worn for a couple of weeks? I have put together a selection of the best machine washable sandals for kids, and I will show you these sandals shortly.
You surely wash your kids’ socks, so why not wash their sandals as well?
Children’s feet tend to sweat a lot during the summer, and if you are planning on allowing your children to wear their summer sandals for most of the day, don’t be surprised if they start developing a smell. Several families have dealt with this issue, and trust me, you are not alone!
Your children might be wearing their sandals to the beach, going on dusty hikes, riding their bicycles, and for all other sorts of fun stuff. Fortunately, there are certain kids’ summer sandals that are machine washable and provide good support, meaning that your child will be able to wear them for most of the day.
Providing your child with a machine washable sandal means that you can throw them in the washing machine as soon as they start developing a smell, which will help get rid of the smell and kill any remaining bacteria inside the sandals.
In addition to being machine washable, these sandals also provide an internal support mechanism that offers excellent arch support. This feature also helps attenuate the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground, and improves your child’s overall posture.
What Shoe Brands Manufacture Machine Washable Sandals for Kids?
Have you ever heard of Keen sandals? Keen sandals are extremely versatile, and they are specially made for outdoor activities such as going to the beach, hiking, climbing, riding a bicycle, or any other summer activity you might think of.
One common complaint parents used to have about Keen sandals is how bad they smell after their kids wore them for just a couple of weeks. Parents used to pull every trick in the book to try to get rid of the smell, from rubbing baking soda and vinegar in the neoprene part of the sandal to using a water hose to wash them thoroughly.
In 2023, all Keen sandals are machine washable. Keen took their time to make sure that they would be able to make sandals will leather uppers that will not crack, shrink, or stretch when washed. However, there are certain sandal styles among this brand that provide better support than others, and I will describe them shortly.
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The Best Machine Washable Sandals for Kids
Many of the sandals featured below come in several color options, so if your child likes a specific model, please make sure to click through and see if they have the desired color.
Toddler Shoe Sizes (0 to 10)
- Shoe style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Knotch River by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Open-toe with support and protection underfoot
- Built with lateral support to help stabilize the ankle and heel
- Machine washable
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Knotch River by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Open-toe with support and protection underfoot
- Machine washable
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Seacamp II CNX by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lightweight midsole allows little feet to move naturally
- Integrated, contoured arch and metatarsal ridge provide underfoot support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Seacamp II CNX by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Two points of adjustability for a custom fit
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Knotch Creek by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lightweight midsole allows little feet to move naturally
- Integrated, contoured arch and metatarsal ridge provide underfoot support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Seacamp II CNX by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Two points of adjustability for a custom fit
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Little and Big Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Shoe style Seacamp 2 CNX by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Metatomical EVA footbed provides excellent arch support and cradles the natural contours of the foot
- Adjustable hook-and-loop strap with bungee closure for a secure fit
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Seacamp 2 CNX by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Metatomical EVA footbed provides excellent arch support and cradles the natural contours of the foot
- Adjustable hook-and-loop strap with bungee closure for a secure fit
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Elle Backstrap by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Built with lateral support to help stabilize the ankle and heel
- Machine washable
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Verano Open by Keen
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Metatomical EVA footbed provides excellent arch support and cradles the natural contours of the foot
- Machine washable
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Metatomical EVA footbed provides excellent arch support and cradles the natural contours of the foot
- Machine washable
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural odor control
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Moxie Sandal by Keen
- Fits narrow and medium
- Metatomical EVA footbed provides excellent arch support and cradles the natural contours of the foot
- Adjustable hook-and-loop strap with bungee closure for a secure fit
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
It’s also important for your kids’ sandals to fit just right. You need a certain amount of growing room for your child to be able to wear the sandals for the whole summer, but you don’t want the sandals to be too long since you might end up compromising your child’s stability.
Let’s eliminate your kids’ smelly feet for the rest of the summer with a little sandal cleaning action.
Steps to Wash Your Kids’ Keen Sandals – 4 Simple Steps!
1️⃣ Always wash your kids’ Keen sandals in a gentle cycle. I always recommend parents throw a couple of towels inside the washing machine to cushion the sandals and reduce noise.
2️⃣ Make sure you use cold water only.
3️⃣ Mild detergent.
4️⃣ Don’t put the sandals in the dryer, allow them to air dry outside. I also recommend allowing the sandals to dry in direct sunlight to kill bacteria and help remove stains.
If after following these 4 steps you still feel like your kids’ sandals continue smelling, there are 2 methods you can follow to get rid of the smell.
1st Method: I recommend rubbing tea tree oil inside the sandals. This has antibacterial properties and helps control odor.
2nd Method: Another proven method that has worked wonders for some families is using baking soda and vinegar. You can sprinkle baking soda inside each sandal and then spray them down with a mixture of vinegar and water and allow them to sit for several minutes. Please make sure that you apply this method in the neoprene part of the sandals since that is the part that stinks, not the rubber sole. The next step is to rinse the sandals and allow them to air dry.
Depending on where you live, you might get 3 to 4 months of summer. However, in places such as California or Texas, sandal season is literally 7 to 8 months out of the year, meaning that your children will be wearing their sandals for most of the year.
Do Keen Sandals Provide Good Support? – This Specific Style Does!
There is a particular sandal style that is easy to put on, it supports and protects the feet, and it’s extremely durable meaning that it will easily last those 8 months of summer — in case you live in California or Texas — It’s is highly likely that your child will outgrow this sandal before it’s ready to be replaced.
Some parents have told me how to prevent their Keen kids’ sandals from smelling, they don’t allow them to get wet. This defeats the whole purpose of investing in such a versatile sandal. If you provide your child with a pair of Keen sandals for the summer, the idea is that they wear the sandals for most of the day, since they offer better support than Crocs, flip flops, or any other type of summer shoe you might think of.
What Are the Best Machine Washable Sneakers for Kids?
I also created a resource that describes the best machine washable sneakers for kids.
Are Any Other Sandal Choices Available?
Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of machine washable shoes for your child. My e-mail address is: [email protected]
Here’s to a fresher smellier summer!
Have you had a problem with your kids’ Keen sandals smelling bad? Have you found one of the methods I mentioned more effective than the others? Please share your thoughts below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
