Toddler rain boots - argh!

[kkd]

Who knew that finding rain boots could be such a challenge!  My DD has small feet, so that's the first hard part- is finding them in size 5.  And- I wanted to find boots made out of rubber, not synthetic/PVC.  I bought a pair of Pluie Pluie boots, and they had no information on them - on the packaging or the boots.  I called the company and they said they are made out of rubber, no PVC, but they smell kind of chemical-ly to me.  I've heard that Western Chief boots are made from rubber, and came across size 5/6 in Costco today.  Again, no info on the packaging, and they have a warning "This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." Sigh.  Their website isn't working at the moment- I was going to look and see if  they have any info on their website.  Has anyone else already researched this to find a good product?  I saw Hatley mentioned in an older post but they don't make boots in a small enough size. I've spent an unbelievable amount of time online searching for rain boots! TIA

[Katc8910]

I'm having the same problem.  In addition to wanting to avoid PVC, I also want to avoid antimicrobial treatments (for odor prevention) as I don't want that to come in contact with DD's skin. 

[Midwesterner04]

I also am having very little luck finding good puddle-stomping toddler shoes/boots... Subbing.

[leftcoast_trillium]

We did Stonz all last winter and it got really tiresome because my little guy likes to spend a lot of time in puddles, so his feet would get wet eventually, and we had 3 pairs I was constantly putting aquarium sealant on to seal up the holes that he would wear through them (they're stated that they aren't really for walking on concrete but that's where all the good puddles were around our house). But, maybe they will work better for you all, especially with smaller (lighter) toddlers.

This year I gave up and decided to buy real rain boots. He wears Soft Star ramblers the rest of the time but Soft Star boots are very expensive and not really waterproof because of the darn zipper. All of the rubber boots I looked at were very heavy (like a pound) and some were not wide enough. I gave up and bought him a pair of Croc boots. They are super lightweight, totally wide enough for his very wide size 10 feet (on a two year old!) and he's figured out how to put them on himself. I have him wear knee high smartwool socks with them. They are not ideal in terms of being made from a synthetic material, and I wish the sole was a bit more flexible, but it was the best I could find. He adores them and they're great for puddle stomping. He's been fine running in them, and he's not the most physically gracefull child.

[happy*mama]

Why is so hard to find products that do not harm our children or ourselves?  The boots state that they contain chemicals KNOWN to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm and the company can honestly market and sell these boots to parents and children??!!  Sometimes I wonder why the world is so whacked then I remember that money is king.  Cheap chemicals are used in all manner of products to keep costs down so companies can rake in the money without consideration for the health and environmental impacts.  Finding alternatives should not be hard.  The availability of safe products for everyone should be the norm.  I would like to see harmful chemicals banned from all products made for children.

Good luck on finding safe rain boots.  I have been looking as well.  I'll post back if I find anything.
 

Originally Posted by kkd 

Who knew that finding rain boots could be such a challenge!  My DD has small feet, so that's the first hard part- is finding them in size 5.  And- I wanted to find boots made out of rubber, not synthetic/PVC.  I bought a pair of Pluie Pluie boots, and they had no information on them - on the packaging or the boots.  I called the company and they said they are made out of rubber, no PVC, but they smell kind of chemical-ly to me.  I've heard that Western Chief boots are made from rubber, and came across size 5/6 in Costco today.  Again, no info on the packaging, and they have a warning "This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." Sigh.  Their website isn't working at the moment- I was going to look and see if  they have any info on their website.  Has anyone else already researched this to find a good product?  I saw Hatley mentioned in an older post but they don't make boots in a small enough size. I've spent an unbelievable amount of time online searching for rain boots! TIA

[Blessed_Mom]

Subbing!

My DD is in between a size 6 and a 7

[Lore]

I don't know what they are made of, but check out 

http://rallyefootwear.com/about_us.asp

My daughter has really small feet, and has been able to wear Rallye's rain boots for a while.  I know they don't have antimicrobial treatments, but don't know about pvc.  

I like that they are made in Canada.  They are also cheap and widely available (I bought hers at Zellers).  

[CanBoo]

Not what you want to hear maybe, but I'll pipe in... I buy good quality footwear except for rainboots.

Too much experience with leaky boots, including a gorgeous pair of pluie pluie covered in bugs that matched her jacket for which my mom had paid a fair amount.

I am just north of you kkd and cannot afford leaky boots. So W/M special. And I rarely buy there, but for rain boots, heck yeah. Actually, they seem to be the ones springing less leaks... Maybe better shelf turnover = no expired rubber?

Tried to patch some before, but no repair has held well. Rain boots seem to be disposable in the west coast weather.

Last pair was actually purchase at w/m because a leak was discovered at night after everything else was closed. Forecast was too nasty to be able to send to school the next day without boots.

So just be warned, you can buy well researched expensive boots, but make sure you can also afford to buy a couple pairs in the same size before your child outgrows them, no guarantee they will last.

Edited by CanBoo - 10/17/11 at 11:36am

[Faither]

Just found these two blog posts while looking for something else. They are a little old (2009) but worth taking a look at.

Safe Mama offers "cheat sheets" on just about everything and her sunscreen list is wonderful.

http://safemama.com/2009/03/30/april-showers-bring-pvc-free-rain-gear/

Healthy Child, Healthy World is also very good for information.

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/pvc_free_puddle_jumping/

I just checked and it looks like the one company that both posts recommend, Rugged Bear, is no longer in business. Of course they had toddler sized boots!

Hope this helps!

[SeattleRain]

Try Keen rainboots. They're quite a bit pricier than the average rain boot but they're made out of rubber. As a bonus, they're lined with microfleece. They also go down to infant sizes.

You're welcome everyone.

[northerngirl]

We've gotten a few pairs of Western Chief rainboots for our older dd, they are rubber, smell like rubber. We are happy with them. 

Here are some ones from iplay,although not in a 5, natural rubber.

Here are some kidorable ones that come in a 5, natural rubber. 

[happy*mama]

Thanks for the tips!  I will keep them for the next rainboot purchase.  I have seen the keen ones and they look comfy.