How One Florida Mom Is Enhancing Water Shoes For Kids
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For mother-of-two Victoria Selcuk, fun family trips to the beach often turned into a hassle as she found herself having to carry her 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son so their feet didn’t get burned by hot sand. Her frustration inspired the idea for Palm Beachies, a new line of easy-to-wear slipper-inspired water shoes featuring breathable bathing-suit fabric uppers combined with thin, no-slip rubber soles.
Unlike typical water styles for children, which have harder bottoms and bulkier constructions, Selcuk said Palm Beachies’ advantage is their minimalist, barefoot-like design. It protects little feet from the elements while still giving boys and girls the freedom to swim and play comfortably.
“‘The sand is too hot.’ ‘The pebbles hurt my feet.’ ‘The seaweed is yucky.’ Every parent has heard these same complaints before. [With our shoes], kids can feel protected but free and unencumbered,” she explained. Palm Beachies, which launched in February, can also be worn at the pool, playground and waterpark as well as on boats and other wet surfaces.
The shoes’ ultra-lightweight design makes them easy to carry on the go or stow in a beach bag or suitcase when traveling, too.
Priced at $18 a pair, they are available in five sizes and an array of bright colors and prints.
In addition to her own website sales, Selcuk is building a network of wholesale partners for her fledgling brand including small boutiques and resort shops around the U.S. and in Europe.
Already, she is fielding requests from parents for adult sizes. She plans to introduce mommy-and-me looks, along with matching sun hats for kids.
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