Now that summer is almost here, we’ll be spending a lot of time at the beach and the pool, since water is the only way to stay sane cool in our desert-like conditions.  In order to prepare for any water activity, we make sure we have the following:  All natural sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30, sun protective clothing, swim suit, towel, hat, sunglasses, swim diapers, water flotation devices, and water shoes.

I recently had an opportunity to test out Bical Grippers, “the original socks with sole.”  These fun and fashionable water shoes are perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.  Here is a little more information from the site:

Bical Grippers are the original socks with sole.  Used as an indoor or outdoor shoe, they are fun, flexible and functional.  Awesome as a water shoe at the beach, water=park or pool.  Grippers easily transition to land to be worn as a fashion sock or shoe.  Indoors?  No problem – no more slipping on hardwood or tile floors and perfect at daycare or preschool as kids can pull them on and off by themselves.

Our entire downstairs living room, dining room, and kitchen consists of laminate and tile floors. I don’t like my son to walk barefoot, but he doesn’t necessarily always want to wear shoes at all times so the Bical Grippers are a perfect solution when he’s playing in the house.  They’re lightweight, flexible, breathable, and non-slip.  My son always ask me to help put them on because the fun designs are appealing to him.  We like using these when he’s playing with water because they dry  quickly and I can just throw them in the wash when they get dirty (I just air-dry rather them tumble-dry them).

I have to say I have this affinity towards internationally-made shoes, particularly since I’ve traveled and lived in many different countries.  Bical Grippers are manufactured in Brazil exceed the standards set forth by the CPSIA for lead in children’s products.  They’re available in US sizes 3 through 8 and can be used by infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The antimicrobial sole is removable and the breathable upper is a polyester/cotton blend.  This may sound strange, but when I took them out of the box, they had this really nice smell to them.  I’m actually going to send a pair with my son when he starts going to school in June.  Bical Grippers are available for purchase through Spree Fashions (but you’ll have to email them) and retail for $26 for the low socks and $29 for the high socks.  My one small complaint (apart from the fact that they’re a bit pricey because they’re foreign-made) is that they’re not easy to find.  I found them on The Baby Marketplace for $23.99 with free shipping.

For more fabulous fun summer products, visit Mommy Mandy & Mommy Goggles!