Review on ASHION Lightweight Breathable Trekking Sneakers for Boys by Matt Reid

A little background: My family wears "barefoot", minimalist shoes that let the feet be the feet. Minimalist shoes should be shaped like a foot (not squeezing your toes), heelless (not high heels), flexible, and unlined. There are some great but expensive brands of sandals out there, so I mostly settle for cheap water shoes, especially for growing kids. Some brands barefoot check all the boxes as soon as I take out the insoles. My only criticism of typical water shoes is that they have "drainage holes" in the sole. These holes are meant to let water out, but they mostly let in water, dirt, mulch, etc. I block them with Shoe Goo, but that's a chore. Now a review of these particular shoes. The soles look almost the same as some of the other water boots we have. They even seem to have drainage holes, but when I look closely the holes don't go all the way through, so I don't have to glue them myself. That's convenient. The elastic laces are exactly the same as our water shoes. I love it because they make these shoes easy to put on and take off. The insoles are slightly thicker at the heel than at the toe, so they're not entirely flat, but rather snug. They are very similar to the insoles of our water shoes, except in this case the foam honeycombs have a fabric cover on top, more like a typical running shoe. My child will probably wear them without pads. (I took the smallest size which is a little big for him as I expected from the size chart so he will wear it later when he grows up.) Under the insole there is a layer of smooth white plastic, which feels uncomfortably flexible against barefoot but should be fine with socks. The rest of the design looks more like running shoes than water shoes. All materials are thicker and stiffer, with overlays on the tongue and around the ankle. They are better protected and warmer. I can't roll them like water shoes, but I can bend them. They take the best ideas from water shoes and combine them with running shoes. I highly recommend them if you are looking for a minimalist shoe at a reasonable price.