Ten Little Shoes Review: Colorful Minimalist Shoes for Toddlers and Kids under $50 

The Ten Little shoe brand makes cute and colorful minimalist shoes for toddlers and kids, including their classic everyday sneaker, sandals, rain boots and snow boots. Plus, most styles are under $50. Learn all about the brand in this Ten Little Shoes Review 

Ten Little made a colorful splash onto the barefoot shoe scene back in 2020 with their simple but classic velcro sneakers for kids in a whole rainbow of colors. The vegan leather uppers now come in two shades of pink, two shades of blue, purple, red, and metallic silver just to name a few. Ten Little has expanded to include all the styles your little one will need, including sandals, rain boots, snow boots and slippers.  

About the Brand 

Let’s learn all about the brand in this Ten Little shoes review. 

Are Ten Little Shoes barefoot shoes? 

When evaluating a shoe for how well it aligns with the barefoot features, this is what I consider: 

1 How foot-shaped is the shoe? Ten Little shoes feature an anatomically foot-shaped sole. Based on the width of the toe box, I’d recommend for kids up to medium width. For wide or extra wide, your child would probably feel more comfortable in other brands. 

2 How flat and flexible is the sole? Ten Little shoes are zero-drop, so they easily check this off. The sole for the everday sneaker is decently flexible, and on a scale of the 1 to 5, with 5 being the most flexible (like a soft-soled moccasin or Wildling shoes) and 1 being a conventional kid’s shoe, these are like a 3.5. The soles also seem to soften with wear, so after a few uses they’re similar to a lot of barefoot shoe brands. They include a removable foam insole that is a few millimeters thick, which you can include for comfort, or remove for more volume and ground feel. 

The extra material on the sole does mean they are more durable, so they can be especially good for a kid that’s hard on their shoes or for use during a particular activity, like on a balance bike or scooter when kids are sometimes using their feet as the brakes. 

Materials & Design 

Ten Little shoes are all vegan. The faux leather on the everyday sneakers looks nice, maintains its color, and proved to be pretty durable for my toddler.  

The soles are natural rubber and designed to be non-slip.  

Different size shoes for different size feet 

To be more inclusive, Ten Little offers a few options, like ordering different sizes for left and right feet. Most people don’t have exactly symmetrical feet in length or width, but usually fit within the same size. If your child’s foot measurements vary more significantly, simply select different sizes for the left and right feet here. 

Velcro Strap Extenders for AFO or SMO orthotics or high volume feet 

Once again, Ten Little recognizes that one shoe doesn’t necessarily fit every foot. Their velcro strap extenders allow for more room in their minimalist shoes. These extenders can help those that wear AFO or SMO orthotics get a better fit. They are also great for kids with high volume feet that need longer velcro straps.  

Affordable barefoot option

With most pairs coming in under $50 (the everyday sneakers are $44), Ten Little shoes are one of the more affordable barefoot shoe brands for kids. For more options, check this list of the best affordable barefoot shoes for kids. 

Ten Little Fit and Sizing 

Use the printable Fit Finder of the Ten Little website to determine your child’s size. I’ve used this each time I’ve ordered from Ten Little and always ended up with the right size. 

Once you’ve ordered from Ten Little, you can use the size guide that’s printed inside the box for yoru next order. The insoles also come with sizing markings, so you know when it’s time to size up! 

Most styles are available in little kid’s US 6 – 13. The Youth Sneakers are available in US13.5 – Youth 4. They also have first walker shoes in toddler sizes US 3 – 6. 

Ordering and Returns 

Ten Little is a US-based company, and currently offers shipping to all 50 states in the US. Standard shipping is free for orders above $75 within the continental US. For orders below $75, there is a $6.99 standard shipping fee. 

You can return all Ten Little shoes for free within 30 days of your order. Orders made from November 1 through December 31 will be eligible for an extended holiday return window through January 31. 

Ten Little Shoes Review 

---

Everyday Original Minimalist Sneaker 

$44 | Toddler Sizes 4 – 13 for velcro | Youth Sizes US 13.5 – Y4 for laces | Vegan leather or canvas uppers

The Everyday Original sneaker by Ten Little is designed to be easy to put on and comfortable to wear. My priority is foot health first, so I appreciate that these have enough room for the toes and allow for plenty of movement with the flexible sole.  

I’ve never had an issue with my toddler wearing them, so for me that’s a good sign that nothing about them is bothersome.  

There are a few variations of these sneakers, including canvas uppers and high tops. For the larger youth sizes, they swap out the velcro for laces. 

---

Splash Sandals

US Sizes Toddler 4 – 13 | Retail: $39

Looking for a more foot-friendly version of Crocs or Natives? . They’re made from EVA foam, so they’re very lightweight and very flexible. The non-skid soles and a textured insole help minimize slips at the splash pad or the pool.

Similar to Crocs and the Jibbitz charms, you can get extra charms to adorn the velcro strap on your splash sandals–choose from stars, rainbows and rocket ships.

---

Everyday Sandals 

$39 | Toddler Sizes 4 – 13 | Quick-dry uppers

We tried out these everyday sandals this summer, and I really like them as a sturdier-closed toe sandal option for things like riding bikes and scooters. The uppers are water-resistant and quick-dry, so you can wear them to the pool or the beach and not worry about getting them wet. 

---

Chelsea Boots 

$56 | Toddler Sizes 6 – 13 | Vegan leather uppers

Everything is cuter in mini sizes, especially boots! These Chelsea boots were a super cute addition to the Ten Little line up. The side zipper creates a wide opening to slip in chubby toddler feet. The outside of the heel has some extra padding, which creates a more secure fit.  

---

Rain Boots 

$46 | Toddler Sizes 6 – 13 | Rubber

What toddler doesn’t love jumping through puddles? These minimalist rubber rain boots hit tall enough that they’re great for wading through shallow streams and stomping through most puddles. We’ve worn these lots of time out in the rain, and even wading through streams, and never had an issue with wet feet—they’re full rubber, so that wasn’t a big question to begin with. These rain boots are surprisingly flexible, which means kids don’t have to lug around clunky boots and can just enjoy their time outside.  

---

Snow Boots 

$59 | Toddler Sizes 6 – 13 | Water-resistant uppers

When it comes to snow boots, my priority shifts to keeping feet dry and warm. Since this is the first season Ten Little has offered these snow boots, we haven’t had a chance to test them in the snow. The next best thing was testing them under running water.  

They may actually fare better in the snow as that isn’t quite as intense as water directly shooting at the boot, but I could feel the moisture start to creep in after they’d been under the water for 30 seconds or so. Based on that, I’d use these for short times out in the snow, or if you’re going to be on top of the snow, and not so much totally buried in it.  

The materials are water-resistant, but not fully waterproof, and that showed when I tested them. 

I appreciate that these boots are foot-shaped and roomy, so you can add thicker socks (consider sizing up from your child’s normal size or double checking the size while wearing thick socks). The soles are flat, but these are much thicker with deeper lugs, so they’re not super flexible. I’m happy to compromise on flexibility for warmth and traction when it comes to snow boots, especially as you’re not really going to have a normal walking gait when you’re tromping through snow anyway. 

The velcro strip up the entire side of the boot once again means these are easy to get on and off. The inside is lined with fleece to add warmth, and the toggle snow collar helps snow from dumping in from the top. 

Getting the perfect combination of barefoot features plus warmth and waterproofness can be really tough–we’ve got our favorite picks for kids barefoot winter boots listed here. Overall, I like the fit, design and features of the Ten Little snow boot, but they need to add a fully waterproof membrane to make these fully functional as snow boots. 

 Accessories and more at Ten Little

The Ten Little website carries more than just their minimalist shoes for kids– you can also shop related products, like socks, and tons of fun gear like play couches, scooters, and a child-size balance board.