Salt-Water
Please note, kids shoes should NOT be purposefully bought larger in order to make the sandal "last longer" as the traditional fit of this brand is pretty roomy. With any of the sandals, should you get a sore spot, dunk your foot & sandal into water (yes really!) and wear them until they dry. Remember, every model can be used as a swimming shoe and can be hand washed using a gentle detergent.
If you are familiar with American sizes, please note Salt-Water / Sun-San are not typical US sizes.
Swimmer
The Swimmer features a plaited leather toe with buckled ankle strap. Fits narrower than the Salt-Water Original, and as the front is non-adjustable, not the best for very narrow or wide feet.
Shark
This design has a woven semi-closed toe and heel. Fits shorter and narrower than most other models so please order at least a +1 in this size. Not the best for wider feet.
Surfer
Your quintessential classic sandal. Adjustable buckle toe & ankle straps on a urethane sole. The best all round sandal for any shape foot.
Sweetheart
The Sweetheart is fully adjustable with buckled toe and ankle straps. Just as robust as the Surfer but a little bit girlier. Great for all feet shapes. Please note that due to the crimped edges we suggest softening in water prior to wear.
Original
The Original is a roomy sandal and fits comfortably wide. Before you put them on for the first time, stretch out the toe straps and gently bend the sole to ease. Best fitted with toes behind the stitch line. Do not oversize for children with the hope they will last longer - you do not want anyone tripping up!
Classic
The Classic if fully adjustable with buckled toe and ankle straps. It has a naturally narrower fit than the Original, but can be fully adjusted across the foot for a wider fit. As with all sandals in the Salt-Water range we suggest that your toes sit behind the stitch line.
Classic Slide
The Classic is a slider sandal with fully adjustable toe strap. It is great for adjusting for a narrow or wide fit. As with all sandals in the Salt-Water range we suggest that your toes sit behind the stitch line but make sure your heel is not hanging over the edge as there is no ankle strap.
Shark Original
The Shark Original is the Salt-Water / grown-up version of the Sun-San Shark sandal. It has a woven semi closed-toe and fits slightly shorter and narrower than other sandals in the Salt-Water range. You may need to size up.
How should sandals fit in the front?
Looking at the sandal you will see a stitched line running all around towards the outer edge of the sole bed. Where should your toes be in sandals? We recommend that your toes come either just on or just behind this stitched line, but not over it.
We use a very traditional method to construct our Salt-Waters. It is called little-way stitching. Each sole is hand stitched to the upper vamps (straps) that make the upper part of the sandal. A little bit of gum (glue) is used to hold the lining & straps in place whilst the sole is stitched on but it is the tough thread running all the way through the sole and along the channel that keeps your shoe together.
How should sandals fit in the back?
A snug fit at the back is optimum; you don’t want your heel to be hanging over the back of the sole. Salt-Water Sandals are designed to fit close at the heel. Remember to take your toes all the way to the stitch mark to create any extra space needed at the heel.
Do Salt-Water Sandals stretch?
Both Sun-San Sandals (the soft sole range) and Salt-Water Sandals are made from 100% leather and coated with a water resistant sealant. Wondering should your sandals feel tight or loose? If at first your sandals feel tight across your foot we advise that you gently pull the leather straps in opposite directions as this will help to loosen them up.
You can also get them wet! Either run them under a tap or paddle into the shallows and wear them until dry. The leather will soften, stretch where it needs to, and ultimately mould to your feet. Your Salties should feel comfortable but not tight.
Do Salt-Water Sandals run big/small? Should I size up in Sandals?
We tend to find that for most people they need to size +1 if you are used to buying in UK sizes. For example, if you are a UK 5, you will most probably be best off in a Salt-Water 6. This is the number stamped on the sole and NOT the US equivalent. These moulds were designed in the 1940’s and are a little quirky - but we have printed all International sizes on the shoe boxes. We list UK, US, Asia and European size plus our generic “Salt-Water” sole number.
For half sizes, just go up to the nearest whole i.e. 5.5 UK would need a Salt-Water 6.
What size should I buy my child?
From the Salt-Water range there are 4 styles that come in kids and youth sizes. These are the Original, the Classic, the Retro and the Shark Original. Is shoes size the same as sandal size? For Adults we tend to advise sizing up but with kids Salt-Waters the sizing is equivalent. Therefore a UK size 9 child would need a Salt-Water size 9.