From Sample to Shelf: How We Test WonderSkips With Real Toddlers

When we here at Simples dreamed up WonderSkips, we knew one thing for certain: no amount of design meetings or factory blueprints could tell us how these shoes would really perform. Only toddlers could.

That’s why every WonderSkips shoe goes through a testing journey — from early samples to playground adventures — before it ever reaches a shelf.

Here’s what that process looks like.

Step 1: Early Samples

It starts with prototypes — simple, uncoloured samples made from EVA. At this stage, we’re not thinking about style. We’re focused on the essentials for a toddler sandal:

• Fit: Does it leave room for growing toes?
  
• Flexibility: Does the shoe bend and move like a toddler’s foot does?
• Slip-on ease: Can a parent get them on in under 10 seconds (without a wrestling match)?

Step 2: Real Toddler Testing

This is our favourite part: we hand the shoes to families and let toddlers do what they do best — play, climb, stomp, and test every limit.

Parents keep journals or send us voice notes about what they see:

• “Easy to rinse after the sandpit.”
  
• “My toddler actually kept them on all day!”
  
• “Needed a bit more strap length for chunkier feet.”
  

Toddlers don’t use words, but their actions tell the story — if they trip, tug, or toss, we know what to fix.

Step 3: Iteration and Refinement

Every round of feedback shapes the next version. We adjust millimetres, strap angles, even the softness of the EVA. It’s not unusual to go through 5–6 versions before we’re happy.

It’s a slow, thoughtful process — because a toddler’s foot deserves nothing less.

Step 4: The Final WonderSkips

By the time WonderSkips arrive at your door, they’ve already survived:

• Playground puddles.
  
• Cafés and park picnics.
  
• Airport runs.
  
• Countless tantrums, stomps, and giggles.
  

They’re shoes designed with toddlers, not just for them.

Why We Share This

Because trust matters. Parents deserve to know that the shoes they choose aren’t just designed in a studio — they’re tested in the wild, by the people who matter most: toddlers themselves.

Takeaway

Every WonderSkips pair is shaped by play, feedback, and lots of messy moments. From sample to shelf, we let toddlers lead — because they’re the best testers we’ll ever have.

✨ Explore the Wonderskips Collections — shoes designed by us, perfected by kids.