Where Can You Buy Infant Water Shoes?

Today was one of the most frustrating days of my life. My family is going on a vacation soon and it's absolutely a must that my 15 month old daughter have water shoes. I'm not obsessive - it's imperative. Michigan waters have been infested with Zebra Mussels, which are like sharp barnacles that latch onto the bottom of boats, rocks - if there is something to latch onto, it will. There have always been Zebra Mussels, but now it's an out-and-out infestation. I had planned on buying her water shoes (or aqua socks, or hydro shoes, or swim shoes - whatever you want to call them) anyway, due to the rocks in the water, but now the need to buy them is pressing. How fun would playing in the water be to an infant if she lacerates her foot on those barnacle-like mussels? Not much, I assure you.

I started the day out casually checking the shoe department of Meijer. I was only a little surprised that they had nothing available than "water sandals", which are open-toed and open-heeled and do not provide much safety against sharp objects in the water. I rolled my eyes and moved onto the next store, Target. Much like Meijer, Target had plenty of water shoes, but none for infants. The smallest size available was a 7 and my daughter wears a size 3. And so the day of searching went on: Payless Shoe Source, DSW (my husband thought it was a regular shoe store and not just for women), Value City, Walmart, Kmart. NOTHING! It's was as if there was no market for water shoes - actual shoes, not sandals - that were sized for an infant.