Hellobee Boards

we have had good luck with croc rain boots for warmer weather and bogs for colder weather, but bogs also makes a rain boot. they have nice sturdy tread.
in the summer my kids wear plain crocs when they are little (the soles are nice and flexible), or keen type sandals (preschool age). This year i got my daughter a pair of plae shoes Mimo style, which i think will work nicely for going into the brook, or playing the field/forest.

We use the cheap walmart rain boots year round, I do see that Target is getting Hunter boots which look to be super easy-on for toddlers.
Crocs are great for summer. I would like to get DS some 'real' cowboy boots but they're so dang expensive!

Western Chief is my favorite if you want a good boot but can’t go with the higher end brands. My kids wear their rain boots hard. We tried a less expensive brand and the straps to pull them on came off, which makes them useless to me since half the point of rain boots is they can get them on themselves! We’ve been able to pass them down as well.

We used some lug sole Timberland-style boots that zip on the inside that were waterproof last spring while my DD was helping build our garden a lot. They worked pretty well.
Eta: I think they were SmartFit brand.

We bought xtratuf boots for our son and they are great because they have a lot of traction. We are in the PNW and spend a lot of time on the beach with slippery rocks and he rarely falls at 2 yo with these boots

I splurge and get Hunter boots. They are super durable and have held up very well to the beating my 2 boys give them. Then I resell them once my youngest outgrows them.

I bought Western Chief once and was super disappointed in the quality. They split and got a hole. I’m not a fan.

@Amorini: I have also been surprised at how expensive “cheap” rain boots from Targe are! My girls each need to keep a pair for Kuching around in the yard (separate from the clean rain outs they wear to school). They do actually wear through the bottoms because they swing (and drag their feet) in them...so I’ve started snagging them at thrift/consignment shops firvjust a few dollars. I find newish ones there all the time since rain boots have pretty limited use (to/from school only) due to the fact that people tend to drive everywhere rather than walk here.