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Closed-Toe Action Sandals, £30

I think I must be famous in the catalogue world. They must all talk to each other and go “That Esther CorenWalker whatever her name is, she’ll buy anything. Just send her a catalogue. She loves it. She’ll spend £30 minimum.”

The message has got as far as Land’s End, (which is quite far, if you think about it – especially if the message started in John O’Groats), that purveyor of wind-proof and style-resistant clothing, who sent me a catalogue for their children’s range of clothing, which was unremarkable except for these rather excellent-looking action sandals for Little Sam.

Poor Little Sam, who will be 3 in May, is not very light on his feet. They are basically square, with the toes all squished up to the side. He hasn’t got great feet. Crocs make him fall over.

We’re going on a few beach holidays this year (massive air punch, klaxon horn, cartwheels) and while Kitty is basically a wild animal, happiest shoeless or in the aforementioned Crocs, Sam’s feet are a constant worry to me.

He had a pair of sandals last year, which were beastly and stiff and his little fat feet kept poking out of the end, the flappy bit of the front threatening constantly to fold back on itself and send him flying, teeth first, onto some sort of concrete angle.

But these look terrific don’t you think? Soft and bendy and non-tripping. Other people might be depressed that their lives had become about getting a thrill from a really good boys’  action sandal in Land’s End Kids. Not me.

At £30 these seem a little steep? Or is that just me? Or is that just Land’s End??

The other downer is that these only start at UK size 9 (kids) – which is basically age 3-ish, so no use if you’ve got a weeny one.

I also like the look of their beach cover-up, but they only do one for girls and not boys, which strikes me as odd. Also, a good range of skorts, which I would buy for Kitty if she was remotely interested in wearing dresses or skirts, as it is she is happy in shorts or playsuits in the summer.

I am, as it happens, looking for good kids beach towelling ponchos, so if you have bought a great one recently, let me and others know using the handy comments box below.

Please do not say things like “Maybe try John Lewis?????” Not helpful.