You are ready to set out on a grand adventure but you are questioning whether or not your kids really need hiking boots or if their regular sports shoes will suffice.
Hiking shoes can be expensive and kids feet grow like weeds! They will likely out grow hiking boots before they outwear them.
In many cases regular sports shoes will be just fine, however there are situations where you may want to consider investing in a pair of good quality hiking boots for your children.
Why Are Hiking Boots Important for Kids
Stablity
Hiking boots offer good stability to the ankles. This results in less falls and sprains. There is nothing worse than being half way up on a beautiful hike only to trip and roll you ankle.
Traction
Hiking trails are very rarely paved and hence they abound with loose soil and stones. Many trails are uneven and have countless inclines and descents. Good traction is vital to preventing slips and falls. It helps children to feel safer and more in control if they feel like they have good firm footing.
Waterproofing
This is one of the best qualities of hiking boots, especially for kids. The waterproof aspect means that you aren’t going to have children who are upset because they are walking in soggy wet socks. Wet feet are just asking for kids to get sick and any parent will know how horrible that is for both you and your child.
Wet feet are also an invitation to those pesky blisters.
Warm, dry feet are one of the best ways to ensure your hike goes well.
Protection
You never know what is out on hiking trails, or lurking beneath the leaves laying on the ground. Hiking boots provide your child with substantially more protection than regular shoes. It is difficult for sharp sticks, nails or creatures to penetrate hiking boots.
Who Needs to Buy Hiking Boots for Their Kids
Regular Hikers
If you and your family are lovers of the great outdoors and hike regularly throughout the year then it would be smart to invest in some hiking boots.
Hiking as a hobby will mean that your children will get enough wear out of their shoes to make the purchase worth it. No one likes to buy an expensive item, use it once or twice then leave it in the closet for years before eventually donating it to Goodwill…after driving it around in the trunk for six months.
Children who love to hike will be much more competent hikers who will be able to attack increasingly difficult terrain and trails. This would be my prime reason for investing in hiking boots for kids. When the trails become more difficult it is important to have sturdy footing and traction. Your normal sports shoes are going to be seriously lacking in this area.
The stability provided by hiking boots can help prevent rolled ankles and other injuries from slipping or falling.
Seasoned hiking kids will have a longer endurance and be able to walk for longer periods of time. Hiking boots give them a much more comfortable walk over long distances.
Families with Multiple Kids
I know this may seem crazy but hear me out. Hiking boots are built to last. If you start with your oldest you will easily be able to pass them down to the next one in line as they grow out of them.
My advice would be, to buy unisex hiking boots for your kids so that they can be shared amongst all your children.
I really do love this aspect of hiking boots, as a mother of four children hand me downs play a big part in our lives!
Hikes Involving Water
Hiking boots are waterproof, that is one of their selling points and best features. If there is a chance that you are going to be hiking through water or during the winter, hiking boots are a must for your kids.
There is no kid that is going to be happy walking around with soaking wet feet. It will just make your day miserable, like really really miserable.
Aside from the waterproofing, the stability of hiking boots is essential for slippery wet surfaces. Normal sports shoes just don’t have the traction you need to be safe. They in fact do the complete opposite and become incredibly slippery, you would be better off hiking in bare feet.
Rugged Terrain
If you are sticking to well maintained and paved trails then sports shoes will be just fine. If you are going to tackle something a bit more difficult then you will want to invest in some hiking boots.
The rugged terrain will be a lot more testing on those little legs and feet. If you can give your child more stability and traction they will fair much better than if they were to attempt the trail with sports shoes.
Best Hiking Boots for Kids
Choosing a pair of hiking boots is actually quite an important decision. You want to look for the qualities you need most in regards to children. That is:
- Traction
- Stability
- Waterproofing
You also want to look for a company that is well known. There are many cheap hiking boots out there but it is best to spend a little more money and get quality products, backed by a reputable company. You will be able to be confident that they are going to be of a high quality, and able to withstand the hard work you will put them through.
Personally I can recommend Keen as a brand that can be trusted. They have a great range for kids right from your smallest toddlers right through to adults.
I really love these Keen shoes here. They winning feature for me is that they don’t have laces, instead they have replaced it with and easy bungy lace design. This makes me so happy. I don’t know how many times we have had to stop so I could tie someones shoe laces. Now they can do it easily by themselves! These people are geniuses I tell you!
Keen shoes are priced well for the high quality that they are. You can check out their current prices here.
Merrell is also a great company to purchase from, They have a similarly high standard as Keen, they only difference I have seen is the aesthetics of their design so it really is just a personal preference as to which kind of design you like. Their price tends to be a little lower than Keen but only by a couple of dollars so nothing too noteworthy. The current prices are available here.
How Long Should I Expect Hiking Boots to Last?
There is such a wide range, and it totally does depend on where you are hiking and how well you look after you hiking boots. The general consensus is that they should last you for 500-1000 miles. Obvisoulsy that sounds crazy for a child to walk. Since children probably won’t be walking many intense trails you should expect their hiking boots to be at the top end of that range.
It is for this reason that I mentioned previously that hiking boots are really an investment that can be used for multiple children, you could probably even save them for your grandkids if you really wanted to!
Hiking boots will also have a good resale value should you wish to sell them once you are finished with them, outgrow them or decide that hiking is just not for your family.
