Best Hiking Shoes for Kids

Where the Moab 2 Mid is a boot, the Speedcross J is the opposite idea and just as good at it: a low, light trail runner that assumes your kid is going to move fast. If your family's pace is set by an eight-year-old sprinting the downhill, start here.

The outsole is the whole argument. Deep, soft lugs bite into mud and loose dirt and hold on wet rock, and this is the strongest traction in this group: no slipping on hills, no scrabbling on wet roots, and no trouble on frozen ground. It is a kids' version of Salomon's adult Speedcross and follows the same lines, so it survives being worn to school between hikes instead of sitting in a closet.

Sizing is the catch. The shoe runs small against other brands and the toe box leans narrow, so compare the chart rather than the number on your kid's old sneakers. And because it is low-cut, there is nothing over the ankle: fine on smooth trail, less forgiving on a rocky descent with a full water bottle in hand.

This is the cheapest pair in the guide, and it is the one we point to when a kid needs hiking shoes for one trip, one growth spurt, or one school outdoor week. Merrell's Trail Chaser is a low-cut shoe rather than a boot, with a flexible sole that suits small feet and a soft upper that asks nothing of you before the first walk.

The useful parts are all here: a lugged outsole that grips mud, grass, and wet rock, a padded collar, and enough cushioning that kids cover real distance without complaining. The upper is soft enough that a wide forefoot has room in some sizes, while others come up narrow, so try them on with the socks your kid actually hikes in.

The reservation is durability. The laces and the elastic are the weak point, and a pair worn hard every day can lose a lace or a bungee inside a month while the upper is still going strong. Read that as a light-to-moderate trail shoe that will see a kid through a season or two, and nothing here touches it on value.

The reason to buy these is the ten seconds before a hike starts. Mishansha's boot is soft through the foot and easy for a small kid to pull on and close without an adult crouching down to help, which is worth more on a cold morning than any specification on this page. They are our pick for toddlers and preschoolers.

Around that convenience, the boot is honest rather than exceptional. The footbed is soft, grip on rocky paths is better than the price suggests, and the toe holds up longer than the rest of the shoe. Water is the weak spot, so puddles soak straight through and these stay dry-weather boots with a spare pair of socks in the bag. The fit also splits between roomy and narrow from size to size, so try them on before the tags come off.

No laces to tie. The Targhee 4 Mid closes with a bungee drawcord you pull and lock, and a kid in mittens can work it alone. That one decision says who the boot is for: cold mornings, wet trails, and a family that wants to be walking five minutes after the car door opens.

It is a proper cold-weather hiker. Waterproof, warm enough for snow, and easy to get on and off with the collar loosened, it lives up to the Keen reputation for a roomy forefoot. The trade-off is stiffness: the sole is firm, which is what gives the boot its support on uneven ground but takes a few outings to feel natural underfoot.

That forefoot is genuinely wide and the toe box has room for thick socks, which makes this the boot for a kid who has been squeezing into narrow trail shoes. It is also the heaviest thing in the guide, so it is a poor match for a kid who is small for their age or covering serious distance.

Waterproofing is the least consistent part. The membrane keeps feet dry in snow and shallow water and can soak through when a kid stands in a deep puddle, so treat it as a boot for wet weather rather than for wading. For winter hikes, wet school runs, and cold-weather camping, this is the one we reach for; for a hot, dry trail, it is more boot than the day needs.

If your kid has wide feet and you have given up on trail shoes, start here. The UOVO hiking sneaker is roomy through the forefoot by default, slips on without a fight, and grips wet grass and mud better than its price suggests. Fit is the reason it made this list at all.

The limits are in the build. It is a sneaker rather than a boot, so there is nothing over the ankle, and the waterproof label is closer to water-resistant in practice: fine for wet grass, not for a creek crossing. For camp, the school run, and easy trails, that is a fair trade, and it is the pair we leave by the door for a kid who wants to be outside before anyone else is awake.

Rain is the test this shoe was built for. The Peakfreak Rush is Columbia's waterproof youth hiker, and it does the job you bought it for: feet stay dry through a downpour, a wet field, or a slushy walk to school.

It is a low-cut shoe, so read it as wet-weather everyday wear rather than mountain support. The upper is light, the grip is fine on dirt and grass, and it is comfortable enough that a kid keeps it on after the hiking part of the day is over. For the kind of outing most families actually do, a few hours on a marked trail and then a playground, that is the right amount of shoe.

Two things to know before ordering. The toe box is narrow for a shoe this otherwise friendly, so wide-footed kids belong in the Keen or the UOVO instead, and the sizing runs about a half size small. It has not been around as long as the Merrells here, so the long-term picture is thinner, but for wet walking it is a confident pick.

Zero drop, a wide toe box, and a sole thin enough to feel the ground under it: these are barefoot shoes wearing a hiking-shoe label, and they suit one particular kid, the one who complains that every pair pinches and kicks them off at the trailhead.

For gentle paths, camp, and everyday knocking around, that is a genuinely good thing. Toes spread out, the upper stretches over a wide forefoot, and kids pull them on without help. What they are not is a technical trail shoe: there is almost nothing underfoot and the tread is shallow, so sharp rock, scree, and long rocky descents are the wrong assignment.

Sizing is true to size, so do not go up a half. They pick up dirt and stains faster than a dark leather boot, and the sole is the heaviest part of an otherwise featherweight shoe. At the bottom of the price range, though, buying a pair for camp and a pair for school is a perfectly sensible way to run a summer.