Benefits of Hiking Boots for Kids

Hiking is no doubt a rewarding and fun experience for the whole family if you give it a lot of thought.  As it’s well articulated in the article from wildernessmastery.com, it’s also an excellent way to help the kids establish a love and respect for nature, support them to stay active, and stimulate a creative imagination. We should get our children interested in going outdoors.

Generally, your kids must be fully equipped and appropriately attired depending on the weather. Most importantly, they must have good fitting kids hiking boots to help avoid sore and tired feet. Following are some of the reasons why your kid must wear proper boots when hiking:

TREAD

One of the most crucial factors when considering on hiking footwear is the number of treads required. Did you know that the tread enables the show to grip uneven surfaces and avoid slippage on downhill slopes? The majority of tennis shoes or sneaker shoes have light tread, which won’t be appropriate for rocky, uneven hills or terrain. If you and your kid prefer to walk a flat trail with slight downhill or uphill grades, a tennis shoe will do. However, any more than that, and you must consider a kids hiking boots

STIFFNESS AND SUPPORT

Kids hiking shoes provide stiffness and support. If your kid is carrying a backpack while hiking, you’ll want to a true kid’s hiking boots with more stiffer midsoles and ankle coverage. If you are doing a day hike with little weight or no extra weight from a pack, then a light trail is an excellent idea. They provide support and come up higher on the ankle than a standard sneaker; however, have stiffer midsoles to manage uneven terrain. You will also find kids hiking boots – often times called trail runners – which feel almost the same as a sneaker in that they’re light, but provide more tread and support.

MUD AND STREAMS

Exposure to water while hiking is another to take into consideration. Some kids hiking boots and shoes have a waterproof lining, which enables you to walk through streams and muds devoid of getting a soaker. Some outdoor shoes are made from mesh, which allows water flow go through the shoes, but are made to dry faster. Tennis shoes will stay heavy and wet under such same conditions.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

If your kid is an infrequent hiker who doesn’t plan to go on any long and difficult hikes, then you can stick with a standard tennis shoe. However, if your kid plan to hike with any regularity, then you can consider investing in kids hiking boots so that he or she can be prepared for the changing trail conditions, which includes his, rocks and uneven surfaces. The majority of sporting good shops include a wide array of kids hiking boots and shoes so try a bunch of them and take long walks with your kids around the store. Or you can also look online, as there are countless of online websites that offer these kids hiking boots.

You can also check out our List of Things to Consider when Choosing Kids Hiking Boots.