View Full Version : Reasonably priced Hiking shoe for Daughter....
Greyson2
05-07-2013, 11:00
I am just starting to get my daughter (7 years old) into hiking in the WILD (as she likes to call it) and she is ready for a shoe with better traction/comfort. I feel the more comfortable her feet are, the longer we can stay out and spend time together. Once her feet hurt, its over.
I am hoping to find someone who has had any luck with any reasonably priced shoe, since there feet grow like weeds. Obviously, it has to be fashionable :) as well, but also very breathable since she loves to do creek walks. Anything at or under 50.00 is what i consider reasonable. If you have any tips/ideas please share! I am having trouble finding the right pair.
If you are flexible with color and style, you can find some great deals at an REI garage sale. Check the locations/events page on their website.
Alligator
05-07-2013, 11:23
I usually shop the discount shoe departments if you have any in your area. Places that sell name brand but limited supplies of various shoes. A lot of sneakers these days have beefy enough treads to work on trail. There's usually a shoe or boot that will work out for hiking. Kids go through them so fast. When I get them, I just let them wear them to school for a week or two to break them in. This works best for trail runner style shoes. I actually had to wrestle away a pair recently as they were getting worn to school everyday and I wanted to keep them for trail use.
I generally keep the cost down to less than $35 and sometimes even cheaper than that. Just be careful with boots as the cheaper boots don't tend to break in too readily. It will be hard to get anything waterproof like this but in the warmer months no big deal. Kids just love stomping through puddles anyway so keep a pair of camp shoes available and extra dry socks handy. You want to avoid continuous wet feet as that can create foot issues (trenchfoot for instance).
Greyson2
05-07-2013, 11:26
Ok, thats a great idea! Although i'm not the most patient person in the world. Im more of a buy it now kind of guy. LOL But i like the idea, ill have to look it up.
Alligator
05-07-2013, 11:42
Ok, thats a great idea! Although i'm not the most patient person in the world. Im more of a buy it now kind of guy. LOL But i like the idea, ill have to look it up.I go to three locally and I am generally able to find something between them but once in a while I get shut out so do plan ahead. Half sizes can be a little harder to get too, but I often see wide sizes.
I'm a big clearance shopper for kids clothes/shoes and often buy stuff on deep discount well before they are needed. I scored all but one of the Frogg Togg sizes from 02-12 for I think $10 a piece one year and just put them away for when they would be needed. Now, almost all of them were orange but that's good for kid's safety! (Black is a good color for insulating layers.)
Greyson2
05-07-2013, 11:45
Where do i find dates for the REI Garage sale going on at the Cincinnati location? I am having trouble finding this information.
http://www.rei.com/event/51145/session/72124
Or, go to your store on the web site (http://www.rei.com/stores/cincinnati.html) and look under their event calender. You can also check the "member benefit" check box to just show garage sales.
Another option, slightly more $$$ though, I like New Balances for the trail for my girl. Famous footwear has 5 NB girls shoes under $50, 3 under $40. Is there an outlet nearby?
I picked up a pair of North Face trail runners at an outlet mall for $30 or so for my 7 yr old. She could try them on, make sure they fit, and approve the color and style. Fortunately she's seen enough of my muddy and torn up shoes she was able to make the leap to function over fashion. They worked out very well for our trip into the "WILD". I got her a nice set of socks too. Daddy doesn't wear cotton while hiking; neither does she. She wears them whenever she wants. She'll still grow out of them before she wears them out.
My wife also finds a lot of great deals for our daughter at consignment stores in the area. You may want to check there once or twice a week. Some of the stuff she finds looks almost new.
FarmerChef
05-07-2013, 14:45
My kids have hiked over 1,200 miles over the past two years and my wife and I have learned some lessons in regard to children's shoes in the process. Namely, that cheap, Wal Mart/Payless (not meaning to offend here) kids shoes do not hold up for very long when dragged along the ground, kicked on rocks, or any other incorrect way of using a shoe that a child can imagine. The worst has been a pair of shoes that was pretty much shot after one week-long hike. :(
When we started, my son (6) used his regular sneakers from school. They held up reasonably well but started to take a real beating when we hit Pennsylvania. I've tried to find him good kids trail runners but I have yet to find a quality pair that's really going to last him one full summer (around 500 miles) of hiking. So I try to find the sweet spot between cheap enough to just replace and durable enough to not fail me in the middle of a hike. We've taped more than one pair of shoes up during a hike and I'd like to not have to do it again.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't sweat finding the perfect pair too much. If you're planning on just getting out there for some fun and keeping your miles under 100 any decent kids sneaker that doesn't immediately look like it will fall apart will probably do. But I wouldn't spend more than $35 if it were me. The NB shoes I got my son were one of the pairs that didn't make it. They weren't $35 either. Best of luck and, most importantly, HAVE FUN!
You may find that basketball shoes make good hikers. They are usually durable, breathable, and have good arch support. The tread is not agressive but is often sticky and a good match for groomed trails. I don't know how costly they are these days though. Just a thought...
MuddyWaters
05-08-2013, 20:05
My son used some cheap $49 Nike trail runners for hundreds of miles with no complaints.
My latest shoes I only paid $42 on clearance, with 35% off coupon also, from Sierra Trading Post.
Just look for last yrs closeouts online, you will find deals.
Check out Kohls for cheap name brand shoe models appropriate for your daughter's activities and foot characteristics. I just picked up a pr of girl's Keene knock off sandals for $22 for my niece and pr of New Balance in 13 W for myself for bebopping around town for less than $50.
One of my sons refuses to hike without his closed toe Keen sandles. During three summers, between the ages of 10-12, he hike the AT through MD, 65 miles miles of the NCT along Michigan's Pictures Rocks National Lakeshore, and 100 of the AT through SNP. Plus, the Keens were worn all summer long as his regular shoes! By the time he finished the last hike, they were trash!
This now-14 year old's next backpacking trip is this summer at Isle Royale, and he refuses to go unless he gets a pair of Keens (not hiking shoes/boots) to fit his current-size-11 feet!
FYI: Keens for kids run much cheaper than adults (around $50-60). They last MUST longer (as noted with my son!) than the knock-offs. Plus, since they can be "cinched," you can pick them up at least one size larger than the child wears.
Thanks for the info Shelb. If you only knew my 7 yr old niece. Durability will not be the issue. Her losing them long before they wear out will be the issue. Her knock offs are adjustable too with a cinch cord. I also bought them 1/2 size larger so she has some wiggle room and IF she doesn't lose them shel'll get greater use out of them as she grows into the larger size. She's fashion conscious already. While I'm the Uncle who's largely function conscious. She goes through these color fads too. Her latest is purpllish/pink which is what the Keene knock offs are. Who knows though. In short order they might be the wrong color for her. Women!
Your son picks his hiking sandals well. Keenes are my hiking sandal of choice too.
All it takes is one bloody toe(s) mishap and you'll be looking at the Keens too. Have you noticed all the Keen Sandals with toe bumpers knock offs and the other sandal companies copying similar Keen designs? Mens and Womens Keen Sandals may be pricey but they offer superior foot protection, some arch support, decent cushioning, especially for a sandal, stay on your feet EXTREMELY well, which I find vital in a hiking/boating sandal, and are extremely durable. Only down side is that debris such as small twigs, pebbles, and grit can get caught under your sole with the Keens which means you have to sometimes stop and shake them out. But, I'll take that any day because that sometimes minor inconvenience pales in comparison to the benefits of Keen Sandals.