Do Children Need Hiking Boots

LOWA BLOG PARTNER A DAILY TRAVELMATE IN CONVERSATION WITH DR. MICHA BAHR

When it comes to the little ones, many parents naturally ask themselves: Do my children really need hiking boots? After all, they usually outgrow them after a few months? Steffi from a daily travelmate is also frequently asked this question. You can read her conversation with Dr Micha Bahr in the latest blog article.

MICHA, WHY DID YOU APPROACH LOWA TO DEVELOP A HIKING BOOT FOR CHILDREN TOGETHER?

I wasn't satisfied with any of the shoes on the market at the time (2016). The children's hiking boots were too hard. However, I didn't want to wear the alternative, a low shoe, with my children on our hikes. This can really ruin your holiday, as children can easily twist their ankles. During one of our hiking holidays, I observed my children and their hiking behaviour closely. From this, I developed a worklist and knocked on LOWA's door with it.

WHAT POINTS WERE ON THIS LIST, OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY: WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU THINK A GOOD CHILDREN'S HIKING BOOT SHOULD FULFIL?

Roughly speaking, a children's hiking boot needs a suitable sole, the children's toes need enough room and it needs a high shaft. The shoe also needs to be lightweight and waterproof.

The right sole: The sole construction of most of the children's hiking boots I had on hand was grossly wrong. Most shoes were very flexible in the longitudinal axis, but far too rigid in the transverse axis. If this is the case, the child's foot cannot roll properly. However, this is important because children still have much better rolling behaviour than adults.

Space for the toes: Children's toes need space. Hiking boots that are too narrow in the toe area are unsuitable for children, as little hikers tend to claw their toes. This is a reflex that is triggered in various movement situations and should be possible in every shoe.

High shaft: Even if parents sometimes struggle with the idea of a high shaft in shoes for their children, a good ankle fit or ankle support is a must for hikes. Children can easily twist their ankles and additional support from a shaft contributes significantly to safety on the mountain.

HOW HAS LOWA IMPLEMENTED THE CRITERIA YOU MENTIONED?

The upper of Lowa's children's hiking boots fits snugly around the ankle and provides support without restricting freedom of movement. The sole, specially developed for children's shoes, supports natural rolling behaviour and the toes have enough room to move. A heel cap ensures that the child's foot sits really well. Because regardless of whether a hiking boot is designed for children or adults, if the shoe doesn't fit properly, any long hike will eventually become a pain.

MICHA, DO CHILDREN NEED HIKING BOOTS?

Yes, children need hiking boots for hiking. They need a good hiking boot that has been optimised for children's feet, which are not just the smaller version of adult feet. Their musculoskeletal system is still growing, and a good shoe should not impair this. Children need hiking boots to minimise the risk of injury on the mountain and to ensure that they have fun while hiking. Of course, LOWA shoes can be used universally. Whether hiking, in the forest kindergarten or on the climbing frame. Ideally, a good children's shoe can be used for an entire outdoor season.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING HIKING BOOTS FOR CHILDREN?

Ideally, you should get really good advice from a specialist shop. Incidentally, your children are only of limited help when buying a shoe, as their sense of pain is even less well developed than that of us adults. This means that they won't necessarily notice if the shoe is pinching when they try it on.

A child's hiking boot should fit well. They should not be too small, but of course not too big either. We parents tend to buy clothes and shoes a little bigger so that they last longer. Especially when it comes to shoes, you're not doing your children any favours. To check whether a hiking boot for children fits well, you can remove the insole (this is possible with all LOWA children's shoes) and your child can stand on it. If there is still room for a child's thumb in front of the big toe, then the shoe fits well in length. Of course, you should also make sure that the width of the shoe fits well.

Once your child has the shoe on, they should try to move their toes. This way you can check whether the shoe allows the natural reflex to claw the toes.

I recommend a children's hiking boot with a high shaft that is waterproof for hiking and everyday use.

And what about the colour? No matter how well a children's hiking boot fits and has been optimised for children's feet, in the end the little hikers have to like it to wear it.

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