Nine youth hiking boots and shoes from KEEN, Merrell, Salomon, The North Face, Timberland and Columbia. We ranked them first on whether a kid can get them on without you.
Most kids don't need hiking boots. A pair of sneakers with decent tread handles a dry trail fine, and most kids outgrow a pair before they wear it out. Boots start to make sense when the trail turns muddy, wet or rocky, or when the kid is old enough to carry a pack and hike long enough to roll an ankle.
So this page ranks youth boots and shoes on three things, in order: whether a kid can get them on and done up alone, whether the weather protection fits the season you hike in, and what is underneath and over the toes. Price comes last, weighed against how fast a growing foot moves through a pair. My dad and I haven't put any of these on a kid's feet. The ranking comes from the makers' published specs, Amazon listings and Amazon buyer reviews, with AI-assisted research.
Every pick is youth sizing, little kid through big kid 7. Past that a teen is in adult sizes and belongs on our adult hiking boot guide. Youth boots from the big outdoor brands rarely cost as much as adult ones, and The North Face, Salomon and Timberland sit at the top of this lineup's price range. Amazon's kids' shelf is crowded with unbranded boots carrying huge review counts. We left them all out, and review volume didn't decide any of the rankings.
Short on time? Start with these top-rated kids' hiking boots picks.
The best all-round kids' boot here. A bungee lace with a lock, plus a strap over the instep in little kid sizes, means a kid gets it on alone, KEEN.DRY keeps the wet out, and the rubber toe tip takes the scuffing that kids dish out. It's the youth version of KEEN's adult Targhee, and it's the one to start with.
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The easiest boot on this page to get on and off. A/C stands for alternative closure, and here that means hook-and-loop with no laces at all. That's exactly what you want for a kid who can't tie yet. It has a waterproof bootie inside the upper and Merrell's FloatPro foam underfoot, and it usually costs less than the Targhee.
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A youth mid built on Salomon's trail-running platform, with a Quicklace pull-cord, a three-layer adv.DRY membrane and Contagrip rubber. Think of it as a trail runner with a collar, for the kid who's always out in front. Its Amazon rating is a perfect 5.0, but on a small pool of ratings, so it's ranked on the listed specs and that number counts for little.
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Quick verdict: The best all-round kids' boot here. A bungee lace with a lock, plus a strap over the instep in little kid sizes, means a kid gets it on alone, KEEN.DRY keeps the wet out, and the rubber toe tip takes the scuffing that kids dish out. It's the youth version of KEEN's adult Targhee, and it's the one to start with.
Quick verdict: The easiest boot on this page to get on and off. A/C stands for alternative closure, and here that means hook-and-loop with no laces at all. That's exactly what you want for a kid who can't tie yet. It has a waterproof bootie inside the upper and Merrell's FloatPro foam underfoot, and it usually costs less than the Targhee.
Quick verdict: A youth mid built on Salomon's trail-running platform, with a Quicklace pull-cord, a three-layer adv.DRY membrane and Contagrip rubber. Think of it as a trail runner with a collar, for the kid who's always out in front. Its Amazon rating is a perfect 5.0, but on a small pool of ratings, so it's ranked on the listed specs and that number counts for little.
Quick verdict: The most grown-up boot here, built on The North Face's Fastpack platform with a DryVent membrane, a mudguard and a reinforced toe cap. It has traditional laces and pull loops, so it's for an older kid who ties well. It sits at the top of the youth price range and has only a handful of Amazon ratings.
Quick verdict: The most traditional boot on the page, with a waterproof leather upper and laces. It's a classic-looking boot with a deep Amazon review pool and a strong buyer rating. It ranks fifth because laces and leather make it slower to get on and slower to dry than the picks above it.
Quick verdict: KEEN's other kids' mid, with a bellows flex zone across the top of the forefoot so the leather boot bends where the foot does. It also gets bungee laces with lock toggles, KEEN.DRY and a heel-lock design. It has the lowest Amazon rating on this page, which is why the Targhee, a simpler boot, ranks above it.
Quick verdict: A suede and synthetic youth hiker with a quick toggle lace in children's sizes and Columbia's Omni-Grip outsole. Its Amazon listing names no waterproof membrane and describes the suede as water and stain resistant, so treat it as a dry-weather boot. Buyers rate it well, and it usually costs less than most of the waterproof mids.
Quick verdict: A low-cut trail runner with Salomon's Contagrip outsole, a Quicklace pull-cord and an anti-debris mesh upper. It has the deepest review pool on this page and still finishes eighth, because it has no membrane and no ankle collar. On a hot, dry trail that's the whole appeal, since nothing inside holds sweat in.
Quick verdict: A low waterproof hiking shoe with an Omni-Tech membrane, speed lacing and Columbia's Omni-Grip outsole, and usually the cheapest pair on this page. It doubles as an everyday shoe, which makes sense for a foot that'll outgrow it soon. It ranks last because it gives up the ankle collar of the boots above it.
Under about age eight, pick a boot a kid can close alone: hook-and-loop straps, a bungee lace with a lock toggle, or both. Most young kids can't tie a knot that survives a muddy trail, so laced boots mean a stop every half mile. And a boot that takes two adult hands to get on tends to stay in the car.
Merrell's Moab Speed 2 Mid A/C runs on hook-and-loop alone, and the KEEN Targhee 4 uses a bungee lace in every size and adds a strap over the instep in little kid sizes. Salomon's Quicklace is a single pull-cord. Older kids get it right away, and younger ones get there with a bit of practice. Traditional laces, on the Timberland and The North Face, hold a foot best once a kid can tie them well.
For spring, fall and anywhere wet, yes. A waterproof-breathable membrane keeps puddle water and wet grass out, and kids walk through every puddle on purpose. Seven of the nine pairs here have one: KEEN.DRY, Salomon's adv.DRY, The North Face's DryVent, Columbia's Omni-Tech, Merrell's waterproof bootie and Timberland's waterproof leather.
The catch: a membrane works both ways. Water that goes in over the collar, in a creek or deep snow, stays in, and a waterproof boot also dries slowly after a sweaty summer day. For hot, dry trails a mesh shoe like the Speedcross J has no membrane to hold sweat in. Match the boot to the season you actually hike in.
About a thumb's width, roughly half an inch, between the longest toe and the end of the boot, checked with the hiking socks on and the kid standing. That gives toes room on the downhills and a little growing room. More than that and the foot slides forward on every descent, which is how kids get blisters and bruised toenails.
Buying a full size up so the boot lasts two seasons is tempting. It's usually the wrong trade. A boot that is too long also flexes in the wrong place and catches on roots. Younger kids can go up a size inside a school year, so don't assume last year's pair still fits. Check it before the first hike of every season.
Look for real lugs, not the flat tread of a playground sneaker, and a rubber toe cap. Kids kick rocks, scramble on all fours and drag their toes, and a rubber bumper over the front of the boot protects both the toes and the upper. The KEEN Targhee 4 and The North Face Fastpack II call one out in their specs.
On the outsole, Salomon lists Contagrip rubber on the XA Pro and Speedcross, an all-terrain outsole it pitches at young kids who run rocky trails. If the boots double as school shoes, look for non-marking rubber, which KEEN and Merrell both call out. Midsole foam matters less on a light kid than on an adult carrying a pack.
Pick a strap or a bungee with a lock toggle, and the trailhead stops being a negotiation. The Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid A/C closes with hook-and-loop alone, and the KEEN Targhee 4 adds a strap over a bungee lace in little kid sizes, so a kid can get either on without help and nothing comes undone halfway up the trail.
A mid-height boot with a membrane keeps puddles, mud and wet grass out, and the higher collar keeps out the splash that a low shoe lets in. The Targhee 4, XA Pro V8 Mid and Fastpack II Mid are the picks here. Water that goes in over the top still stays in, though, so throw a spare pair of socks in the pack.
On a hot, dry trail a membrane mostly holds sweat in. The Salomon Speedcross J is a low trail runner with an anti-debris mesh upper and a Contagrip outsole. With no membrane, it won't hold water the way a waterproof boot can, and it suits a kid who'd rather run the trail than walk it. You give up the ankle collar and the waterproofing to get that.
Want to browse beyond the ranked picks? Filter and sort the full kids' hiking boots listing below.
Often, no. On a dry, well-graded trail a pair of sneakers with decent tread is fine, and plenty of kids prefer a lighter shoe anyway. Boots pay off on muddy, wet or rocky trails, in cool weather, and once a kid is hiking long enough or carrying enough to roll an ankle.
If you're buying one pair to cover most of the year, a waterproof mid like the KEEN Targhee 4 or Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid A/C is the safer pick. For summer only, a low shoe like the Columbia Redmond or the Salomon Speedcross J does the job and costs less.
Many are, but read the name before you buy. Seven of the nine pairs here have a waterproof membrane, and all seven say waterproof in their names, including Merrell's Moab Speed 2 Mid A/C Waterproof, which uses a waterproof bootie inside the upper. The Columbia Newton Ridge Amped has no membrane on its Amazon listing, and the Salomon Speedcross J is a mesh trail runner with no waterproof membrane listed.
Youth sizes run up to big kid 7. Past that, a teen moves into adult sizes. Big kid sizes run close to men's sizes, usually a half to one size smaller, and women's sizes run larger again. Check the maker's size chart on the listing before ordering.
A teen who already wears an adult size is better served by our adult hiking boot guide, because youth boots stop at big kid 7 and adult boots are built to carry more weight.
Most toddlers on a trail are carried for part of it, so a light, flexible shoe with a strap closure is usually more useful than a stiff boot. Some models on this page, such as the Columbia Newton Ridge Amped and the Columbia Redmond, list toddler sizes. Look for hook-and-loop over laces at that age.
Half a size at most. Aim for about a thumb's width of room at the toe with hiking socks on. A boot much longer than that lets the foot slide on the downhills, which causes blisters and bruised toenails, and a kid in boots that hurt stops wanting to hike. Recheck the fit every spring, or whenever they start dragging on the downhills.
Press on the toe while they stand. If you can't fit a fingertip between the longest toe and the end of the boot, it's time. Also look for red marks on the toes or heels after a hike, and for a kid who suddenly complains about the downhills. Kids rarely say their shoes are tight, so check rather than wait.
A review count tells you how many have sold on Amazon. It doesn't tell you which boot suits the hike. The Salomon Speedcross J has the deepest review pool on this page and ranks eighth, because it is a low-cut running shoe with no membrane, which suits summer and fast kids but not a wet spring trail. It's well rated by buyers. It just isn't the shoe most families need first.
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Reader-supported and free of paid placements. Every pick is ranked on published specs and Amazon buyer ratings, not on who pays us.
Each pick is compared on published specs, materials, design, and category fit across the major brands.
Rankings factor in how well each product matches common hiking, backpacking, and trail running needs, not just popularity.
Star ratings and review volume from verified Amazon buyers are factored in to reflect real-world satisfaction.
A pick earns its spot by delivering useful performance for the money, whether budget or premium.
Youth sizing stops at big kid 7. Past that a teen is in adult sizes, and the adult boot guide picks up where this one ends.
Best Hiking Boots