Thread: Kids walking/hiking boots - can you get them?

A good pr of thongs is all they need !

Originally Posted by Nat130

The feedback is great, thanks guys.

We took them the other week on a 5.8kms walk. Longest they have ever done and they loved it.

Am I cruel getting them to walk that far???

The little fella has a pair of blunnies (don't get me wrong I know they are a great boot) but the elastic sides don't support his ankles too well and if there is a pebble on the track he will trip over it

Hi Nat130,
If they loved it, then no, you didn't walk them too far.

It's important that it be a highlight experience for kids, otherwise you can turn them off bushwalking for life.

No you're right...... we've got nothing !

adm333: No you're right...... we've got nothing !

Interesting isn't it?

I remember as kids we always had proper walking boots. As with jik22 we would have had ours bought in the UK not here.

They love it when we take them on bush walks, I show them everything from fungus and funny shaped trees to identifying animal droppings to work out what animal it might be...they never seem to get bored.

On the way back we generally all do some singing as that distracts them from the distance they need to walk back to the car

My son started wearing a decent pair of boots when he was about 10yo: Meindl
Late addition. I first started wearing meindl's myself about 6-7 years ago and found them the most comfortable boot I'd ever worn. Have trekked in Nepal and Africa and not a single blister. So when it came to choosing a boot for my son, I looked far and wide in Australia and you just can't get a properly designed boot, so I ventured off shore. yes they cost more - but they are worth it. He has just outgrown his now.

If your after a boot for yourself - do yourself a favour and try meindls - the good people at Stager Sports will help you out. (They do not sell childrens or youths boots so you will still have to look offshore).

Originally Posted by mittadisco

My son started wearing a decent pair of boots when he was about 10yo: Meindl

I agree, Meindl boots are the choice for our kids as well. As children's feet are very "formable" (up to the point that children's feet don't even feel if a shoe doesn't fit properly) it is paramount to buy quality shoes to avoid future health problems (that might become obvious after some decades at times).
The first choice is going barefoot (not an option all th etime, of course), the second is quality footwear.

Try Paddy Pallin or if that fails the best I can think of would be Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver, BC Canada - www.mec.ca. If MEC doesn't have them, no-one will (think Bunnings size outdoor/camping/etc store ).

Originally Posted by Nat130

Interesting isn't it?

I remember as kids we always had proper walking boots. As with jik22 we would have had ours bought in the UK not here.

They love it when we take them on bush walks, I show them everything from fungus and funny shaped trees to identifying animal droppings to work out what animal it might be...they never seem to get bored.

On the way back we generally all do some singing as that distracts them from the distance they need to walk back to the car

Our sample showroom has some fantastic little hiking boots, perfect for what you are looking for but thats just it .... they're samples. We didn't end up putting them in the range.

There is a LYNX boot that my (5YO) son wears that is similar to a blundstone but much more comfortable and has a set of different size insole inserts you can use to get maximum wear out of the boot. Thats all he wears when we go 4wd'ing. They have a good solid rubber sole. Thats the closest thing we've got.

I can check for sizes, availability at your local store if you're interested.