Throughout the summer months we’re outdoors virtually every day as a family. Whether we’re just mooching around our local park or woodland, or planning a larger scale coastal path trek with overnight camps thrown in, the kids spend a lot of time on their feet. While they absolutely love the long summer days, whiling away the hours in the beautiful outdoors, it’s important that we provide them with the right gear to make the many miles that they cover enjoyable and comfortable. Nowhere is this perhaps more important than their little feet. After all, it’s the feet that do the brunt of the work. So, while many brands still continue to shun the toddler market, we’re delighted that Keen continue to support outdoor families with a superb range of toddler (and older child) specific footwear made for the rigours of little outdoor explorers. Their latest offering, the Keen Terradora, is everything we hoped it would be.
When the trails turn hard and dusty and the heat begins to rise, we inevitably turn to trail shoes for our family hikes and walks. Trail shoes offer just that little bit more freedom compared to boots. They also tend to be a bit cooler on the foot which, given the heatwave we’re currently experiencing, provides some welcome relief. They’re also a tad lighter than their boot counterpart, ensuring that little legs can remain energetic even on hot days.
Despite them being lighter and a little bit more comfortable than most boots, we still want them to provide great support and traction. All the comfort in the world is no good if our littlest explorer spends all of her time slipping over and turning her ankle. Otherwise, we’d all wear slippers to hike! Luckily, the Keen Terradora offer kids the very best of both worlds.
Using the same TrailFit technology as the adult women’s version, the distinctly feminine Keen Terradora is a shoe that our youngest is happy to wear all day long. Firstly, they are super comfortable. This is, in part, helped by the lightweight design, but further enhanced by the cushioned midsole and padded tongue, which give them a trainer-like feel.
The rubber outsole is both non-marking and solid, and aggressive enough with its lugs to give great confidence on loose ground. Our youngest, at two, still hasn’t quite mastered the ability to control her speed and motion when running yet so, as you can imagine, this is very welcome. Furthermore, the fit, using a bungee lace system, really enables us to get them just snug enough to support her fast-paced stability without compromising her comfort.
Lastly, as much as we’re in the middle of a tremendous hot and dry period right now, we also know that, in the UK,inclement weather is never too far away. Fortunately, Keen use their own waterproof membrane, KEEN.Dry, on the Keen Terradora shoes. Not only is this great for splashing around on the edges of streams on gorgeous sunny days, it also means they’ll be great to wear whatever the weather. More impressive still, the lightweight rubber rand that envelops the lower part of the outer fabric provides even more protection from the elements and from abrasions from stones, rocks and bushes.
We love the Keen Terradora shoes. There’s simply not a lot else that you could ask of hiking shoes fit for children as young as two. The fact that they offer them in older children’s sizes, and then all the way up to adult women’s sizes, suggests to me that these are going to be very popular indeed.
Brand: Keen
Product: Kids’ Terradora Waterproof Low Hiking Shoes
Price: £54.99
Available in a range of colours.
Where to buy: https://www.keenfootwear.com/en-gb/
Great information! I’ll have to keep Keen in mind when it’s time to buy more shoes for my girls. We’re slowly introducing the art of trail walking to them and these shoes would be perfect for them. #AdventureCalling
I’d actually love these for myself. With tiny feet (size 2) i’m always in the kids aisle for shoes!
They look good, I’m trying to encourage my 4 year old to walk a bit further. He’s rather glued to his bike unfortunately! #adventurecalling
My boys would love those #adventurecalling
Your daughter looks very happy wearing them so they must be a hit! They look very cute but have great features.
#adventurecalling
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Thanks for the review. Rowan is currently still wearing boots, but as you say, shoes are probably a better option in this weather.
#adventurecalling
Great review, these look ideal for Cubs as our pack is so active. I struggle with the price of kids shoes but like you say they need to be safe and comfortable and if they get lots of wear it’s well worth paying. Love that they are waterproof too, is it a breathable membrane? #AdventureCalling
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I love the look of these. It’s always so hard finding tough kids outdoor shoes that will provide support but not be too heavy. I will have to investigate some for Finn now he does a lot more walking. So many companies seem to ignore small children when it comes to outdoor wear.