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Back-to-school shopping for a kid who runs can be overwhelming, even if your child only runs around playgrounds or when chasing a ball. But if they run as part of a youth club or school cross country team, or for fitness or fun on their own or with you, there’s more to consider when shopping for shoes than if they’re comfortable, inexpensive, and look cool: The best running shoes for kids decidedly aren’t skate shoes or jellies.
If your child of any age—from elementary to middle school through high school—participates in sports of any sort, having the right running shoes for when they’re off the field is also important. Even if they don’t do supplemental training for their sport in their running shoes, you want their feet moving properly as they walk the hallways of their school and hang out with friends.
Below we speak to experts on what type of running shoe you should be looking for for your kids, how to identify problems, and then list 15 top running shoe picks for kids in elementary school, middle school, and high school.
Why the Right Pair of Running Shoes for Kids Matters
“The foot has 26 bones, 30 joints, a lot of muscles big and small,” says Dr. Mark Rieger, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and the founding partner and senior physician at the New Jersey-based Pediatric Orthopedic Center. “Running shoes for kids should be flexible enough for the foot to be able to do the work with the shoe supporting it.” Dr. Rieger also advises that shoes should have “a certain degree of cushioning, but not too much that the cushioning takes over the ability of the foot to adapt to the ground surfaces, and not too little because that can cause injuries like stress fractures.”
Dr. Rieger imparts that finding the right balance of cushioning and flexibility is even more important while kids’ feet are growing, and that feet continue to grow through mid-teenage years—as any beleaguered parent of a teen can attest .
Jessica Lyons-Quirk, senior director of footwear merchandising at Road Runner Sports, adds the importance of finding the right size shoe for your child, and how visiting a specialty running store can help home in on both the right fit and model. “Kids can’t vocalize how a shoe feels,” she says, in the same way that an adult can describe every pinch, press, or open space. “And their feet grow so fast. It’s essential for a parent to constantly be making sure their kids are in the right size.”
Both Lyons-Quirk and Dr. Rieger point to the benefits of having a child’s running gait analyzed, something that most specialty running shoe stores offer as part of their shoe-fitting process. Dr. Rieger, who specializes in sports injuries—among other foot-related issues—explains how finding out if a patient pronates or supinates helps him advise patients on what types of shoes they should be in to alleviate any pains or issues they may be having.
If your child hasn’t experienced any pain in the shoes they currently wear, having a gait analysis can still help them—and you—hone in on the best pair to keep them healthy as they start to run or continue running.
What Model Running Shoes do Experts Recommend for Kids?
Below, bothDr. Rieger and Lyons-Quirk weigh in on how to shop for running shoes for elementary school-aged through high school-aged kids.
Elementary School-Aged Kids
“You have to look at the foot in three stages,” says Dr. Rieger, who explains that the first stage is from birth to age 6 to 8, depending on their individual rate of physical development (girls generally develop faster than boys). “The second stage is from age 8 (roughly speaking) to age 14 or 16,” he says. “And the third stage is from 14 or 16 to 16 or 18. When they’re 18 they basically have adult feet.”
“From age zero to age 6 or 8, kids have a portion of soft bone and hard bone, and the soft bone is malleable,” Dr. Rieger says. “A bad shoe can actually malform the bones, which becomes a permanent issue.
“The foot is really an unbelievable mechanism for adapting to uneven surfaces and different surfaces,” he says. “You don’t want to restrict the foot too much in this age range. You really don’t really learn how to walk until about six to eight years of age, so it’s very important to have that tactile sensation.”
Dr. Rieger points to flexible shoes like the Nike Flex Runner 2, the Asics Pre Venture 9 Grade School, and the Under Armour Preschool.
Lyons-Quirk’s top choices for this age range include:
| Asics GEL-Cumulus 27 Grade School | “This is a great shoe at an entry-price point for the younger runner. It's a versatile shoe with the iconic GEL cushioning from Asics.” |
| Nike Pegasus 41 Grade School | "These shoes always come in fun, youthful colors, and they have the Zoom cushioning that adults love.” |
| Saucony Hurricane | “These are perfect for a wider fit and for kids who need slightly more stability in their shoes.” |
Asics GEL-Cumulus 27 Nike Pegasus 41 Grade School Saucony Hurricane
Middle School-Aged Kids
The older kids become, the more they demand they put on their shoes. Also, much to the dismay of parents and their pocketbooks, some children in this age range need adult sizes of running shoes—adult-sized shoes come in adult-sized prices. That means you want to make sure you’re buying the right shoes for your child, both in size and model. “At this age and beyond,” Lyons-Quirk says, “kids tend to become focused on a sport of choice, so you’ll want to make sure they’re buying the proper footwear for their sport, whether that’s running or cross-training shoes for their main sport or sports.”
Dr. Rieger points to the New Balance Kids Fresh Foam x860 V 13, the Saucony Cohesion 14 Kids, and the Adidas Light Run or Adapt 4.0 Kids.
Lyons-Quirk’s picks for middle school-aged kids:
| Brooks Ghost 17 | “This is a neutral shoe with lightweight cushioning and moderate flexibility.” |
| Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24 | “The Adrenaline GTS is a supportive shoe for those who need pronation support and are both great adult shoes for an entry into this level of sports.” |
Shop Brooks Ghost 17 Shop Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24
High School-Aged Kids
High school-aged kids put a lot of demand on their shoes. If they’re running high school track or cross country, they’re doing adult-level mileage and training hard (while also growing). If they’re doing other sports, they likely need to run in the off-season to prepare. Finding the right running shoes for their individual gait, foot shape, and needs is imperative in this age group.
Lyons-Quirk’s picks for high school-aged kids include:
| Hoka Clifton 10 | “These come in cool, lifestyle colors, with tons of performance features." This is a max cushioned shoe. |
| Nike Vomero 18 | “These come in fun colors, while offering performance and cushioning.” The Vomero 18 is a neutral cushioned shoe. |
| New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 | “This is a good shoe for those fast kids who are looking to take their performance to the next level.” |
Shop Hoka Clifton 10 Shop Nike Vomero 18 Shop NB FuelCell Rebel v5
Both Rieger and Lyons-Quirk state the importance of replacing kids’ running shoes often. Not only are kids’ feet growing constantly and the need to be in properly fitting shoes is imperative to their foot health, but running in shoes in which the cushioning is broken down can cause issues like callouses and ingrown toenails—among other even more serious issues like knee problems, shin splints, and stress fractures.
“You have to be more careful when kids are growing and going through spurts,” Rieger says. “A shoe can fit well today, and in two months, it could fit lousy.”