14 best kids’ running shoes that are comfy to wear on all terrains

Best: Overall

We normally subscribe to the philosophy of buy less, buy better (rather than buy cheaply), but our eight-year-old tester didn’t want to take these trainers off, choosing them for sports day, PE sessions and weekend sports classes. Lightweight, with a cushioned sole and rip-tape fastening, they’re designed for kids of all ages. Helpfully, they’re also the brightest things on any pitch so you can easily keep track of your child. At under £15, these are the bargain of all bargains and rival far more expensive brands.

Best: For tweens

If we’re rating shoes based on how much our co-reviewers enjoyed them, which we are, then these are the clear winners for sporty tweens: our ten-year-old insisted on wearing them pretty much daily since they arrived. They tick every box in terms of styling and silhouette, with on-trend yet timeless pastel accents and a visible Air Max sole unit that calls to mind 90s-era Air Max styles. Our reviewer says they’re breathable, comfy, and absolutely perfect for school sports.

Best: For all terrains

Saucony is known as the go-to brand for running trainers, and these water-repellent running shoes with durable, ridged outsoles are perfect for tackling any roads – or better yet, getting off-road entirely. They also have an antimicrobial lining to minimise odour.

As our mini reviewer notes, these have “a really good grip,” and are as useful on muddy paths in the rain as they are indoors. They even convinced her she wanted to hike, which suggests there’s more than mesh in that upper (perhaps some magic, too?). While we loved the colour combo, that was the one (small) negative in our reviewer’s eyes.

Best: For trail running

With the brand’s slip-resistant select grip outsole, these running shoes combine breathability with a good fit and a traction-boosting sole so little runners can challenge themselves on any surface. We have not yet had occasion to road test these in the mountains, but they hold up extremely well on local dirt paths, and in inclement weather. The rip-tape fastening provides extra security for the foot. Despite the rainbow print, which we were confident our tester would like, the styling fell a bit short.

Best: For travel

If you’ve been curious about barefoot running trainers, then Vivo’s children’s selection has plenty to entice. This lightweight trail shoe is vegan and made with recycled plastic bottles, with a great tread sole featuring a lovely speckled design our kids liked.

The shoes have a lace toggle fastening so are appropriate for youngsters, and our three and five-year-old testers could not be more enthusiastic about them, demanding to wear them daily and showing off the bright colour and high-traction sole to anyone and everyone. We’ve witnessed the five-year-old run more in these in the past several weeks than she has in the past few years. These are great for packing in the travel bag and would work well protecting beach-combing feet.

Best: Colour combinations

Originally designed as a trail running shoe, New Balance 574s are our top pick for older kids in need of shoes that work for running and sports, but don’t compromise on style or personality. You’ll find the best selection of colour combinations, from neutrals to pastels to brights in this style.

Our reviewers find them comfortable for walking, running, school life – you name it (in fact, our kids have been wearing these since toddlerhood). These combine suede and mesh with a cushioned EVA foam sole, and deserve bonus points for the unisex, retro styling.

Best: For narrow feet

These school-uniform friendly running shoes are finished with rip-tape so they’re easy for youngsters to put on and take off. They match well with everything and provide sturdy support for everyday use but we think these work best on narrower feet.

Best: Cushioning

These trendy running shoes from Adidas combine a stretchy upper with boost cushioning for comfort. Our reviewer liked that they are “futuristic” and “comfortable,” noting that these “felt bouncy.” A good choice for fashion-forward kids – and those who like to run, too.

Best: Neoprene

A neoprene and mesh upper gives these running trainers a sock-like feel, with a TPU cage for added stability (and 90s retro styling). These are “nice for running” according to our reviewer, who also took them out skateboarding on numerous occasions. While the lovely white colourway looks sleek, it does get dirty quickly – watch out for mud!

Best: Eco

Our favourite eco trainer has a newly launched running version, suitable for kids from age two. They look fab and are lightweight-yet-hardy and don’t seem to show the results of our mini reviewer jumping in London puddles (amazing considering the light colour). Best of all, our reviewer’s feet stayed dry, too.

She’s been running and jumping everywhere in them, so they are clearly comfortable as well as super easy to put on. Plus, they look gorgeous and are made of recycled and natural materials like plastic bottles, rice waste, sugar cane and Amazonian rubber.

Best: For long walks

This running shoe style is a favourite of ultra-marathoners and runners the world over, and we can attest these shoes also provide plenty of support and stability for kids on long weekend walks (with no complaints). It’s a great quality shoe, with two choices of lovely colours and a cushioned support that feels a bit firmer than some of the other styles we tried. The fit is good, too.

Best: With school uniform

Described by our tween tester as though she’s “running on clouds,” these pared-back trainers are great for runs in the local park (or teaming with school sports uniform thanks to their basic black and white, white and white and navy on white colour combos). Made from a breathable mesh upper and EVA midsole, these are functional without being flashy, and are well-priced, too.

Best: Budget

Comfortable, easy to slip on and off and well-priced, these were our ten-year-old tester’s initial running shoes of choice on PE days, with an easy-to-match-with-everything black colourway and rip-tape fastening to help secure the foot. They team well with school uniform, although if you have a reluctant runner in your midst, Skechers have lots of light-up and colourful styles that should get them going.

Best: For variety

Geox trainers were the first pair of shoes our firstborn acquired a decade ago and we continue to return to this brand time and again – although it’s especially good from infant to around Junior school age. The brand combines great silhouettes, colourways and cool collabs like Disney and Pokémon with respira technology (a breathable waterproof membrane and perforated sole).

Many also light up for added fun, and the new Playkix collection syncs with an app to get older kids excited about movement. Also: these are fantastic quality – as in, good enough that even though trainers are probably the one thing you wouldn’t pass down to a younger sibling, you absolutely can with these (trust us, we’ve done it many a time). On sale, you can pick up a pair for sub-£30.

We also got to road-test a pair of hi-tops from the AW collection featuring a Super Mario design, which did it all, including getting a reluctant three-year-old walker out of the buggy and turning her into a runner – if only to show them off to others. Our little reviewer is obsessed with the fact they light up (and that she can control it) and has been racing around everywhere in these “lovely” and “gorgeous” (her words) trainers. Look out for them launching later this summer; in the meantime, check out the hi-tech and stylish Playkix.