Kids Running Shoes

Children's feet need the best kids running shoes

Kids Running Shoes for Best Results

When it comes to kids running shoes, you want to keep in mind that you want to both encourage healthy running and protect them from injury.

When it comes to kids running shoes, you want to keep in mind that you want to both encourage healthy running and protect them from injury.

Running shoes for kids must take into account their differences caused by them going still growing. It's not unusual, for example, for children ages six to twelve to have feet that are two different sizes, because the feet will grow at different speeds. Sound strange but it's true. The same is true of their legs.

Therefore, when they try on shoes make sure that both right and left shoes fit them. Buy the size that fits the larger foot. You can tie the laces of the other shoe tighter or even have your child wear two socks on that foot.

You want to make sure that a kids running shoe provides the structure their feet need plus is still comfortable.

Around ages eleven to twelve, children especially boys can develop Osgood Schlatters, which is knee pain from growth spurts. Kids are also subject to shin splints and ankle instability.

Also, children tend to have tightness in their heel cords and calf muscles due to their leg bones growing.

Do children need running shoes? That is debatable. Most of us can remember when every kid wore sneakers -- also called tennis shoes or Keds. Nobody thought of making special shoes for running, walking, playing tennis or anything else.

And that's no doubt true for children's natural playing and running. If they're old enough, however, to be in sports in a serious way, then running shoes for children are a good idea. Not shoes made for tennis or soccer or other sports, because running shoes require different support.

Cross-training shoes can work if they're not covering serious mileage.

You can choose running shoes from Asics, Adidas, Brooks, New Balance and Nike. All those manufacturers have running shoes for children.

Kid's running shoes are built differently. For example, their midsoles are thinner than in adult shoes, because they weight less. Plus, they should not be as high off the ground because of instability.

Kids shoes for running usually have a wider top lip and more rubber around the toe, for durability.

Look for makes with strong, dual-density foam included for arch stability. Athletic shoes for children should include a good arch and firm heel counter for better bio-mechanical control and stability.

Kids aged three to four are really too young for sustained running. However, encourage their natural tendency to run in short spurts.

By ages five or six kids are ready to run a lot. Give them room and games such as tag, relay races and going through hoops. It's a joy to watch them play and smile. They'll run and laugh because it's fun.

Concrete pavement is hard on their feet, so if possible encourage them to run in parks, fields or on tracks.

Never use running extra laps as a punishment. I know your high school football coach did that -- and it's fine for kids that age who should be motivated to work hard to win -- but younger kids are in it for fun. Make it serious and they'll quit and lose the long term health benefits.

Once they're running any sustained amount, they should start out with warmups such as jumping jacks and stretching. Stretching should be slow and steady, holding the stretch for ten to twenty seconds at a time.

Above all else, keep running fun for children.

I was never a serious runner, but I was a swimmer. I remember coming home from a swim meet with my first ribbon -- a red plastic one signifying I got second place.

I remember putting up in my room, looking at it, and thinking that it wasn't worth getting excited about. I was all of seven years old! And I didn't care much about that ribbon, though I let it hang there and over the years added other ribbons -- and medals and trophies -- to it.

I didn't quit. Not hardly -- I continued for nine more summer seasons and quite a few winter seasons at our local YMCA before I got too old. Then I coached teams for a few years.

I kept swimming because it seemed like the thing to do. I'd made friends on the team. It was fun.

I enjoyed winning when the other kids were close to me in ability. I didn't enjoy beating kids who were significantly worse than I. And I didn't mind losing to kids who were much better than me. I did care a lot about improving my times, so I felt like I was getting better. If I won but by a slower time than I swam last week, I felt let down. The real fun was competing against myself.

I did enjoy competing. My team was the best in its league all those years. Best of all, the second place team was always close behind us. The outcome of many meets with them was often in doubt until the very last events. It was exciting to be on the freestyle relay race knowing that the entire meet hung on whether or not we won or loss -- especially when the four other boys were also good.

I pulled my fastest times then. But what I really treasure is the fun and the friends I made.

And the best benefit came from having good health. Frankly, I let myself slide too much in my adult years, but I could do that only because as a child those workouts gave me a great physical foundation.

And of course I was a runner too -- all children are. When I went to junior high I started running cross-country in the fall and track in the spring, and that really helped improve my swimming.

In those years I saw a lot of sports parents. You certainly should support your kids in whatever they do. Cheer them on and be happy when they and their team wins. But if they lose, remember it's not the end of the world.

I don't believe that competition should be eliminated -- and I don't believe it should be overstressed. Keep the running fun and healthy so they want to keep doing it, that's my advice.

Only a few runners make the Olympics and only a few of them win gold medals and only a few of them can leverage that into big money.

Let your kids have the fun of learning how to set goals and work hard for them -- and keep working hard whether they win or lose any particular race.

The kids who learn the habits of discipline and good health are the real winners.

Kids running shoes are good for supporting their feet as they develop those habits.