Photo Courtesy of KEEN

We are truly a hiking, outdoor loving family and one of the most important pieces of gear is quality footwear. I had been researching toddler hiking boots and shoes for our youngest daughter, who was starting to hike more this year. I had mentioned to my husband that I wanted to purchase our daughter KEEN shoes and on road trip break my husband purchased our daughters first hiking shoe:

KEEN Alamosa Waterproof (WP) Toddler Hiking Shoes
Sizes Available: Toddler 8-13
Size Tested: Toddler 8
Retail Price: $65.00
Testing Location: California
Colors: Gargoyle/Purple Heart (Featured)
Gargoyle/Strong Blue
Dark Earth/Bossa Nova
Black Jester Red

The Pluses!

Sturdy Shoe -We have many outdoor adventures from backpacking, day hiking and camping, to long days at the park and the KEEN Alamosa Hiking Shoe still looks as good as the day we bought them, except with a little mud on them. The leather and non-marking rubber outsole truly make this shoe sturdy on the outside. The bungee cord style laces are great for quick "installation" on a squirmy toddler.

The KEEN Alamosa Hiking Shoe is also a little "chunkier" than regular toddler athletic shoes which is great for keeping little toes warm in the San Francisco Bay Area winters which really don't require "winter boots".

Backyard fun!

Waterproof and Moisture Wicking - Whether you are in the back-country or having a great day at the park, getting soggy feet is not fun for anyone especially toddlers. I like for my children to fully enjoy the outdoors which means puddle jumping and walking through "muddy mud pits" is a must! These shoes are great for the hot summer months with their moisture wicking lining and for the rainy season with it's waterproof capabilities. My daughter has almost fully submerged these shoes and the insides have stayed dry! On one occasion the shoes were submerged under water but the insides dried very quickly.

Splashing around Pirates Cove, Mill Valley, CA

Lighter than Hiking Boots - I was very concerned with the weight of hiking boots for my toddlers and in particular for my daughter. My son is very active and the weight of shoes never affected his walking/hiking abilities. My daughter is completely different, even with certain weight of casual shoes she had difficulty walking so I knew I needed to purchase KEEN shoes because they made hiking shoes for toddlers.

The KEEN Alamosa WP Hiking Shoe has all the qualities of Alamosa Mid WP Hiking Boot but in a shoe form, which makes it lighter. My daughter is able to run on the trail, backyards, beaches and in the park with ease!

Trail running anyone? Pacific Crest Trail - Vasquez Rocks

The Minuses

None! I truly have no "minuses" about this toddler hiking shoe. It was absolutely the perfect footwear for a hiking toddler. One might think that $65.00 might be a little expensive for a toddler hiking shoe but it is truly worth every penny, it will outlast many children in a family. I've seen KEEN shoes go on sale at the local outdoor retailers like REI but they sell fast, so be ready to buy quick!

Chasqui Mom's Last Thoughts...

I am 100% satisfied with our purchase of KEEN Alamosa WP Hiking Shoe for our hiking toddler and highly recommend this shoe not only for hiking but almost any outdoor activities. We purchased this KEEN product and as always these are my honest opinions.

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