Climbing shoes? As in, rock-climbing shoes? Or more all-around youngster-sized hiking/mountain boots?
La Sportiva Fuego Climbing Shoe
La Sportiva Fuego Climbing ShoeIf the former, there are several. La Sportiva聮s Fuego ($60; sportiva.com) is a pint-sized version of its grown-up rock shoes, with sticky rubber soles and slip-last design for a snug but comfortable fit. Velcro straps make the on-off part easy. For a bit less cash, Mad Rock聮s Mad Monkey (madrockclimbing.com) has the close fit and grippy soles of adult shoes for a mere $39. That聮s not bad, although I realize you聮ll get probably one season of use out of them, given the nature of growing feet.
For more of a hiking shoe, Hi-Tec聮s Tormenta ($35; rei.com) is a reliable choice, with decent support for young ankles and a sturdy midsole for support. It聮s not a good wet-weather shoe, however, with too much stitching and nylon. Merrell聮s Summitt III ($60; merrell.com) is a down-sized version of an adult hiking boot, with full-grain leather uppers and a waterproof bootie. They聮ll need some break-in, though.
As for a 聯mountaineering” boot for a child, well, I don聮t think you聮re going to find much. You聮ll need to wait until he/she grows up to be a size seven or so, and can fit into something such as the Raichle All-Degree Lite GTX ($175; rei.com).
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