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The national focus on childhood obesity has prompted a grassroots response by parents, coaches, and educators to start where kids are physically and gradually reverse the trend. Many of the athletic shoe companies—at least eight—are supporting these efforts by broadening their offerings of technical footwear products to equip kids who are adopting new exercise habits. Certainly, the shoemakers benefit from the sales of these additional footwear styles, but the products do promote a healthy activity while reducing or preventing injury during running. Here we give a look across the board at running shoes for kids to train in.
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REVIEWS
The national focus on childhood obesity has prompted a grassroots response by parents, coaches, and educators to startwhere kids are physically and gradually reverse the trend. Many of the athletic shoe companies—at least eight—aresupporting these efforts by broadening their offerings of technical footwear products to equip kids who are adoptingnew exercise habits. Certainly, the shoemakers benefit from the sales of these additional footwear styles, but the productsdo promote a healthy activity while reducing or preventing injury during running. Here we give a look across the boardat running shoes for kids to train in.
adidas Supernova Glide 3The Supernova Glide is the workhorse of
the neutral running shoe line fromadidas. Its strengths are great
cushioning and fit, bothin the adult and
child versions. Theuppers resemble
each other with openmesh and synthetic
overlays; the ankle collarbears the strongest resemblance. In the child’s version, some ofthe midsole materials have been substituted to reduce cost. Themidsole is a generous slab of EVA, but the adiPrene crashpadhas been pared back and the forefoot lacks the extra insert of adiPrene+. The outersole is much the same, but relies onfull-length carbon rubber for durability, providing much thesame ride as the adult version but scaled for the needs of
children, i.e., durability and more flexibility.
$70 ($110 Adult) Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanicsShape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board
Sizes: children 10.5–13.5; youth 1–6 (M width)
ASICS Kayano 17 GSThe Kayano is the latest of the qualityASICS shoes to be made available
for children. The adult versionfeatures great cushioning,
fit, and stability, andthose attributesare mirrored in
the kid’s shoe. Theuppers are similar—
open mesh and asymmetricallacing—but the youth version scales down the size of the stretchyBio-Morphic Fit panels on either side of the eyestay. The midsole
has the same healthy chunk of Gel cushioning and the stablecontouring that the Kayano is known for, which is great for
high-mileage training.
$90 ($140 Adult) Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with mild to moderate overpronation
Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, Solyte Strobel board (heel) Sizes: youth 1–7 (M width)
Brooks Kid’s GhostWith its balance between high-mileage
cushioning and responsiveness, theGhost has become one of
Brooks’ best neutralshoes. The upper ofthe Kid’s Ghost isa bit tougher thanthe open mesh ofthe adult version:
closed mesh with supportiveoverlays. The midsole features the same
Hydroflow cushioning, but the foam has fewer pieces and so is a bit less responsive; however, because of the reduced forces exerted by children’s lighter weight, there’s no compromise in
performance. The outersole is the typical carbon rubber, including the support in the shank, which is perfectly service-able. The result is a shoe that works well for kids, thanks to its
similarity to the adult version.
$65 ($100 Adult)Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanics
Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted Sizes: children 10.5–13.5; youth 1–7 (D width)
New Balance 860The 860 has been one of the best-performing stability shoes in the
New Balance runningshoe line. The KJ860for children features
the same openmesh upper (for itsbreathability and
comfortable fit), with afew materials substitutions to
improve durability. The midsole employs the same shaping andgeometry as the adult version for stability and cushioning, butfeatures a two-density midsole without the rubbery N-ERGY
inserts, which would be little used by the much lighter child-sizedrunners. The outersole uses a more durable rubber compoundover much of the sole, with fewer flex grooves and some extra
stitching in the toe cap to extend the life of the shoe. Overall, theperformance has been replicated for younger runners to enjoy.
$60 ($100 Adult)Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with mild to moderate overpronation
Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted Sizes: children 10.5–13.5; youth 1–7 (M, W widths)
YOUTH RUNNING SHOESWinter 2011 by Cregg Weinmann
YouthRunningShoesWinter2011_Layout 1 11/23/11 12:29 PM Page 1
Puma Cell Ikonis Jr.The Ikonis doesn’t align directly to a Puma
shoe for adults that’s sold in theU.S., but it’s strongly connected
to the Completerunning line. Theupper will lookfamiliar to those
acquainted with otherPuma running shoes, likethe Complete Velosis. The
upper is open airmesh supported bysynthetic overlays at heel, toe, and eyestay, with additional
support from the Puma form-stripe. The midsole is a generous slabof EVA cushioning—simple, but effective. The outersole is full-
length carbon rubber, proven for its durability. The performanceis a consistent blend of reliable durability and cushioning, which
is particularly useful for active children.
$45Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanics
Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted Sizes: children 11–13; youth 1–7 (M width)
Nike LunarGlide+ 3The overall success of the LunarGlide
franchise, both in sales andperformance, has made it
among Nike’s mostbroadly available
products: fromtoddler’s 2C to
men’s size 15. Theadult version featuresa well-cushioned and
stable ride, and the children’sversion has been adapted to provide the same. The uppers are
the same—closed mesh with synthetic suede overlays and a supportive thermoplastic heel clip that improves the heel fit and
support—except where adapted to the smallest sizes. The midsole is the same Dynamic Support throughout the size range:
Lunarlon foam in a Phylite foam carrier that’s shaped for stability and lasting cushioning.
$55 Child/$82 Youth ($100 Adult)Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanics
to moderate overpronationShape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted Sizes: children 10.5–13.5; youth 1–6.5 (M width)
Saucony Kinvara 2The Kinvara 2 opens the door to
minimalism for children in thesame way it was brought to its
adult line: by offeringcushioning and agreat fit without
anything extra. Theupper is stripped
down without giving upthe touches of comfort where needed.
The airmesh and minimal overlays make theseshoes light and all the better for running fast.
The midsole is responsive and durable ProGridLite EVA, proven for its great cushioning, with a slight
drop from heel to forefoot of only 4 millimeters. The outersole isarranged in triangle-shaped lugs for traction with
carbon rubber only in the high-wear areas to keep the weight down. The combination of light weight, excellent
cushioning, and responsiveness earned the Kinvara 2 honors as our Best Youth Running Shoe.
$55 ($90 Adult)Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanics
Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted Sizes: children 10.5–13; youth 1–7 (M width)
Reebok Zig SonicThe Zig technology has been an effective
cushioning technology for Reebok,and has worked well for sizes all
the way from a toddler 4to a men’s 15. Both
the adults’ and children’s versions feature cushioning
and fit, a testament toReebok’s experience making
shoes. The uppers are as close to the same as possible: closedmesh, vented through the saddle with minimal overlays and asmooth interior. The midsole is the same corrugated ribbon ofEVA that provides its well-cushioned ride, with small patches ofcarbon rubber in the high-wear areas of the outersole to keep
the weight down where possible.
$75 ($100 Adult)Recommended for: medium- to high-arched feel with neutral biomechanicsShape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board
Sizes: children 4–13.5; youth 1–7 (M width)
CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for Running Network LLC. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] © 2011 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted
without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.
YOUTH RUNNING SHOESWinter 2011 continued
REVIEWS
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