For children putting on their shoes in the morning can be an important part of their day. This is an opportunity for them to learn and to feel a sense of accomplishment and maturity when they no longer need your help with putting on their shoes. But certain shoes just aren’t designed with ease in mind and make it difficult for younger children to handle.

One of the most important considerations to think about when choosing shoes for children is the type of closures they have, along with any assistive features which will help your child to climb the hurdle of putting on their shoes.

The following is a list of the different styles of closures and assistive features available which will help you to choose the best option for your child.

Hook & Loop
The most widely known hook and loop closure system manufactured by Velcro® USA. This type of closure is often used for clothing and shoes made for infants and younger children due to its ease of use. This is the perfect option for children too young to tie their own shoes with traditional lacing systems, or simply for a more convenient option. Velcro type closures provide a more secure fit because the wearer can tighten the closure to their desired level and be assured that the closure will maintain throughout the day.

Lacing
Traditional lacing requires a learned skill which takes time to master, though once learned, it gives a child a sense of accomplishment. Laces are less secure than a hook and loop system because they can habitually come untied during the day. This can be concerning because children can trip over untied laces and hurt themselves.

Pull Loops/Handles
Pull loops or handles are often incorporated in the design of children’s boots as they assist them in pulling up their boots with ease.

Making sure that your child’s shoe fits properly is more important than it may seem. Wearing shoes that do not fit securely to the foot can cause all sorts of pain and discomfort, and could even damage your child’s feet. Shoes which squeeze the foot can cause painful blisters and calluses, while a shoe which is too loose can cause your child to trip and hurt themselves.

It is important that the upper material of a child’s shoe is made from comfortable materials, like; canvas, leather, or mesh. These materials are flexible by nature and allow for airflow which prevents sweating; sweaty feet tend to slide around inside of the shoe which can be dangerous and cause accidentally slips.

You might be tempted to purchase shoes that are half of a size bigger than your child needs to compensate for how fast they grow out of them, but this is not advisable. Children’s shoes need to fit properly to help stabilize and protect their growing bones and feet. Shoes that fit loosely can damage sensitive tissues and developing muscles, as well as, pose the risk of causing falls.

While style is often a matter of personal taste, we've checked thousands of online reviews to see what people are saying about each of the products on our list. Some things, such as sleek design, seamless construction and overall weight and shape of the shoe, were common likes or dislikes among buyers of each product.

To evaluate style, we considered everything from the design, color, shape, weight, lines and overall construction of the shoe in question. While no one wants to wear an uncomfortable shoe, they also don’t want a comfortable shoe to be ugly on the eyes. We’ve selected all of those on our top 10 to be not only stylish but also comfortable, true-to-size, supportive and durable.

The higher the score on the “style” metric, the more fashionable we and the community of buyers we surveyed deemed the product to be.

Safety is always the first concern when shopping for children, which is why it is so important that their shoes have an anti-slip outsole to prevent falls.

Rubber, or better yet, elastic rubber, are two excellent materials to look for in a child’s outsole. They offer flexibility and comfort while providing a strong grip and anti-slip properties, rubber is also water-resistant and does not slide around on wet surfaces.

It is best to avoid shoes with a fabric outsole because fabrics do not tend to offer any grip and can easily cause a child to slip to fall.

Cold/Snow
When the weather outside is frightful you want to make sure that your little one’s tootsies are going to stay warm and toasty, that’s why choosing the right pair of winter boots is so important. In order for a child’s shoe to qualify as winter-wearable, it must possess certain attributes, including; an insulated upper, solid treading, and warm lining. A rubber sole is also preferable due to its water-resistance and strong gripping capabilities.

Rain
No child will be happy having wet feet all day long. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your child’s shoes are going to keep their tiny toes nice and dry during wetter weather. Rubber is the most reliable material when it comes to providing waterproofing and will also add an extra level of grip on wet surfaces to help prevent slips.

We have included several options on this list which are made from rubber and will keep your child’s feet completely dry so they can still enjoy outdoor playtime despite the dreary weather.

Warm Weather
Warm weather means hot sweaty feet and no one like to have those. Certain materials will only exacerbate the problem by restricting airflow, rubber, for example, is a bad choice in the summer because it does not allow the feet to ventilate. Materials like, canvas, leather, and mesh is a good choice for warm weather because they are great at providing airflow and helping feet stay cool and dry.