Adidas Terrex Trailmaker 2 Hiking Shoes - Kids' vs. Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid A/C Waterproof Hiking Boots - Kids'

The Terrex will handle a light drizzle and damp grass without complaint, but step into a creek or hit a sustained rainstorm and your kid's socks are wet. The Moab Mid is fully waterproof — that's not a marketing distinction, it's the difference between a miserable hike home and a dry finish. For casual trail days this won't matter; for any serious outing, it absolutely does.

The Terrex is a trail runner silhouette — fast, light, and flexible, but your kid's ankle is on its own on rocky or uneven terrain. The Moab Mid wraps above the ankle, which matters on descents, loose scree, or any trail where a rolled ankle is a real possibility. For a 5-year-old on a groomed path, this is irrelevant. For a 10-year-old on a real mountain, it's the whole conversation.

The Terrex comes in at 14.4 oz — noticeably lighter on small feet over a long day. The Moab Mid is over a pound and a half, which younger or smaller kids will feel by mile three. But that extra weight buys you waterproofing, ankle support, and a Vibram-style outsole. If your kid is under 7 or hates heavy shoes, the Terrex wins this argument. If they're older and hiking real terrain, the weight is worth it.

The Terrex has the most concrete parent loyalty data of any kids' hiking shoe we've seen — nine documented repeat purchases from a single parent, plus Reddit users stockpiling backup pairs. That's a shoe people return to. The Moab's credibility comes from the adult version's legendary reputation across hiking communities, which the kids' version inherits. Both are trustworthy, but in different ways: one is proven by parents, the other by the trail.