Are shoes or ankle boots better?

[Gloomandglow]

I'm looking to buy walking proper walking / hiking boots for 3 primary age DC.

We do a lot of walks and usually they wear welly boots or trainers/crocs but as we're planning to tackle some more difficult walks this year now that they're older I'm searching for more appropriate footwear.

Would trainer style walking shoes be sufficient?

Like these: avenue85.co.uk/collections/walking-boots-1/products/regatta-kids-holcombe-walking-shoes-blaze-orange?variant=40891927265473

It depends how muddy it is where you live. And what conditions you'd actually go out in I live in a relatively dry & flat part of England.

In Peaks, lake district or Wales we need water-resistent shoes/boots. In Cambridgeshire we are fine in sturdy trainers, just hop around the mud on trails. I wouldn't be out in truly terrible weather anyway -- but in Lake District we didn't want to stay in all week and it rained a bit every day, anyway. We still wanted water-resistant boots even just walking around lowland areas or Grizedale. I would virtually never need Boots in Suffolk.

I have some similar kids' Regatta trail shoes for myself, and they are pretty good in terms of water/mud –unless it comes over the top! If you're likely to go out in the rain, trails with significant mud, puddles, or long, sopping-wet grass, I'd go for a higher boot. Likewise if you're going anywhere steep or over rough ground, where something with more ankle support would be better.

Regatta do the same style in a higher boot, and they usually have good sales and voucher codes periodically if you keep an eye out. You can usually use the codes on sale products as well.