My 20 month old is very active and needs a shoe that can keep up with him. These shoes have a nice deep tread (great for city or for a big mud pit), they are very structured/solid, well made, flexible enough for running/jumping/squatting, and the Velcro is very strong (unlike some other sneakers we have purchased for him). He hasn't been able to get these off of his own feet yet, so that's a plus! Even better, they are extremely easy for US to get his feet in and out of. Overall, a tough shoe for a tough little kid.