Kids Converse vs New Balance 2026: Which Lasts Longer?
There is a very specific moment this question arrives. Your kid has decided, loudly and permanently, that they have opinions about shoes. The old pair has a hole through the canvas at the big toe, the school holidays start in a fortnight, and you have roughly eleven minutes to make a decision that will either last two terms or fall apart by Easter.
Kids Converse and kids New Balance are the two names that come up most in that eleven minutes, and they are genuinely different propositions. One is a vulcanised canvas skate-style shoe that has barely changed since your own childhood. The other is a properly engineered kids’ runner that comes in widths. Both are worn to death by Australian children every day, and they wear out in completely different places.
So instead of forty open tabs, here is the shortlist: which one lasts longer, why, what it costs in approximate terms, and which pair suits the child you actually have rather than the one on the packaging.
Kids Converse vs New Balance: the short answer on durability
If “lasts longer” means “still looks and functions like a shoe after a full year of playground, scooter and beach”, New Balance wins for most children. Not because Converse are badly made, but because of what each shoe is built from and what a primary-school kid does to it.
Converse Chuck Taylors are cotton canvas over a vulcanised rubber sole. That sole is genuinely tough and rarely delaminates, but cotton canvas abrades. Parents consistently report the same two failure points: a worn patch or hole over the big toe, and fraying at the heel collar where the shoe is jammed on without undoing the laces. Canvas also greys permanently once it has met red dirt, sunscreen and a chlorinated pool deck.
New Balance shoes for kids, particularly the leather and suede panelled models, take abrasion far better. A synthetic leather toe simply scuffs where canvas tears. The trade-off is at the other end of the shoe’s life: EVA foam midsoles compress, so a heavily used pair can still look decent while quietly losing its cushioning, and open mesh panels can blow out at the flex crease if a kid drags their feet.
The honest caveat nobody mentions
For children under about five, durability is often irrelevant, because feet grow faster than shoes wear out. Podiatry guidance and retail fitting practice both suggest checking fit roughly every six to eight weeks for toddlers and every three to four months for early primary kids. If your two-year-old is going up a size every four months, a cheaper canvas pair is not a compromise, it is arithmetic. Durability starts to matter properly from around six or seven, and it matters enormously if the shoes are destined for a younger sibling.
What to look for before you spend a cent
One thing worth knowing up front: unlike cots (AS/NZS 2172), portable cots (AS/NZS 2195) or car restraints (AS/NZS 1754), everyday children’s footwear in Australia is not governed by an equivalent mandatory product safety standard. There is no number on the box to reassure you. That means fit and construction are doing all the work, and it is worth knowing what to check.
- Growing room, measured not guessed: roughly a thumb’s width (about 1cm) between the longest toe and the shoe’s end. Buying two sizes up to “get a year out of them” changes how a child walks and wrecks the shoe faster, because the flex point sits in the wrong place.
- A firm heel counter: squeeze the back of the shoe. If it collapses flat between your fingers, the shoe will not hold the heel steady on uneven ground. Classic Chucks are softer here than a structured runner.
- Width, not just length: plenty of Australian kids have a broad forefoot. New Balance offers many kids’ models in Wide and Extra Wide; Converse comes in one width only. If your child’s foot spills over the sole edge, that is your answer.
- Fastening they can manage alone: hook-and-loop straps or bungee laces mean a four-year-old gets out the door without you. It also stops the heel-collar destruction that comes from ramming feet into laced shoes.
- Flexibility in the right place: the shoe should bend where toes bend, not fold in half at the arch.
- Weight: a lighter shoe is worn more willingly. Chunky lifestyle silhouettes look great and feel heavy on a small child by 3pm.
- Washability: canvas can be hand-washed but never tumble dried (heat softens the sole glue). Synthetic and leather panels wipe clean in seconds, which matters more than you think.
- Breathability for an Australian summer: canvas breathes reasonably; open mesh breathes better; smooth synthetic leather traps heat and sweat.
How each brand actually wears out
The Converse wear pattern
Chuck Taylors fail from the top down. The rubber toe cap and vulcanised sole usually outlive the upper, so you end up with a structurally sound shoe with a hole in the canvas. The flat, thin sole also gives very little underfoot cushioning, which is fine for a casual shoe and less fine as an all-day school shoe for a heavy-footed kid. Expect solid wear from a canvas pair, but expect them to look tired well before they stop working.
The New Balance wear pattern
New Balance kids’ shoes fail from the bottom up. The upper often still looks presentable while the midsole foam has packed down and the outsole rubber has worn smooth at the outer heel. That is actually the better failure mode for hand-me-downs in appearance terms, but do check the sole before you pass a pair to a second child: a smooth, compressed sole is a slippery sole on wet school concrete.
What tips the decision
- Choose Converse if the shoe is for weekends, kindy, dress-ups and looking good, and if your child will outgrow it inside two terms anyway.
- Choose New Balance if the shoe is doing five days a week of running, handball and cross country, or if it needs to survive two kids.
- Choose either for a shoe that is mostly worn in the car and to the shops, in which case buy on price and on what your child will willingly put on.
The picks: kids Converse and New Balance worth your money in 2026
1. New Balance 574 (Kids)
The 574 is the shoe that quietly does everything. It has been in production for decades in adult form, and the kids’ version keeps what matters: a supportive ENCAP-style midsole with a firmer perimeter, a properly structured heel, panelled suede and mesh construction, and a chunky rubber outsole with real tread. It is the pick for the child who is hard on shoes and needs one pair to cover school sport, the skate park and a birthday party.
It is available across toddler, pre-school and youth size runs, with bungee-lace or hook-and-loop versions in the smaller sizes and standard laces as kids get older, plus wide fittings in many colourways. Approximate RRP for kids’ sizes sits in the region of approx. $90 to $130, with smaller sizes at the lower end. It is not the cheapest option here, but it is the one most likely to still be in service next summer.
- Suede and mesh upper handles scuffing far better than canvas
- Structured heel and cushioned midsole suit long days and heavy-footed kids
- Wide fittings available in many colourways, a genuine advantage over Converse
- Neutral colourways often satisfy schools that allow non-black sport shoes (check your own uniform policy)
- Trade-off: heavier than a mesh runner, and suede marks if it gets soaked and dried in the sun
New Balance 574 Kids
2. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 1V (Toddler)
This is the hook-and-loop toddler Chuck, and it is the sensible way to buy Converse for a small child. One wide strap across the top, no laces to untie in the car park, and a toddler who can put their own shoes on somewhere in the vicinity of the correct feet. Approximate RRP sits around approx. $60 to $80 depending on colourway and size, which makes it the most affordable pick here and a reasonable one when you know the shoe has a four-month lifespan before the foot outgrows it.
Be realistic about what it is. The sole is flat and thin, the heel counter is soft, and the canvas will show a toe-drag patch quickly on a kid who scoots. As a kindy, weekend and family-photo shoe it is excellent value and endlessly washable by hand. As a five-day-a-week shoe for an active four-year-old, it will not go the distance a structured runner will.
- Lowest cost of entry, which suits fast-growing toddler feet
- Single-strap fastening a toddler can manage independently
- Breathable canvas, easy to hand-wash (never tumble dry)
- Trade-off: minimal cushioning and a soft heel counter compared with a kids’ runner
- Trade-off: one width only, so broad or high-volume feet may be uncomfortable
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 1V (Toddler)
3. New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 (Kids)
If the brief is actual running, this is the one. The Arishi is New Balance’s everyday cushioned kids’ runner: a Fresh Foam midsole, a bootie-style breathable knit or mesh upper, and a low weight that kids notice within a minute of putting them on. For cross country season, weekend sport and a child who runs everywhere rather than walking, it beats both a Chuck Taylor and a heritage silhouette like the 574 on comfort.
Approximate RRP for kids’ sizes lands around approx. $80 to $110. The honest trade-off is longevity: a soft knit upper is the most vulnerable construction here, so kids who climb fences and drag their toes on scooters will mark it up fast, and the Fresh Foam will compress under heavy mileage. It is a performance shoe, and performance shoes have a shorter honest lifespan.
- Lightest and most cushioned of the picks, ideal for running and sport
- Breathable upper is a real advantage in a Queensland or NT summer
- Bungee or standard lace versions across the size run, plus wide fittings in many colourways
- Trade-off: knit and mesh uppers scuff and snag more easily than suede or canvas
- Trade-off: foam midsoles lose bounce with heavy use, so less suited to hand-me-downs
New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 (Kids)
4. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top (Youth)
From around age seven, this is the shoe kids ask for by name, and there is no point pretending otherwise. The youth low top is the classic silhouette in a smaller size run: canvas upper, rubber toe cap, vulcanised sole, medial eyelets. Approximate RRP is roughly approx. $70 to $100. For weekends, school holidays and the social side of being eleven, it is genuinely good value and holds its look better than most trend sneakers.
For all-day, five-day wear it asks something of the foot. The sole is flat with almost no arch support and very little shock absorption, which is fine for a lot of kids and noticeably not fine for others, particularly those who already complain of sore legs after sport. A supportive aftermarket insole helps a little, though it also takes up volume inside an already snug shoe. Buy them as the shoe your child loves, not as the shoe that carries them through athletics carnival.
- Enormous style appeal from mid-primary onwards, so they actually get worn
- Vulcanised sole is durable and rarely comes apart
- Low top is cooler and easier to get on than the high top for most kids
- Trade-off: flat, thin sole with minimal cushioning or arch support
- Trade-off: canvas tears at the toe and greys permanently with hard outdoor use
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top (Youth)
5. New Balance 9060 (Kids)
The premium pick, and premium here mostly means design rather than durability. The 9060 takes the 990 family’s DNA and exaggerates it: sculpted wavy panels, a chunky stacked midsole, layered suede and mesh. Kids from about eight up covet them. Approximate RRP in kids’ sizes sits around approx. $150 to $200, which is a real amount of money for a foot that will change size within the year.
The construction is good and the outsole rubber is substantial, so it will outlast a canvas shoe comfortably. The catch is weight and heel height: this is a bulky shoe, it is not what you want for cross country, and the deep sole grooves collect a remarkable quantity of playground bark. Worth it if your child wears one pair constantly and looks after their things. Not worth it as a second shoe bought for looks alone.
- Serious street-style appeal for older kids and tweens
- Layered suede and mesh upper with a robust rubber outsole
- Holds its shape and appearance well, which helps for a second child
- Trade-off: heavy and high-stacked, so not a sport or running shoe
- Trade-off: the highest price here on a foot that is still growing
New Balance 9060 (Kids)
6. New Balance Rave Run v2 (Kids)
The quiet value option in the New Balance kids’ range. The Rave Run is a lightweight everyday runner with a mesh upper, a cushioned foam midsole and, in the younger size runs, a bungee lace and single strap closure that a four-year-old can operate without help. Approximate RRP is around approx. $70 to $100, which puts a structured kids’ runner within reach of a Converse budget.
It is less shoe than the 574 or the Arishi: less midsole, less overlay reinforcement, lighter in the hand. But for daycare, early primary and the everyday shoe that lives by the back door, it hits a sensible balance. If you have been choosing Converse purely on price and your child is hard on footwear, this is the swap worth considering.
- Structured runner at close to canvas-shoe pricing
- Bungee and strap closures in smaller sizes for independent dressing
- Light and breathable for hot Australian days
- Trade-off: thinner mesh upper marks up faster than suede-panelled models
- Trade-off: less cushioning than the Arishi for serious running
New Balance Rave Run v2 (Kids)
7. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cribster
Worth naming for one specific life stage: the pre-walker and very early walker. The Cribster is the soft-bottomed baby Chuck, with a flexible sole, a fold-down heel and a broad hook-and-loop strap, sized for the smallest feet. Approximate RRP is roughly approx. $50 to $70.
Be clear on what it is for. Babies who are not yet walking do not need shoes at all, and early walkers do best with bare feet or the softest, most flexible sole you can find indoors. The Cribster is a social shoe: for the pram, the wedding, the cool weather walk. On durability it is irrelevant, because that foot will be a size bigger in ten weeks. Buy it if you want it, and do not feel obliged.
- Genuinely soft and flexible, appropriate for pre-walkers
- Fold-down heel and wide strap make it easy to get on a wriggling baby
- Cheapest way into the brand if that is the look you want
- Trade-off: purely decorative in function; bare feet are better for learning to walk
- Trade-off: outgrown extremely fast, so cost per wear is high
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cribster
Side by side
| Product | Brand | Approx RRP | Key features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 574 (Kids) #1 | New Balance | approx. $90 to $130 | Suede and mesh upper, cushioned midsole, firm heel, wide fittings | The all-rounder that survives the year |
| Chuck Taylor All Star 1V (Toddler) Budget | Converse | approx. $60 to $80 | Canvas upper, single hook-and-loop strap, vulcanised sole | Kindy, weekends, fast-growing toddler feet |
| 9060 (Kids) Premium | New Balance | approx. $150 to $200 | Sculpted stacked midsole, layered suede and mesh, chunky outsole | Style-driven tweens who look after their things |
| Fresh Foam Arishi v4 (Kids) | New Balance | approx. $80 to $110 | Fresh Foam cushioning, breathable knit or mesh upper, light weight | Running, cross country, weekend sport |
| Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top (Youth) | Converse | approx. $70 to $100 | Classic canvas silhouette, rubber toe cap, flat vulcanised sole | Mid-primary kids who care how shoes look |
| Rave Run v2 (Kids) | New Balance | approx. $70 to $100 | Light mesh runner, bungee or strap closure, foam midsole | Everyday daycare and early primary shoe |
| Chuck Taylor All Star Cribster | Converse | approx. $50 to $70 | Soft flexible sole, fold-down heel, wide strap | Pre-walkers and very early walkers |
Want to see how these stack up? We’ve reviewed 51 kids shoes in total.
Sizing, widths and fit: where New Balance shoes for kids pull ahead
Widths are the real differentiator
This is the single most practical reason parents move from Converse to New Balance. Many New Balance kids’ models are made in Standard, Wide and Extra Wide. Converse is made in one width. If your child has a broad forefoot, a high instep or simply spills over the edge of the footbed, no amount of going up a length size will fix it, and a longer shoe makes the flex point wrong as well as the width.
How to size without a fitting appointment
- Measure in the late afternoon, when feet are at their largest.
- Trace both feet on paper while your child stands with weight on them, then measure the longest toe to heel and add about 1cm for growing room. Use the larger foot.
- Check the widest part of the shoe sits at the widest part of the foot, not behind it.
- Press the toe box while your child stands: you want a thumb’s width of space, not a knuckle’s.
- Have them walk, run and stop. Heel slipping out means the shoe is too long or the heel counter is too soft.
Brand quirks worth knowing
- Converse toddler and youth sizes are often described by parents as generous in length and snug in width, and canvas does not stretch sideways in any meaningful way.
- New Balance kids’ sizing is generally regarded as consistent and true, which is part of why it is a common recommendation from fitters.
- Both brands change size systems across their baby, toddler and youth ranges, so a size number that fitted last year in one range may not translate to the next range up.
- Socks matter. A thick sports sock can swallow a whole half size of growing room.
School rules, sport, and what to skip
Before you buy for school
Plenty of Australian schools specify black leather or black lace-up shoes, and some specify predominantly black or white sport shoes with no bright logos. Both brands make all-black and all-white options, but uniform policies vary school by school and even campus by campus. Check the actual policy document before you spend, not the parents’ group chat.
What we would skip
- Platform and heeled kids’ sneakers: the chunky lifted silhouettes look great and give a child less ground feel and a higher roll risk on uneven playgrounds.
- High tops for daycare or kindy: they are hot, slow to get on, and defeat the purpose of a shoe an educator or a three-year-old can manage.
- Buying two sizes up: it does not save money, it changes how a child walks and destroys the shoe faster.
- Hand-me-downs with a smooth, compressed sole: the upper can look fine while the grip and cushioning are gone.
- Tumble drying canvas shoes: heat attacks the sole adhesive. Air dry in shade, stuffed with paper.
Getting more life out of either pair
- Rotate two pairs if you can. Foam and canvas both recover better with a day off, and shoes dry out properly between wears.
- Teach the child to undo the laces or strap. Most heel collar damage comes from ramming a fastened shoe on.
- Rinse salt water and sand off the same day, especially from suede panels and metal eyelets.
- Check the toe area monthly on canvas shoes. A worn patch can be reinforced before it becomes a hole.
mum. Approved: our top 3 for 2026
Suede panels, a real heel counter and wide fittings make it the pair most likely to survive a full year of school and weekends.
Sensible money for a foot that will outgrow the shoe long before the canvas gives up, with a strap a toddler can manage alone.
Substantial construction and the style older kids actually want, provided you accept the weight and the price on a growing foot.
Frequently asked questions
Are kids Converse bad for children’s feet?
“Bad” is too strong, but they are a casual shoe, not a supportive one. The sole is flat and thin with minimal cushioning or arch support, and the heel counter is soft. For weekend and social wear on a child with no foot concerns, they are fine. For five days a week of sport, or for a child who complains of sore feet and legs, a structured kids’ runner is the better choice. If your child has a diagnosed foot issue or wears orthotics, take advice from their podiatrist before buying canvas.
Do New Balance shoes for kids come up big or small?
New Balance kids’ sizing is generally considered true to size and consistent, which is one reason fitters recommend the brand. The more important point is width: many kids’ models come in Standard, Wide and Extra Wide, so if your child’s foot is broad you should be choosing a wider fitting rather than a longer shoe. Measure both feet in the afternoon and allow about a thumb’s width of growing room from the longest toe.
Can I put kids Converse in the washing machine?
Hand washing is safer. Machine agitation and, worse, tumble drying can stress the adhesive that bonds the vulcanised sole to the canvas upper. Remove the laces, use warm water with a little gentle detergent and a soft brush, rinse well, then air dry in the shade stuffed with paper to hold the shape. Direct Australian sun will yellow white rubber and stiffen canvas.
Which brand is better value if I want to hand shoes down to a younger sibling?
New Balance, in most cases. Suede and synthetic panelled uppers scuff rather than tear, so a pair often still looks presentable after a year. The thing to inspect before handing down is the sole: if the outsole tread is worn smooth or the midsole foam feels dead and hard, the shoe has lost its grip and cushioning regardless of how the upper looks. Canvas Converse tend to hole at the toe and grey permanently, which limits their second life.
Are there Australian safety standards for children’s shoes?
Not in the way there are for nursery products. Cots are covered by AS/NZS 2172, portable cots by AS/NZS 2195, car restraints by AS/NZS 1754 and children’s sleepwear flammability by AS/NZS 1249, but everyday children’s footwear has no equivalent mandatory Australian Standard. That means the responsibility sits with fit and construction: correct length and width, a firm heel counter, a sole that flexes at the toes, and a fastening your child can actually use.
If the shoe has to last, buy the New Balance 574 (Kids). Suede and mesh construction, a genuine heel counter and wide fittings make it the pair most likely to still be doing its job in twelve months, and the one most worth passing to a second child. For running and sport specifically, the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 (Kids) is the more comfortable choice. And if your child is still going up a size every few months, or simply wants the classic look, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 1V (Toddler) is honest value: it will not outlast a runner, but it will very likely outlast the foot it is on.
Where to buy these picks
✓ Verified prices are checked live at the retailer. Otherwise we show the approximate RRP (an indicative recommended price, not a live retailer price), or “price pending” where we don’t have one.
New Balance 574 Kids
★ Best for basketball
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Cribster
Best for pre walkers
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 1V (Toddler)
Best for fast growing feet
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top (Youth)
Best for classic style
New Balance Rave Run v2 (Kids)
Best for daycare wear
New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 (Kids)
Best for cross country running
Show all 7 picksShow fewer
New Balance 9060 (Kids)
Best for style-conscious tweens
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