Bullpadel Baser Junior Padel Shoes (Navy, UK 2)

Bullpadel's own size chart pairs UK 2 with EU 34, US 3 and a length of 205mm. The next size up, UK 2.5, is 212mm. Measure your child's foot from heel to longest toe, standing, with a sock on and preferably at the end of the day when feet are at their largest. If the number comes out above 205mm, this pair will be tight from day one.

Children's feet rarely stay put for a season. If your child is right on the line, buying one size on is usually the better bet, and our padel shoes page lists every junior shoe we stock in other sizes, including Babolat's Jet Premura 2 Junior, which comes in a wider run of kids sizes.

Padel Shack describes it as lightweight, flexible and breathable, with cushioning it doesn't put a name or figure to. Bullpadel never published a full spec for the Baser Junior that we can find, so the rest comes from the photos: a laced upper with mesh panels for air, synthetic overlays round the sides, a toe bumper for the drag-and-slide of a junior forehand, and a red outsole with a zigzag tread. It's listed for padel courts, which is the point. A running shoe or a school trainer slips on sand-dressed artificial grass, and a child who keeps slipping starts playing scared.

Laces matter at this age. Velcro is easier for small hands, but a laced shoe holds the heel more firmly when a child changes direction, so it's worth teaching a double knot rather than buying around it.

If your child measures anything other than about 205mm, or you want a shoe you can buy again in the next size when they grow, choose a current junior model with a full size run instead.

Shoes come second only to the racket. Our kids' padel racket page explains how to size a junior racket, and Bullpadel's own Indiga Junior Boy is a light, forgiving first frame. Add a tube of padel balls and the kit's done.