RAYVE CUPERTINO Review: Ideal shoes for active kids, recommended by a physiotherapist

We tested the Rayve Cupertino kids’ trainers – ideal shoes for school, the playground and trips out. They were tested by physiotherapist Hanka Tonarová with her twins.

I feel very close to the Rayve brand. I love sporty shoes and I really appreciate design that makes shoes look great even with a wide toe box. What’s more, my children tested their first Rayve sports shoes back when the very first prototype samples appeared (not for sale yet). Based on our feedback (and not only ours), they were gradually refined so they’d simply fit children as well as possible. Over time, alongside the sporty Catbourne, these lovely city-style Cupertino trainers were created, plus other models including Bilbao. These days my kids wear Rayve all year round and don’t want anything else.

The Cupertino model is positioned as school shoes that look the part—but because they’re kids and don’t worry about changing shoes for different activities, they often wear them for everyday running around outside, to the playground, on their bike, scooter and even to Grandma’s. And despite all that, the shoes are still in excellent condition even after a whole season. My son has the black pair and didn’t wear any other shoes from spring to autumn. My daughter has the very light lilac-pink ones, which she alternates with other models too.

Main pros:

• wide in the toe box for toes that splay, yet not too wide at the heel
• the toe shape matches children’s foot anatomy and doesn’t squeeze the toes
• fit like a glove
• when fastened properly, they hold the heel perfectly
• a lightly reinforced heel counter together with the cupped sole shape is suitable even for valgus ankles
• easy for children to put on
• beautiful, thoughtfully designed look for girls and a subtle clean style for boys
• the lilac-pink colourway? A dream for most girls!
• soft underfoot
• versatile use
• durable – so far we haven’t come across any issues even with intensive wear
• lovely workmanship
• the girls’ version with the white sole is also great for school gyms
• they clearly meet barefoot principles
  

Main cons:

• the soles don’t have a very pronounced tread
• they don’t come with a removable hygienic insole, but you can use any universal one
• there isn’t a dark colour option for girls

Key features and technical assessment

Rayve Cupertino are low shoes for all-round use. They’re flexible enough and have a perfect shape for toe function. The big-toe edge of the shoe is straight, so even a longer big toe can push off naturally and strengthen in a healthy way. If the big toe is pushed towards the other toes in an unsuitable shoe (i.e., it’s not aligned with its metatarsal bone), the joint wears faster and push-off is less effective. Of course, the other toes also get plenty of space—even if the foot is fan-shaped.

Naturally, there’s no heel or drop, so they don’t interfere with children’s natural posture.

In my clinic, I often see that children’s shoes don’t fit well at the heel, which can easily have a negative impact on their walking pattern. The heel shouldn’t have unnecessary side-to-side space in the shoe. But when you buy shoes wide enough in the toe area, children with fan-shaped feet often end up with a heel that’s too wide. This is where Rayve are brilliant! Despite the wide toe box, the heel is just right for most children. What’s more, thanks to their cupped sole with sharp outer edges, the heel sits firmly on the ground—helping to maintain heel alignment and making it less likely to collapse into valgus. 

The upper is a combination of suede, textile and precise workmanship. My children’s feet definitely don’t get sweaty in them. They have elastic laces and one Velcro strap, so they’re very easy for kids to slip on.

The sole thickness is 5 mm, so the foot is protected, yet can still feel the ground underneath and respond to it. That’s one of the foot’s important natural functions, which helps reduce injuries in the long run. When my daughter put on Rayve shoes for the first time, she said they were ‘fluffy’. It took me a moment to work out what she meant. Compared to the shoes she wore before, they felt soft underfoot. So she has no problem wearing them for PE, and thanks to the white sole they’re allowed in the school gym.

Testing out and about

My son wears his black Cupertinos to school, but they also looked great with a suit or with jeans and a shirt. In summer, they work perfectly with shorts; on cooler days, they’re great for trips out and with softshell trousers. His shoes have covered many kilometres around town and on nature walks. He’s definitely taken them down his favourite little paths and through bushes, climbed countless lookout-tower steps, tackled loads of rope obstacles—and he even completed a children’s triathlon in them.

The girls’ ‘purple ones’ have been to school, the playground, shopping, the museum—most often with shorts or a playsuit. For a while, they even doubled up as PE shoes.

The rubber sole doesn’t usually slip, but the shoes don’t have a pronounced tread, so for example in the woods, walking uphill on pine needles can be slippery. A perfect opportunity to engage the whole body, use your hands for support, or brace intensely… In fact, they naturally get a bit of a workout—and from a physiotherapist’s point of view, I don’t mind that at all. But if they were going into the woods to play dynamic games where they need to be quick, sprint off instantly, or brake and change direction unexpectedly, a deeper tread would be necessary.

We’re not exactly diligent when it comes to cleaning and caring for shoes. Often, in the morning rush, we realise my son’s pair is covered in mud, so we do a quick rescue with a wet wipe on the way to the bus. Even so, after a whole season of wear (he hardly wore any other shoes), they’re still in lovely condition—only a few letters from the Rayve logo are peeling off. With a bit of the recommended care, they’d probably look almost like new. My daughter, of course, has the gorgeous very light pink-lilac pair with a white sole, so maintenance is more demanding. We had to learn a bit how to look after them, and for muddy fields and rough-and-tumble play she wears different shoes. That’s why I’d really appreciate Cupertino in a dark colour option for girls too.

Final verdict

Both the kids and I are really happy with the Rayve Cupertino shoes. They’re very practical thanks to their versatility, durable, have a perfect toe shape and fit well at the heel, are easy to put on, comfortable and meet all the parameters of healthy footwear. They’re simply beautiful—and what’s more, thanks to the adult range, my daughter and I have matching pairs, which makes us happy and adds to our little mother-and-daughter moments.

So I’m happy to recommend Rayve—just remember that you should always choose shoes based on the shape of the foot and the proportions of that particular foot. Shoes need to fit perfectly. If you have a medium to wide, fan-shaped foot, a normal or slightly higher instep and an average heel, there’s a good chance you’ll love them as much as we do.

The Rayve Cupertino models were tested by children’s physiotherapist Hana Tonarová with her twins. Hanka runs her clinic HoneyCare.cz, where she focuses mainly on children’s physiotherapy, infant physiotherapy and physiotherapy aimed at disorders of children’s foot function. She also founded FySport—a project where, in a playful way, she teaches children how to look after their body’s health and helps them use exercises to compensate for common habits linked to poor posture, today’s lifestyle or less-than-ideal psychomotor development.

Where will your next steps take you?

• PODCAST: Bc. Hana Tonarová: Children, sport and healthy movement from a physiotherapist’s perspective
• Summer shoes you and your kids will love: a barefoot take on a classic favourite
• Barefoot shoes for school – from trainers and wellies to slippers
• For healthy foot development – from birth to independent walking