Best Dress Shoes for Toddlers with High Insteps – Stylish, Affordable, and Extra Deep!
Are you struggling to find a pair of dress shoes that is capable of accommodating the shape of your toddler’s high instep? Do you feel like you try a whole bunch of different dress shoes, and always end up empty-handed? I always tell parents to pay extra attention to the height of the top part of their toddler’s feet, which is called the instep. I already created several resources describing the best shoes for toddlers with high insteps and “complex” foot shapes, but in this specific one, I will show you the best dress shoes for toddlers with high insteps.
How Does a Foot with a High Instep Look Like?
Take a look at where the instep of the foot is located. When toddlers have high insteps, there is a lot of extra foot volume that needs to be fitted inside the shoes:
I have been contacted by several parents of toddlers with high insteps who find themselves checking out a lot of different children’s stores and ordering multiple shoes online before finding one that fits, seems comfortable, and is good quality. There is a small selection of dress shoes that are capable of accommodating the foot of a toddler with a high instep, and I know exactly which ones they are from having fitted them before.
Be Careful About Buying the Wrong Types of Dress Shoes
I noticed how some parents don’t put a lot of thought into the type of dress shoes that they provide for their toddlers, as they wear them once in a while and for short periods of time. However, you might want to rethink this. It takes only a couple of wears in the wrong shoe size or the wrong shoe style to develop foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.
Key Features of the Dress Shoes I Recommend
Let me show you what makes the dress shoes that I recommend so effective in fitting the shape of a toddler with a high instep. Do you notice how the shoe on the right is a lot deeper than the shoe on the left? You can notice this difference in the height of the shoe across the instep and also across the toe area.
Shoes that provide extra depth allow the toddler’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, preventing the top part of the foot (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes.
Now let’s compare two different Mary Jane shoe styles for toddler girls. Do you notice how the Mary Jane on the right is a lot deeper than the Mary Jane on the left?
Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best dress shoes for toddlers with high insteps. I know that most parents want to provide their toddlers with some extra growing space inside their shoes, especially when it comes to dress shoes as they might not wear them that often. However, there is a certain amount of growing room that you can leave inside the shoes without compromising your toddler’s stability. I will expand on this shortly.
Best Dress Shoes for Toddlers with High Insteps – Extra Deep and Rounder Toe-Boxes!
In addition to providing extra depth, some of the dress shoes below are available in wide (W) and extra wide (XW) widths. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
Boys
- Order the shoe style SM Kennedy by Stride Rite on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Ideal for toddlers who are learning how to walk
- APMA approved and built for toddlers
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
- Rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Bucky Lace-Up by Footmates on Amazon
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Removable, dual insoles in medium and wide are provided to allow customized fitting
- Breathable leather lining and cushioned leather-lined footbed cradles children’s feet
- Ideal for formal occasions and casual wear
- Lace-up design
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Brian by Deer Stags on Zappos
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Padded insole
- Dual goring at vamp
- Ideal for formal occasions and casual wear
- Slip-on design
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Loafer Church by French Toast on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Padded tongue and collar provide additional comfort and cushioning
- Genuine leather
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Gamefish Jr. by Sperry on Zappos
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 100% genuine leather upper
- Velcro closure
- Alternative closure with fixed lace for easy on/off and adjustability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Connor 2 by FootMates on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Removable, dual insoles in medium and wide are provided to allow customized fitting
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
- Rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style SRT Quinn by Stride Rite on Zappos
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Padded tongue and collar provide additional comfort and cushioning
- Memory foam insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Willy 3 by FootMates on Zappos
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Removable, dual insoles in medium and wide are provided to allow customized fitting
- Breathable leather lining and cushioned leather-lined footbed cradles children’s feet
- Ideal for formal occasions and casual wear
- Lace-up design
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Soft Slip by Lonsoen on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Padded tongue and collar provide additional comfort and cushioning
- 100% Synthetic
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
Girls
- Order the shoe style Allie Mary Jane by Footmates on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Ideal for toddlers who are learning how to walk
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
- Rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style by Josmo on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Flex Fit system includes additional insole that can be removed as your child grows
- Oversized opening
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Mary Jane by See Kai Run on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Oversized openings
- 100% leather
- Soft leather uppers with a black patent finish and scalloped topline edging
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Allie Mary Jane by FootMates on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Removable, dual insoles in medium and wide are provided to allow customized fitting
- Breathable leather lining and cushioned leather-lined footbed cradles children’s feet
- Ideal for formal occasions and casual wear
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Holly by Stride Rite on Zappos
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Oversized openings
- Antimicrobial linings for odor prevention
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Harper by FootMates on Zappos
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Removable, dual insoles in medium and wide are provided to allow customized fitting
- Breathable leather lining and cushioned leather-lined footbed cradles children’s feet
- Ideal for formal occasions and casual wear
- Adjustable buckle closure with hidden elastic
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Allie by FootMates on Zappos
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Ankle strap with hook-and-loop closure
- Leather lining for a soft feel
- Lightly padded leather insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style by FunkyMonkey on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Adjustable buckle secures the perfect fit every time
- Lightly padded leather insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style SR Holly by Stride Rite on Zappos
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Leather lining for a soft feel
- Lightly padded leather insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Mary Jane by Stride Rite on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with wide and extra wide feet
- Oversized openings
- Antimicrobial linings for odor prevention
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
How to Order the Correct Shoe Size Online
I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home. In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a different pair of shoes to fit the shape of your toddler’s high instep, as it’s highly likely that I have fitted them before, and I will help you find them:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Please make sure that your toddler is wearing the correct pair of everyday sneakers in the correct size. Wearing shoes in the wrong size won’t deform your toddler’s feet, but if the shoes don’t provide the correct amount of support, it can advance any abnormalities that your toddler’s feet may already have, such as flat feet.
What Are the Best Sneakers for Toddlers with High Insteps?
I created a different resource that describes the sneakers for toddlers with high insteps in case you are unsure whether your toddler is wearing the correct types of everyday shoes.
How to Tell if Your Toddler Has a High Instep?
➡️ Do you always have a hard time putting your toddler’s shoes on? This is the first sign that your toddler might have a high instep.
➡️ Do you notice imprints on the top of your toddler’s feet? This is the second sign that your toddler might have a high instep.
➡️ Do you have a hard time pulling the velcro strap to match the end of the Velcro?
Those are the three most common signs that your toddler might have a high instep. Have you found a specific dress shoe that has worked well for your toddler’s high instep? Please share your findings below so other families can benefit from your experiences.
