Best Extra Wide Baby Shoes – Extra Deep and Rounder Toe-Boxes!
Are you having a hard time finding shoes for your baby with extra wide feet? Have you noticed red marks or indentations on the top of your baby’s feet when you take the shoes off? Finding a pair of shoes that can fit your baby’s extra wide feet can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. However, I have put together a list of the best extra wide baby shoes based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience.
It is a fact that most babies have wide or extra wide feet. This doesn’t mean that your baby’s feet are always going to stay extra wide. Some babies might still be carrying baby fat on their feet and once it goes away the feet won’t be as wide.
Baby shoes play a key role when you start taking your baby to play outside. I always recommend parents to allow their babies to walk barefoot at home for healthy foot development.
The purpose of shoes is to protect your baby’s feet from rough surfaces and sharp objects on the ground and also to keep the feet warm in the cold and protect them from heat.
If you are in a rush, you can go directly to the selection of extra wide baby shoes.
Parents of Babies with Extra Wide Feet – Can You Relate?
Let’s take a look at what parents of babies with extra wide feet have to say:
➡️ “I am going nuts as I can’t find a single shoe to fit my son’s extra wide feet. I tried a pair of wide width shoes and they weren’t wide enough. I then tried a pair of extra wide shoes and they weren’t wide enough either. What am I supposed to do? Is there such thing as extra extra wide shoes for babies?”
➡️ “My baby has extra wide “hobbit feet”. I ordered 5 pairs of shoes online in an extra wide width and they don’t even go on his feet. Can someone relate to this? Where do you buy your baby shoes?
➡️ “My baby’s feet are so wide that they look like frying pans. This is starting to become a huge problem as I want my daughter to play outside but I don’t want her walking on the playground barefoot.”
The Importance of Fitting Your Baby’s Shoes Correctly
Babies move their toes as a way of exercising their feet so it’s really important that you don’t constrict this movement by fitting your baby in shoes that are too narrow.
Parents often get confused as to which shoes are better for their baby’s feet, as there is a very large selection of baby shoes. Keep in mind that just because a shoe is labeled as extra wide (XW) that doesn’t mean that it will automatically fit the shape of your baby’s extra wide feet.
Some babies in addition to having extra wide feet have high insteps. Do you know what the instep of the foot is? The instep is the top part of the foot and when it’s high it makes it a lot harder to find shoes that fit.
Let me show you an example of a baby with a high instep:
As you can see there is a lot of extra foot volume that we need to fit inside the shoes. The deeper the shoe is, the better it will fit the shape of your baby’s extra wide feet.
What Makes the Baby Shoes I Recommend Special for Extra Wide Feet?
The baby shoes I recommend provide 2 key features:
1️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: Shoes with rounder toe-boxes help prevent your babies’ toes from overlapping against one another or rubbing against the side of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a pair of the baby shoes I recommend that provides a round toe-box versus one that doesn’t:
2️⃣ Extra Depth: Shoes that provide extra depth allow the baby’s feet to sit deeply inside the shoes and prevent the top part of the feet (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature also prevents blisters by preventing the top part of your baby’s toes from rubbing against the top front part of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t:
In summary, we need to find a pair of shoes that are labeled as extra wide (XW), provides extra depth and rounder toe-boxes. Baby shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep” or with “rounder toe-boxes”, so the only way to tell which shoes provide these two features is from having fitted them before. Here is where I come into play.
One additional feature that I like baby shoes to provide is sensory pods. Whether your baby is already walking or learning how to walk, sensory pods are going to help your baby balance.
Toe gripping is essential for gait balance when a baby is learning how to walk. When babies try their first pair of walking shoes, they lose that sense they had of the ground, but shoes with sensory pods allow the baby to feel the ground with their toes.
Do You Have a Specialized Children’s Shoe Store In Your Area?
I am going to provide you with a selection of the best extra wide baby shoes, but for you to order the correct shoe size online you need to be 100% sure of your baby’s foot size to begin with.
It is always better to take your baby to be properly fitted for shoes at your local specialized children’s shoe store. That is the reason why I created a resource with the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state.
How to Retrieve Your Baby’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to find a store in your area, then you can use my effective method that explains how to figure out your child’s exact foot size from home.
Finding a pair of shoes for a baby with extra wide feet can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. I made things easier for you and put together a selection of the best extra wide shoes for babies that I have fitted before. 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. This allows us to create free content and resources for many families around the world.
Best Shoes for Babies with Extra Wide Feet
These baby shoes are available in medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) widths. Make sure that you choose the extra wide (XW) width.
Boys
- Shoe style SRT SM Artie by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Rounded edges to decrease stumbles and falls
- APMA approved and built for first-time walkers
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style 2510 Racer by Tsukihoshi
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Heel stabilizer provides lateral stability
- Removable insoles
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe the same size as your baby’s foot size (shoe fits long)
- Shoe style Wes by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles
- APMA approved
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style SM Adamby Stride Rite
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles
- Foam padding placed around the ankle collar and under the tongue for an incredibly comfortable fit and feel
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Stevie II by See Kai Run
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps
- Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable
- Wide openings make on and off quick and easy
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Martin by Stride Rite
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles
- Oversized opening and pull tab on the back offer easy on and off
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Kennedy by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- APMA approved
- Oversized opening for easy-on
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style SM Zip Runner by Stride Rite
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Lace-up closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
Girls
- Shoe style SM Adalyn by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- APMA approved
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Zips Runner by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- Padded tongue and collar
- APMA approved
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Susie Mary Jane by See Kai Run
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Black patent leather upper with full leather lining and insole
- Awarded the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Soft Motion Baby by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- APMA approved
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Stevie II by See Kai Run
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps
- Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable
- Wide openings make on and off quick and easy
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Thompson by Stride Rite
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance
- APMA approved
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Lace-up closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style Soft Motion Baby by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Over-sized opening for easy on/off
- APMA approved and built for first-time walkers
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Shoe style StevieII by See Kai Run
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps
- Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable
- Wide openings make on and off quick and easy
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
Another awesome feature that the baby shoes I recommend provide is extra padding. Your baby shoes need to come well-padded on the heel backs and around the ankles to minimize rubbing, as this helps prevent the formation of blisters.
If you always have a hard time getting your baby’s shoes on I suggest that you choose the styles with double velcro straps, as this allows you to open up the shoe widely to easily slide the foot inside of the shoe.
One of the features that parents love the most about these baby shoes is how they open up nice and wide. This means that you won’t have to shove your kids’ feet inside the shoes:
Before you leave, I wanted to tell you that socks also play a key role in keeping your baby’s feet healthy. The correct type of socks helps minimize friction between your baby’s feet and the shoes, and they also help prevent the buildup of bacteria inside the shoes.
Socks for Babies with Extra Wide Feet – Seamless and Breathable!
Remember how at the beginning of the article I told you about the importance of wearing shoes that don’t constrict toe movement? Your baby’s socks should be seamless to allow the toes to freely move. However, the most important thing is to make sure that you get your baby the correct sock size.
You should know that socks that are too short can make your baby’s toes overlap and rub against one another. On the other hand, socks that are too large can bunch up below your baby’s feet and create discomfort.
I have found certain baby socks that are seamless, breathable, soft, and machine washable:
- Socks made by Epeius
- 76% combed cotton, 21% polyester and 3% spandex
- Seamless cable/ribbed knit knee high socks for babies
- Breathable
- Machine wash
- Socks made by SeriSimple
- Smooth toe seam provides less irritation and bulk for sensitive toes and feet
- Made of 82% bamboo and 18% elastane
- Socks made by Jefferies
- 73% Cotton, 23% Nylon, 4% Spandex
- Seamless toe linking construction eliminates bulky toe seam
- Machine wash
- Socks made by Jefferies
- Seamless smooth toe provides optimal comfort and less irritation
- Stay-up top prevents slipping on legs
- Machine wash
Who knew that socks play such an important role in keeping your baby’s feet healthy?
Finding a pair of shoes for a baby with extra wide feet can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. Babies are not able to express themselves when shoes are too tight, so you need to always make are that your baby’s shoes fit correctly.
Contact Us – Get a Personalized Recommendation!
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a different type of shoe for your baby’s extra wide feet. I know which are the best shoes for kids with extra wide feet and I will help you find them:
If you have found a different shoe brand or different shoe style for your baby’s extra wide feet please let us know in the comment section below.
