Best High Top Shoes for Kids – Supportive, Lightweight, and Stylish!

Is your child dealing with a foot condition that requires wearing supportive shoes at all times? Maybe your child simply prefers to wear high top shoes over regular sneakers. Either way, I am going to show you a list of supportive, stylish, and durable high top shoes for kids. The high top shoes that I recommend can also accommodate different foot shapes such as wide feet.

Why Do Children Prefer High Top Shoes Over Regular Sneakers?

Some children simply prefer how high top shoes look over low-cut regular sneakers, but there are other reasons why children should wear high top shoes:

• Athletic activities such as basketball
• Medical conditions that require the shoes to come up higher on the ankles

Is It Safe for Children to Wear High Top Shoes?

Children can wear high top shoes as their everyday shoes. Several people believe that the extra ankle support may actually cause the muscles in the ankle to weaken from not having to work as hard to support the body. You are not making the muscles weak, you are simply providing your child with a stable base of support that is not going to take away from the musculature.

Are Converse High Top Shoes Supportive?

Not all kids’ high top shoes provide the same levels of support, as some of them are a lot more supportive than others. For example, I have fitted high top shoes that don’t provide a firm heel counter (back part of the shoe), which defeats the whole purpose of wearing a high top shoe. With that said, certain high top shoes can make a big difference in helping improve your child’s foot posture and stability, and those are the ones I will show to you shortly.

A perfect example of a high top shoe that doesn’t provide any support is Converse. This shoe brand manufactures affordable, stylish shoes that children love to wear. However, Converse high tops have very flat outsoles that offer minimal cushioning and support.

What Features Your Kids’ High Top Shoes Must Provide?

I suggest looking for high top shoes that provide good support but are lightweight and flexible at the same time.

1️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: All of the high top shoes that I recommend provide supportive outsoles so children can walk and run around all day with their feet being supported. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes:

2️⃣ Firm Heel Counters with Extra Padding: I also suggest looking for high top shoes that provide extra cushion and support right below the heels. This feature helps attenuate the impact on your child’s feet every time they come in contact with the ground. Certain high top shoes provide extra cushion and support right below the heels:

Where Can You Find High Top Shoes that Provide These Two Features?

You can visit your local shoe store to see if they carry shoes with these two features or you can buy them online. However, if you prefer to shop for your kids’ shoes online, you must be 100% sure of your child’s foot length and shape.

The Importance of Fitting Your High Top Shoes Correctly

Shoes that don’t fit correctly can lead to foot issues such as blisters, calluses, corns, and ingrown toenails. Do you know your child’s exact foot shape? Do you know whether your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? These are all factors that determine what types of high top shoes your child should wear.

The selection of high top shoes that I recommend are available in different widths (medium, wide), so it’s important that you know your child’s exact foot length and shape so you can choose the shoes accordingly. If you don’t have a local specialized children’s shoe store that you trust, you can use the resource I created below to retrieve your child’s exact foot length and shape.

Let’s now take a look at a selection of the best high top shoes for kids. 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.

Best High Top Shoes for Kids – Supportive and Stylish

All of the high top shoes that I recommend below are supportive, lightweight, flexible, and durable. Make sure that you take a look at the description below each shoe to check whether that specific style can fit your child’s foot shape.

These high top shoes are made from high-quality and durable materials, that way your child can wear them as their everyday shoes. Make sure that your child’s high top shoes are properly tied at all times so your child can get the full support and stability that the shoes have to offer.

Get a Personalized Suggestion

If your child is into other sports or activities that involve a lot of running then it might be wise to invest in a pair of low-cut regular sneakers.

Do not hesitate to contact me directly to my e-mail if you are looking for a specific pair of high top shoes that is not listed here or if the shoes I recommended are not available in your child’s foot size. My e-mail address is:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

In the meantime, I suggest that you take a look at a couple of additional resources I created of high top shoes for kids with wide feet or foot problems.

Tying and Undoing Your Kids’ High Top Shoes Correctly

Make sure that your child gets into the habit of untying the shoes when taking them off to preserve the support of the shoes. When children slip in and out of the shoes without untying the knot it makes the shoes less supportive over time.

Are High Top Shoes Heavy for Everyday Wear?

High top shoes used to be heavier than low-cut regular sneakers, but thanks to some of the new materials being developed, they are much lighter than they were.

What Types of Socks Work Best for High Top Shoes?

I suggest that you make sure that your kids’ socks are tall enough to prevent the top part of the high top shoes from rubbing against your child’s skin.

Final Thoughts

Children should wear appropriate shoes to protect their feet and support their bodies, especially when they participate in high-impact athletic activities such as basketball. The debate over whether children should wear high top or low-cut sneakers has been going on for several decades. Keep in mind that your child’s feet are more susceptible to damage than your feet. It’s important that you make sure that your child is wearing shoes that fit them well (width as well as length) and that they are worn for the task they are meant to be worn for.

In my experience, there is nothing wrong with children wearing their high top shoes as their everyday pair of sneakers.