Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on May 2022 and reflects an up-to-date selection of the best kids’ shoes for plantar fasciitis and heel pain.
Have you noticed your child walking and running differently? Has your child been complaining about heel pain? Along with varied orthopedic conditions, children’s foot problems often relate to the shoes on their feet and how they fit.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes
I have helped hundreds of children who were dealing with heel pain, and I can help your child too. I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years, helping children with foot and leg issues. Over the years I became familiar with the best shoes for kids with plantar fasciitis or general heel pain.
The most common causes of heel pain in children are plantar fasciitis and sever’s disease.
Why Do my Child’s Heels Hurt?
Plantar fasciitis is often an overuse injury that is usually present in children who are involved in sports or high-impact activities. It also may trace back to abnormal foot mechanics or poor footwear choices.
Sever’s disease is also a disease of overuse, most often caused by playing sports or any activity which involves a lot of heel motion or impact.
Is Plantar Fasciitis Similar to Sever’s disease?
With plantar fasciitis the pain is mostly felt at the beginning of the activity and then it goes away, while with Sever’s disease the pain intensifies with activity.
Something so simple as providing your child with the correct type of shoes can significantly reduce, or fully eliminate your child’s heel pain.
What Brands of Shoes are Good for Plantar Fasciitis? – You Will be Surprised!
Certain shoe brands are more consistent when it comes to manufacturing supportive and high-quality shoes for kids. Over the years I noticed how certain shoes are a lot more effective in helping treat and prevent heel pain.
Your kids’ shoes must provide targeted support to your child’s heels, so it’s important that the shoes come well-padded around that area.
Shoe Brands You Must Stay Away From
If your child complains about heel pain make sure that he/she is not wearing shoes from the following shoe brands.
- Under Armour
- Nike
- Adidas
- Reebok
All of these shoe brands manufacture shoes that are too flimsy and unsupportive.
Best Shoe Brands for Kids with Heel Pain
The shoe brands below are the most effective ones when it comes to treating and preventing heel pain:
- New Balance
- Saucony
- Asics
This doesn’t mean that all shoes from New Balance, Saucony, and Asics are going to be effective in treating and preventing your child’s heel pain. Certain styles are more effective than others.
I know exactly which shoes provide better heel support than others from having fitted them before. However, don’t take my word for it, let me prove it to you!
Let me show you the difference in heel support between a shoe made by New Balance compared to a shoe made by Nike.
In addition, if you press on the heel counter of the shoe, you will notice how must Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour shoes tend to be too soft and too flimsy. Below you can visualize where the heel counter of the shoe is located:
Most parents of children with plantar fasciitis worry about their kids’ heel pain. No parent wants to see their kids in pain, and in certain cases, the pain is so severe that it leads children to drop off activities and sports.
Is Plantar Fasciitis Common in Kids? – Let’s Find Out!
In my experience, heel pain in children is common and this is simply because of the very nature of their growing feet. In children, the heel bone is not yet fully developed until age 14 or older.
The fact that heel pain is common in children doesn’t mean that it should be left untreated. I always advise parents to not take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their children’s foot conditions, as this can only lead to the condition getting worse. The earlier you start treating your child’s foot conditions the sooner your child will stop experiencing pain.
What Happens if Plantar Fasciitis is Left Untreated?
Plantar fasciitis will usually resolve by itself without treatment. People can speed up recovery and relieve pain with specific foot and calf stretches and exercises. For some people, plantar fasciitis becomes a chronic condition.
If left untreated, plantar fasciitis may become a chronic condition and can lead to your child experiencing general foot, knee, hip and back problems due to the way pain impacts normal walking patterns. When children experience heel pain they might change their walking gait to prevent putting too much pressure on their heels. The issue with this is that it leads children to put pressure in areas of their feet where they are not supposed to, and this usually leads to foot, knee, leg, and lower back pain.
How Do You Treat Plantar Fasciitis in Children? – Supportive Shoes!
The most effective way to treat heel pain in children is by wearing supportive shoes, and in certain cases heel cups. In my experience, a pair of good supportive shoes can significantly reduce, or fully eliminate the child’s heel pain. However, when the pain is more severe the child might need to wear a pair of heel cups inside of the shoes for extra support. I will expand on this shortly.
Shoes that come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure are always more effective in treating heel pain. Shoelaces help protect and support the child’s heels by pushing them against the back of the shoes.
Before I show you a selection of the best shoes for plantar fasciitis and heel pain, I want to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size. You won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online if you don’t know your child’s foot size to begin with.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
I developed the most effective way to determine your child’s exact foot size from your home and will personally assist you with a custom fitting tailored to your child’s individual needs. This easy-to-follow method allows parents to accurately determine their child’s correct foot length and width, as well as instep height. If you are unsure of your child’s foot size, go to the link below:
How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
Now that you know your child’s foot size let’s take a look at the best shoe for kids with heel pain. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Best Shoes for Kids with Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The shoes I recommend below can fit children with medium (M), wide (W), or extra wide (XW) feet.
Little Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 3)
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- Leather and suede upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Padded tongue and collar
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Cushioned tongue and collar
- Perforated mesh upper with synthetic overlays
- Rubber outsole pods to ensure high traction
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Big Kid Shoe Sizes (3.5 to 7)
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- TPU heel clip for stability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- TPU heel clip for stability
- Reflective detail on the upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Padded tongue and collar
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- FuelCell foam delivers a propulsive feel to help drive you forward
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Lightweight mesh upper
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Cushioned tongue and collar
- Perforated mesh upper with synthetic overlays
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Lightweight mesh upper
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lightweight EVA foam cushioning in the midsole and padded heel increases comfort
- Firm heel counter
- Supportive heel for active kids
- Breathable mesh upper
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
What Shoe Size You Should Order?
In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.
These shoes have proven to be the most effective ones for children with heel pain and they should significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s heel pain.
Does Your Child has Narrow Feet?
If you have a child with narrow feet you need to choose from the selection below:
Little/Big Kid Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable Insoles
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Firm heel counter with supportive outsole
- Removable insoles
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Removable insoles
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability
- Reinforced toe cap for durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Big Kid Sizes (3.5 to 7)
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable insoles
- Rearfoot GEL technology cushioning system
- Breathable
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable Insoles
- Infused gel for extra cushion and support
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable Insoles
- Order this shoe a whole a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable Insoles
- Order this shoe a whole a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Removable Insoles
- Order this shoe a whole a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Breathable mesh and synthetic upper
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning in the heel
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
If none of these shoes are available in your child’s shoe size or if you need the shoes to be made of a specific color don’t hesitate to email me at:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
If after trying the shoes I recommend your child’s heel pain persists, then I suggest that you try a heel cup inside of the shoes for extra support. I have fitted one specific heel cup that is the #1 Podiatrist recommended heel cup in the world. This heel cup will help treat and prevent your child’s heel pain.
- Ideal to treat and prevent general heel pain, plantar fasciitis, Sever’s disease, excessive pronation, Achilles tendonitis
- Innovative multi-cell, multi-layer waffle pattern design, helps to absorb impact pressure (shock) and return impact energy back to the feet
- The extra cushion this heel cup includes reduces and prevents sore heels and shin splints
How to Lace Shoes for Kids with Heel Pain? – The Most Effective Way!
I came up with the most effective way to lace shoes for kids with heel pain. This shoe-tying technique is effective in hugging the child’s feet and allows the child to get the most support out of the shoes.
You can learn more about this shoe lacing technique in a different article I wrote called:
How to Tie Shoes for Heel Pain – The Most Effective Way!
Can my Child Play Sports with Heel Pain?
When children experience heel pain it is recommended that they rest the heel as much as possible. However, for some children, this is simply not an option.
Children can continue to play sports as long as they are wearing cleats/sport shoes that are protecting and supporting their heels. It is also recommended that they wear heel cups inside of the shoes for extra support.
Some of the most common sports in which children experience heel pain are soccer, basketball, and football. I recently wrote an article that describes the best soccer shoes for kids with heel pain. I will be writing one about basketball and football shoes soon.
Soccer Shoes for Kids with Heel Pain – Supportive Shoes with Heel Cups to Stop Your Kids’ Heel Pain!
Don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you have any further questions or concerns about your child’s heels:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
0
I’m looking for info on basketball shoes for my 11 year old son….severe heel pain and then tries to walk on tip toes 🙁 he’s probably a men’s 8
Hello Missy,
In order to recommend specific shoes for your son I first need to know his foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide).
What would you recommend for 10 year old boy (M width) flat feet with Plantar Fascitis?
Hello Kim,
If you tell me your son’s shoe size I can send you specific shoe recommendations. Are you looking for a pair of everyday sneakers?
Hi looking for best trainers to get for my 8 year old with plantar fasciitis has wide feet and size 3 thank you leanne
Hello Leanne,
Are you contacting me from the United States or a different country? Are you looking for a pair of sneakers/trainers for a girl or a boy?
Looking at shoe suggestions for myself. Sneakers and other styles. I wear a 1 1/2 medium unless they only come in whole sizes then a size 1.
Hello Casey,
Below you can find the shoes that I recommend:
Option 1
Option 2 In this shoe I suggest the shoe size 2 as it fits short.
Option 3
Option 4
Make sure that your shoes are properly tied at all times so you can get the full support and stability that the shoes have to offer. You should apply this shoe lacing technique:
How to Tie Shoes for Heel Pain – The Most Effective Way!
Hello, I hope that you are doing well! I am looking for cross-country shoes for my 13 yo son who wears a men’s 8.5-9. He has heel pain and pretty extreme pronation toward his front toes, especially on the right foot. His feet are of medium to wide width, but we can usually purchase standard width shoes. We tried heel cups for baseball, but he found them difficult to wear in his cleats, especially since his feet are growing rapidly right now–they seemed almost one size larger by the end of the season. Thanks so much!
Hello Bridgett,
I am happy to help your son but can you confirm from which country you are contacting me? This will help me determine what shoes are available in your area.
Hello , I wear a size 3.5 but it depends on the shoe. It can be any where between a 3 or 4. I have pain on top of my foot when i tie shoes and also have Plantar Fascitis. What shoes do you recommend?
Hello Nina,
Do you know whether your feet are narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide? I also would need to know from which country you are contacting me to check what shoes are available in your area.
I am guessing probably medium and the United States
Hello Nina,
Take a look at the options below:
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Make sure that your shoes are properly tied at all times so you can get the full support and stability that the shoes have to offer. I also suggest that you apply this shoe lacing technique: How to Tie Shoes for Heel Pain – The Most Effective Way!