Best Orthotics for Kids with In-Toeing – Let’s Improve Your Child’s Posture by Preventing the Feet from Collapsing!

Do you have a child who has been diagnosed with in-toeing? Have you tried a pair of supportive shoes but your child’s feet still point inwards instead of pointing straight? I have put together a selection of the best orthotics for kids with in-toeing based on my 10 years of experience fitting children’s shoes and orthotics.

In-toeing is also referred to as “pigeon toes”, and it’s a condition that can cause your child to trip more often or move more awkwardly. One of the biggest issues with having in-toeing in growing children is that it creates a foot imbalance and the normal development of your child’s pelvis and the spine will suffer.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes and Orthotics

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now. There are a lot of physical and occupational therapists who refer families to the shoe store to be fitted for supportive shoes and orthotics. This experience has afforded me many insights into the best children’s shoes and orthotics. 

Our store specializes in shoes for children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. From my experience fitting several children with in-toeing, I have become familiar with the best orthotics that help treat this condition.

I get contacted by families from all over the world who are told by their medical professionals that their child will eventually outgrow the condition, but these families are still concerned since their child’s walking gait is clearly abnormal.

Don’t Leave Your Child’s Foot Condition Untreated – Be Proactive!

I suggest being proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating your child’s in-toeing condition. Waiting for the condition to get corrected on its own might actually lead to the condition getting worse.

In-toeing is one of the most common pediatric gait disturbances, but if you leave your child’s in-toeing condition untreated, your child might develop several complications that include:

• An unbalanced gait
• Reduced athletic ability
• Foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet
• Foot, leg, hip, and lower back pain

The good news is that if you fit your child in the correct type of orthotics and supportive shoes, you might be able to prevent all of those complications.

Is Your Child Already Wearing a Pair of Supportive Shoes?

If you have already tried a pair of supportive shoes but they were not effective in treating and preventing your child’s in-toeing condition, the next step is to try a pair of orthotics.

Can Orthotics Help Treat and Correct In-Toeing?

Orthotics help correct biomechanical foot issues such as problems with how your child walks, stands, or runs by providing additional support and a solid foundation to your child’s feet and legs. However, not all orthotics provide the same level of effectiveness when it comes to treating a child’s foot condition. After trying several different types of orthotics for children with in-toeing, I found two to be the most effective ones in helping realign the child’s feet and legs, and I will show you these orthotics shortly.

One of the orthotics that I recommend works best for children who have mild cases of in-toeing, while the other one works best for children with moderate to severe cases of in-toeing.

What Makes the Orthotics that I Recommend Effective for In-Toeing?

1️⃣ Targeted arch support helps control foot pronation (inward rolling of the foot):

2️⃣ Deep heel cups help provide overall foot support and control heel and lower leg alignment:

I have helped improve the walking gait and posture of hundreds of children who were in-toeing by providing them with a pair of everyday supportive sneakers and orthotics. Please keep in mind that the shoes and the orthotics work together when it comes to treating your child’s in-toeing. This means that if you provide your child with a pair of the orthotics that I recommend but the shoes are not supportive enough, your child won’t be able to get the full benefits that the orthotics have to offer, and vice versa.

Orthotics that Help Treat and Prevent In-Toeing – Here’s the Proof!

Something so simple such as providing your child with the correct type of shoes and orthotics can help correct your child’s walking gait and allow your child to walk and run straighter. The correct type of orthotics can also help improve your child’s overall posture. Let me prove this to you.

Let’s take a look at an image of a flat-footed child barefoot who is experiencing in-toeing issues. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards? The feet are shifting the child’s whole body out of alignment.

Before Image of a Child Standing in a Pair of Unsupportive Orthotics

Let’s take a look at an image of the same child standing in a pair of supportive insoles/orthotics. Do you notice how the child’s feet are still collapsing and turning inwards?

After Image of the Same Child Standing in a Pair of Supportive Orthotics

Now, let’s observe what happens when we stand the same child in a pair of the orthotics that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet look a lot straighter? The orthotic is preventing the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards.

If you had both of these orthotics in your hands you will notice how these two orthotics look very similar, but they actually provide very different levels of support.

The final picture shows the same child wearing a pair of supportive shoes with the orthotics that I recommend inside. Do you notice how straight the child’s feet and legs are?

After Image of the Same Chid Standing in a Pair of Supportive Orthotics and Shoes

Now that you know what features this orthotic provides you are ready to take a look at the best orthotics for kids with in-toeing. Keep in mind that I only review shoes and orthotics that I have fitted before since that is the only way for me to tell how much support the orthotics and shoes provide as well as how they fit.

Orthotics for Kids with In-Toeing – Read This Before Deciding Between the Two

There are two orthotics that I recommend for in-toeing, and the one that will work best for your child directly depends on the degree of your child’s in-toeing. For example, in-toeing can be categorized in 3 different cases:

• Mild: You notice that your child’s feet turn inward slightly instead of pointing straight ahead, but your child does not complain about any pain.

• Moderate: You notice that your child’s feet turn inwards instead of pointing straight ahead, and your child complains about foot or leg pain. Children with moderate in-toeing have poor walking habits as their feet turn inwards at a considerable level.

• Strong: You notice that your child’s feet turn inwards considerably and your child complains about foot or leg pain. Children with strong in-toeing show clear signs of poor walking habits.

Best Orthotics for Kids with MILD Cases of In-Toeing

Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of Your Kids’ Shoes?

Yes, I suggest that you remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.

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Best Orthotics for Kids with MODERATE or SRONG Cases of In-Toeing

Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of Your Kids’ Shoes?

No, you won’t have to remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.

Take a look at the chart below to figure out what size to order based on your child’s shoe size:

Are You Unsure About What Orthotic Will Work Best for Your Child’s Feet?

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you are unsure about which orthotics will work best for your child’s in-toeing:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

What are the Best Sneakers for Kids Who Wear Orthotics?

Please remember that for your child to get the full benefits that the orthotics have to offer, you must fit them in the correct pair of shoes. While I can’t get into too much detail about which are the best shoes for orthotics in this article, I am going to provide you with a link below that will show you a selection of the best kids’ shoes for orthotics:

The Best Kids’ Shoes for Orthotics – Supportive and Comfortable Shoes

You will notice how those shoes all come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure since shoelaces provide your child with better support and stability. Children who have in-toeing have a lot of stability issues, meaning that your child will benefit a lot from wearing shoes with shoelaces. Another benefit of providing your child with shoes that come with shoelaces is that it helps keep the orthotic in place.

Before you leave, there is an article that you might find helpful since it will teach you how to tie shoes for kids who wear orthotics. Go to the link below:

How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics – Stop Heel Slippage

Some occupational therapists might recommend casts, orthopedic shoes, and even surgery to help treat and correct in-toeing. These 3 approaches might not always be effective, and providing your child with the correct type of shoes and orthotics is a less invasive alternative that will help treat and prevent your child’s in-toeing.

Certain families have reported how casts and surgery were ineffective treatment methods for in-toeing, and reported how certain orthotics have proven to be effective in improving their child’s walking gait pattern and posture.

Have you found a particular shoe style or orthotic that has been effective in treating and preventing your child’s in-toeing condition? Please share your thoughts below so other families can benefit from your experiences.