Best Orthotics for Toe Walking: A Shoe Fitter’s Guide

August 19, 2026 Orthotics/Insoles Juan Valenzuela 22 - Comments

Last Updated: August 2026 | Juan Valenzuela, Certified Children’s Shoe Fitter

Have you taken your child to a medical professional and been told that toe walking will eventually stop on its own? I’ve helped several children who were walking on their toes learn to walk the correct way — heel to toe — and I believe I can help your child too. The best orthotics for toe walking work by addressing the underlying causes, which can improve balance, posture, and overall walking patterns.

As a dedicated shoe fitter with years of experience, I understand the concerns parents feel when they notice atypical walking patterns in their children. Early intervention is key to preventing this condition from getting worse.

Toddler walking on her toes.
An image of a toddler girl who has a tendency of walking on her toes.

Be Proactive — Don’t Assume the Condition Will Disappear on Its Own

I always recommend that parents be proactive and start addressing toe walking early, since doing so significantly reduces your child’s likelihood of needing more invasive treatments later, like serial casting, Botox injections, or surgery. Taking a “wait and see” approach and hoping the condition resolves on its own can allow it to get worse instead.

Children between one and five undergo rapid neuromuscular development, and toe walking during these years can often be managed effectively with the right orthotics and footwear. Unresolved toe walking after age five, while still manageable, tends to become more difficult to control.

A child walking on his toes.
An image of an older child standing barefoot on his toes.

The longer a child continues to toe walk, the more likely it is to become a sustained habitual pattern, with real risk of tendon tightness and ankle stiffness.

Is It Normal for Toddlers to Walk on Their Toes?

It’s common for toddlers who are just learning to walk to get up on their toes, and in most cases this resolves on its own with no lasting concern. That said, I’d encourage parents to keep a close eye and stay proactive if it doesn’t improve. Children who toe walk often experience frequent falls or stumbles, which is another reason not to leave the condition untreated.

Child with stability issues keeps falling due to wearing shoes that are too big.
An image of a toddler having stability issues due to toe walking tendencies.

Toe walking also becomes a bigger issue once the calf muscles start to shorten, which reduces ankle movement and can cause long-term damage to the foot and ankle from the abnormal forces acting on them.

Keep in mind that pain isn’t the only reason to treat this. Toe walking isn’t inherently painful, so a child not complaining about discomfort doesn’t mean it’s fine to leave untreated, or that they’ll simply outgrow it.

My Experience Helping Children Who Toe Walk

I’ve helped improve the walking gait of several children who toe walk by fitting them in the correct shoes and orthotics. To be clear: I’m not a doctor. I’m a shoe fitter with over a decade of experience fitting children in shoes and orthotics.

Child Toe Walking Improves After Wearing Anti Toe Walking Shoes
Before and after image of a child with toe walking tendencies walking barefoot and wearing anti toe walking shoes.

My goal is always to use the minimal intervention that’s actually effective — that’s why I recommend starting with supportive shoes and orthotics, and reserving casting or surgery as a genuine last resort.

Why Do Kids Walk on Their Toes?

Most doctors can’t pinpoint an exact reason children toe walk. Persistent toe walking is often labeled “idiopathic,” meaning the cause is unknown and the child is simply thought to prefer walking that way. I disagree with this — in my experience, there’s almost always a specific, identifiable reason behind it.

Four Common Reasons Kids Walk on Their Toes

1. Flat feet. Children with flat feet often have poor balance and coordination. Rising onto the toes puts the foot in a more stable position, temporarily improving balance — but it’s not a healthy long-term pattern, and it promotes improper muscle development if left unaddressed.

2. Short Achilles tendon. A short Achilles tendon can physically prevent the heels from touching the ground.

3. Sensory sensitivities. Check the surfaces your child walks on — cold tile or textured carpet can trigger or exaggerate toe walking in kids with sensory sensitivities.

4. Vision impairments. A quick vision check for tracking and convergence issues can be worthwhile. Some children benefit from vision therapy, and many vision specialists report seeing toe walking alongside vision issues fairly often.

In my experience, most children who toe walk have flat feet — I’d estimate roughly 80% of the toe-walking children I’ve personally helped fell into this category.

An image of a toddler with toe walking tendencies standing barefoot.

Whatever the underlying reason, it’s worth taking action sooner rather than later. Toe walking is biomechanically incorrect, and that has a lasting effect on your child’s developing muscle structure.

My Two-Step Approach to Correcting Toe Walking

Here’s the simple two-step approach that’s helped prevent toe walking in several of the children I’ve worked with.

Step 1: Try a Pair of Orthotics

Orthotic inserts play a pivotal role in correcting toe walking by providing the support and alignment needed to encourage proper foot placement. By keeping the foot correctly aligned, orthotics help redistribute pressure across the foot and promote a more natural gait cycle.

I’ve fitted one specific orthotic that’s consistently proven the most effective for treating and preventing toe walking:

A 30mm heel cup helps control the alignment of the heel and lower leg, and supports the arch.
Medial and lateral flanges help keep the foot aligned over the orthotic. Most prefabricated children’s orthotics lack this feature entirely — without it, the foot tends to push through the orthotic and move however it wants.

Best Orthotics for Toe Walking

This is the best prefabricated orthotic on the market for treating, preventing, and controlling toe walking. Keep in mind: what works well for one child who toe walks may not work as well for another, so it’s worth staying open to trying different approaches if needed.

littleSTEPS foot orthotics for kids to help improve foot and heel alignment.
  • Order littleSTEPS® Orthotics from their official website. You must submit a Referral Code to complete your order: JVFCS100121
  • It’s not necessary to remove the original insoles of the shoes when fitting this orthotic.
  • The 3/4 length design makes it easier to fit into various shoe styles.
  • Take a look at this chart to figure out what size to order based on your child’s shoe size.

How effective this orthotic is for your child depends on their age and individual foot anatomy.

An Alternative: Carbon Fiber Insole for Toe Walking

A thin, rigid carbon fiber footplate is a genuine alternative to littleSTEPS — it delivers a similar corrective effect through a completely different design, so it’s worth knowing about if littleSTEPS doesn’t end up being the right fit for your child.

TEGA carbon fiber insoles for kids designed to help prevent toe walking and promote a heel-to-toe gait.
  • Order on Amazon
  • Slides underneath your child’s original removable insole or orthotic — no need to replace anything, just add it in
  • Extremely thin design (about 1mm) that doesn’t add noticeable bulk or weight inside the shoe
  • To size it, measure your child’s original shoe insole length, then choose a carbon fiber insole roughly ¼ inch shorter than that measurement

Unlike littleSTEPS, which is a standalone ¾-length orthotic, this carbon fiber insole is designed to work underneath whatever your child is already wearing — including their current orthotic — rather than replacing it. That makes it a reasonable option if your child already has an orthotic that’s working well otherwise, and you’re looking to add extra rigidity specifically to discourage toe walking without starting over from scratch.

Step 2: Try Supportive Shoes

The most effective anti-toe-walking shoes consistently meet three criteria:

1. Avoid shoes that are too flexible. A shoe that’s too flexible makes it easy for a child to get up on their toes. Your child’s shoes should bend right at the ball of the foot — and no further.

New Balance kids' shoe with the correct amount of flexibility vs Nike kids' shoe that is too flexible and unsupportive.
A Nike shoe bending all the way into a spiral (left) versus a New Balance shoe with the correct, limited amount of flexibility (right).

2. Find shoes with a stable base of support. Some children rise onto their toes specifically to compensate for poor balance and coordination. A stable base of support helps put the foot in a more secure position and improves overall balance.

supportive-shoes-for-children-with-flat-feet
The difference in support between a Saucony shoe (left image) and a New Balance shoe (right image).

3. Firm heel counters. A firm heel counter stabilizes the foot and supports the orthotic in promoting a proper heel strike — crucial for maintaining alignment and encouraging a natural gait.

New Balance shoe with a firm heel counter for kids with heel pain vs a Nike shoe with a soft heel counter.
The difference in heel support between a Nike shoe (left image) and a New Balance shoe (right image).

Choosing the Right Anti-Toe-Walking Shoes for Kids

Orthotics alone often aren’t enough — the right pair of shoes genuinely enhances how effective the orthotic can be. I’ve put together a dedicated list of anti-toe-walking shoes that offer a stable base of support and stay rigid at the front, to help actively discourage toe walking.

Are littleSTEPS Orthotics Better Than AFOs or SMOs?

They’re definitely less bulky. Several medical professionals have told me these orthotics tend to have a better carryover effect once a child is out of the device, compared to kids who wore an articulated AFO that completely blocked plantar flexion at the ankle joint.

Another real benefit: this orthotic encourages, rather than forces, a normal gait pattern — meaning your child uses their own muscles to walk, rather than relying entirely on a brace.

This matters in practice, too. I’ve had parents specifically ask about switching from AFOs to something less bulky for an older child who felt self-conscious wearing a visible brace — AFOs can also cause real issues of their own beyond bulk, including skin irritation, blisters, and difficulty putting them on and off. For a child dealing with those challenges, a hidden-in-the-shoe option like littleSTEPS or a carbon fiber footplate is worth discussing with your child’s medical team as an alternative.

How to Order the Correct Shoe Size: 2 Simple Steps

Proper shoe sizing is essential for orthotics to work effectively. I offer a free resource to help you determine the correct size when ordering online, so the orthotic fits properly and functions as intended.

Shoes can’t be too big — which means compromising somewhat on growing room. Shoes that are too big make it easier for a child to rise up onto their toes. My virtual shoe fitting service helps you determine your child’s exact shoe size from home.

Final Thoughts on Toe Walking

Toe walking is common up to a certain age, but it’s important to be proactive, since the condition tends to get harder to manage the older your child gets. The correct shoes alone can make a real difference, but pairing the correct shoes with the correct orthotics significantly increases your chances of resolving the toe walking altogether.

Please remember I’m not a medical professional — my experience comes from fitting children’s shoes and orthotics at a specialized children’s shoe store. Seek guidance from a pediatrician, physical therapist, or orthotic specialist to determine the underlying cause of your child’s toe walking and the appropriate course of treatment.

Have you found a specific orthotic or shoe that’s worked well in preventing your child from toe walking? Let me know in the comments — it could genuinely help another family going through the same thing.

Get in Touch for a Personalized Shoe Recommendation

As a shoe fitter, I offer tailored advice based on your child’s unique foot shape and walking pattern. If you have questions or need further assistance, contact me by email and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.