Best Sandals for Kids with Intoeing – Prevent Foot Pain and Improve Foot Posture!
With the scorching summer heat, have you been having a hard time finding sandals for your kid with intoeing (also known as pigeon toes)? If your kids’ feet are turning inwards instead of straight when walking or running, then it’s highly likely that your kid has intoeing and it is key that you provide them with the appropriate footwear. The correct type of sandals can help improve your child’s foot posture, walking gait, and prevent foot issues down the road.
My Experience Fitting Shoes for Kids with Intoeing
The children’s shoe store where I work for has afforded me a vast practical knowledge when it comes to treating and preventing children’s foot and leg problems. I am familiar with which are the best shoes for children who have intoeing from having fitted and tested before.
What is Intoeing and What is the Most Common Cause?
Intoeing is when the feet turn inwards when walking and is due to the thigh bone being turned in at the hip, which tends to throw the child’s body out of alignment. This condition is fairly common and in most cases usually outgrown. However, bear in mind that with intoeing children might be prone to tripping, or look different when walking or running. Some children might also experience foot or leg pain.
In respect to the most common cause of intoeing, it is believed to be hereditary and may be associated with other orthopedic problems. As a parent, there is nothing that you could have done to prevent it.
What is the Treatment for Kids with Intoeing?
Many physical or occupational therapists might recommend casts, orthopedic shoes, and even surgery to correct intoeing. These 3 approaches can be very effective, but providing your kid with the correct type of shoes and in some cases, orthotics is a less invasive and more affordable alternative that will help treat and prevent your kid’s intoeing.
In addition, I have helped improve the walking gait and posture of hundreds of kids with deformed or rigid feet who were intoeing by providing them with a pair of everyday supportive shoes. I want to clarify that the shoes that I recommend are not orthopedic shoes, they are regular everyday shoes and sandals that simply provide better structure and support.
Can Supportive Sandals Help Improve Your Child’s Foot Posture?
Note, the correct type of supportive sandals might help your child walk and run straighter, as well as improve your child’s overall posture. I always recommend parents start by trying a pair of supportive shoes first and monitor whether the child’s walking gait and posture improve or not. If it doesn’t, the next step would be to try an orthotic.
Before and After Images of Children with Intoeing
Let’s take a look at an image of a child with intoeing standing barefoot. Do you notice how the feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child wearing a pair of supportive sandals that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are straighter?
Now let’s take a look at an image from the front:
Let’s take a look at a different image of a child who has intoeing and is wearing a pair of unsupportive sandals (left image) versus an image of the same child wearing a pair of the supportive sandals that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are a lot straighter?
What a difference the correct pair of sandals can make!
My Go-To Shoe Brands That Manufacture Supportive Sandals for Kids
Based on my experience, the main shoe brands that manufacture high-quality and supportive sandals for children are the ones listed below. It’s important to highlight that not all sandals manufactured by these shoe brands provide the same levels of support.
➡️ Keen
➡️ Teva
➡️ Birkenstock
➡️ Memo
What Makes the Sandals that I Recommend Ideal for Kids with Intoeing?
1️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: This feature is going to help improve your child’s foot posture and walking gait. Sandals with supportive outsoles also help provide a stable base of support to attenuate the impact that your child’s feet take when they come in contact with the ground. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes.
Do you notice how the sandal on the left has a more supportive outsole compared to the sandal on the right?
2️⃣ Targeted Cushion and Support Below the Heels: This feature is going to support your child’s heels and minimize the impact that the feet take when they come in contact with the ground.
Do you notice how the sandal on the left has more cushion and support around the heel area compared to the sandal on the right?
3️⃣ Adjustable Straps: Sandals with adjustable straps or closures help ensure a secure fit and accommodate different foot widths. This allows for customization and prevents the foot from sliding around in the sandal.
Best Sandals for Kids with Intoeing to Improve Foot Posture
Refer to each description below to find out whether the sandal is available in your kid’s foot shape (medium, wide, extra wide). 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.
Toddler Sizes (0 to 10)
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Pedro by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Genuine leather lining
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Betti by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- Genuine leather lining
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Psyclone by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Two adjustable velcro straps
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Apakowa on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Apakowa on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Lucky Brand on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Supportive footbed
- Adjustable buckles at the front and velcro strap at the back for easy on and off
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Geox on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Little/Big Kid Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Order the sandal style Agnes by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Michael by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 3 points of adjustability so children can make the sandals as tight or loose as they want
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 3 points of adjustability so children can make the sandals as tight or loose as they want
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Rio by Birkenstock on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Suede-lined cork footbed offers excellent arch support, a deep heel cup, roomy toe box, and molds to the shape of each individual’s foot
- Flexible and lightweight EVA outsole is durable and shock-resisting
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Milano by Birkenstock on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Suede-lined cork footbed offers excellent arch support, a deep heel cup, roomy toe box, and molds to the shape of each individual’s foot
- Flexible and lightweight EVA outsole is durable and shock-resisting
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Do consider that most of the supportive sandals that I recommend are your regular everyday sandals that simply provide better support and structure than others. However, you will notice that some of the sandals that I recommend are orthopedic. Whether you should provide your child with a pair of orthopedic sandals or not depends on the degree of your child’s foot condition and whether your child is experiencing foot or leg pain.
Should Your Child Wear Orthotics Inside the Sandals?
I don’t suggest fitting a pair of orthotics/insoles inside your kids’ sandals as they will end up moving too much inside the sandals, which can defeat the whole purpose of investing in a pair of orthotics. In addition, some orthotics might get ruined if they get wet. If you believe your child might benefit from wearing an orthotic inside the sandals I suggest that you read a different resource I created that will help explain this better.
How to Get Your Kid’s Shoe Size Right and Improve Your Online Shopping Experience
More often than not, parents report that they have to order multiple shoes online before finding one that fits their kid’s feet with intoeing. I understand that it can be challenging to find sandals for a kid with intoeing, especially if they also have uncommon size or shape. Nonetheless, It’s critical to make sure that your toddler shoes fit properly, as shoes that are too wide or too narrow can create blisters, calluses, and ingrown toenails.
To this end, I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home. In that resource you will find out whether your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also be able to determine whether your child has a high instep or not.
Medical professionals concur that shoes that are too small hinder the proper growth of the foot, diminishing blood circulation, causing painful blisters, ingrown toenails, calluses, corns, and many other foot problems. Shoes that are too large might prevent your child from maintaining grip on the ground properly, compromising your child’s stability.
Similar Articles That May Be of Interest
Here you can find a selection of related articles that may be of interest such as everyday sneakers and orthotics for intoeing.
Consider that if you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact me via email and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I am happy to help you find a different pair of sandals or sneakers for your child’s intoeing so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
