Best School Shoes for Kids with High Instep – Extra Deep, Comfortable and Durable!
Children with high instep always seem to have a harder time finding shoes that fit. Whether you are looking for a pair of sneakers or school shoes for your child, you will find your child complaining about the shoes rubbing against the top part of their feet (instep) or simply not “feeling right”. I have put together a list of the best school shoes for kids with high instep based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.
Why does having a high instep makes it a lot more challenging to find shoes that fit? When children have high instep there is a lot of extra foot volume that needs to be fitted inside the shoes. This means that the shoes need to provide extra depth to allow your child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes and prevent the top part of their feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes.
If you are in a rush, you can go directly to the selection of school shoes for children with high insteps.
How Does a Foot with a High Instep Looks Like?
Below is an example of a child’s foot with a high instep. Some parents confuse having a high instep with having a high arch. Keep in mind that your child might have a regular arch or even be flat-footed and still have a high instep. In the image below the child has a regular arch and a very high instep.
Below you can find another example of a child with a high instep. In the image below the child has flat feet and a high instep.
I know which are the best school shoes for kids with high instep from having fitted them before. I work for a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses in helping children with foot problems or “complicated” foot shapes. Over the years I became familiar with the best school shoes for kids.
What Makes the School Shoes I Recommend Effective for Kids with High Instep?
The school shoes I recommend provide 2 key features that make them ideal for children with high instep:
1️⃣ Extra Depth: This is the most important feature that your kids’ shoes must provide to accommodate the shape of their high instep. Let me show you the difference in depth between one of the school shoes I recommend and a different style. Do you notice how the school shoe on the right is a lot deeper compared to the school shoe on the left? This is just one example of the shoes I recommend.
2️⃣ Oversized Openings: This is another important feature that your kids’ school shoes must provide if your child has a high instep. School shoes that open nice and wide allow the child’s feet to easily slide inside the shoes and prevent them from struggling every time they have to get their shoes on and off:
Where Can Parents Find School Shoes for their Kids with High Instep?
Parents across the country are increasingly ordering their children’s shoes online—unfortunately, without the benefit of proper shoe fittings—because most specialty children’s shoe stores nationally are closing their doors.
Unfortunately, the selection of school shoes that can accommodate the shape of a child with a high instep is very small. The good news is that I know exactly which school shoes are deeper than others from having fitted them before.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
I will show you a selection of the best back to school shoes for kids with high instep shortly, but I suggest that we start by making 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 what your child’s foot size is.
For example, do you know if your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? Do you know your child’s exact foot length? If you don’t know the answers to these questions I strongly suggest that you take a look at this resource I created.
By now you should know your child’s exact foot size. Believe me, that is really important that you order your kids’ shoes in the correct length and width. Shoes that are too short or too narrow can cramp your kids’ toes and make them overlap and rub against one another, leading to blisters and other foot issues. On the other hand, shoes that are too wide or too long allow for too much foot movement inside the shoes, which can also lead to foot issues.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best school shoes for kids with high instep. 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 School Shoes for Kids with High Instep
The school shoes I recommend below are available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW), so make sure that you choose your child’s shoe width accordingly.
- Shoe style Jace by Hush Puppies
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Double velcro straps
- Padded collar for comfort
- Memory Foam foot bed for all-day comfort and support
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Claire by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather
- Padded collar for comfort
- Memory foam insole for enhanced comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Lanyard by Sperry
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 100% leather
- Cushioned insoles with additional padding at the heel
- Lace up closure for secure fit
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Jungle Moccasin by Merrell
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 100% leather
- Outsole has excellent grip
- Air Cushion midsole allows long-wearing comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Fresh Foam 650v1 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Padded collar for comfort
- Lace-up closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Prodigy 5100 by School Issue
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 100% leather
- Padded collar for comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Fresh Foam 650v1 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Padded collar for comfort
- Lace-up closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Sr Murphy by Stride Rite
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Premium leather with a padded heel collar
- Memory-foam insole provides enhanced comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Dirty Buck by Polo
- Fits medium or wide feet
- 100% leather
- Lace-up closure
- Full welt stitching
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Fresh Foam 650v1 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Padded collar for comfort
- Velcro closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Fresh Foam 650v1 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Padded collar for comfort
- Velcro closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style 990v6 by New balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Jace by Hush Puppies
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 100% leather
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
- Lace up closure for secure fit
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Hp-Reese Mary Jane by Hush Puppies
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 100% leather
- Outsole has excellent grip
- Supportive outsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Fresh Foam X 860v13 by New balance
- Available in medium and wide widths
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Synthetic and engineered mesh upper
- Lace-up closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Jungle Moc Moccasin by Merrell
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 100% leather
- Outsole has excellent grip
- Air Cushion midsole allows long-wearing comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
All of these back to school shoes provide extra depth and open up widely so your child won’t have to struggle to get the shoes on and off. In addition to fitting the shape of your child’s high instep, these back to school shoes are durable and comfortable.
If your child happens to have narrow feet then there is a different resource I created that you will benefit from.
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:
Do More Expensive School Shoes Translate Into Better Shoes for Your Child?
More expensive shoes don’t automatically translate into better shoes for your child. You can find supportive school shoes made from high-quality materials at reasonable prices.
With that said, some parents make the mistake of buying cheaper back to school shoes which are usually made from low-quality materials, so they end up buying three pairs in the year which doesn’t make the shoes any cheaper.
Children are particular about what they wear and how it fits, and this is demonstrated most basically through shoe choice.
School Shoe Policy – Make Sure Your Kids’ Shoes Meet the Uniform Guide
It might sound ridiculous to some parents that shoes can cause so much fuss, but many schools have restrictions on the type of shoes children can and can’t wear. Some of the most popular shoe brands for children such as Nike, Converse, and Vans don’t offer shoes that meet the school rules.
Some schools provide parents with a visual checklist of which shoes are appropriate to wear, so before you decide which back to school shoe to buy for your child, I suggest that you check the school uniform guide first.
Keep in mind that all school policies differ when it comes to the colors and styles of footwear allowed. Some schools require the shoes to be all black or all white, while some others are happy letting their students express their stylish side.
Fun and Stylish Shoes for Kids with High Instep
If your child’s school uniform guide doesn’t require the shoes to be made from a specific color then this opens up the shoe choices for your child. I also created other resources that describe the best sneakers and Mary Jane shoes for children with high instep.
Finding a pair of back to school shoes for children with high instep can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. Hope I made things easier by providing you with a selection of the best school shoes for kids with high instep.
Have you found a specific school shoe that has worked well in accommodating the shape of your child’s high instep? I encourage parents to share their shoe findings in the comment section below so other families can benefit from their experiences.
