Best Shoes for Clubfoot – Try These Shoes During and After the Bracing Phase

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on February 2022 and reflects an up-to-date selection of the best shoes for clubfoot.

Parents of children with clubfoot should know that treatment has been shown to be overwhelmingly effective when followed correctly.

The casting gradually moves the child’s foot to the correct position, while the bracing phase makes sure it stays in the correct position. 

The bracing phase might last anywhere from 4 to 5 years. For the first 3 months of bracing, your child will have to wear the braces all the time. After that, the child only has to wear them during naps and at night.

While some children might only need to only wear the braces for a short time, others might need to wear them for a few years to ensure their foot doesn’t go back into the clubfoot position.

Now, when your child is going through the phase in which they only have to wear their brace during naps or at nighttime, you need to make sure that they wear the correct pair of shoes during the day.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes 

I work for a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses in children with “complicated” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems. For the last 10 years, I have been helping children find the correct pair of shoes for their feet, and I believe I can help your child as well.

What Shoes Should Your Child Wear During the Day?

The shoes I recommend for a child with clubfoot provide substantial outsoles, firm heel counters, and a straight last. The shoes should help maintain and align your child’s feet in the correct position.

I always recommend that parents stay away from shoes that have an excessively curved last as this can exaggerate your child’s foot condition.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Kids with Clubfoot?

Straight Lasts

This feature is going to help keep your child’s feet in the correct position.

Substantial Outsoles

This feature is going to provide a stable base of support at the medial arch and forefoot.

The shoes I recommend to children with clubfoot have proven to be extremely effective in straightening their feet and improving their overall posture and walking gait. With that said, if you don’t order the shoes in the correct size, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

I mention this because children’s feet come in all different shapes and sizes. Do you know if your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? Do you know whether your child has a high instep or not? These are all key factors that determine what shoe brands and styles your child can wear.

If you are unsure of your child’s foot shape I suggest that you take a look at the following article:

How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width

What Can Parents Expect After the Casting and Bracing Phase is Completed?

Parents might notice some minor differences.

After being treated, your child’s foot and lower leg muscles may be slightly smaller. Some children also experience a very slight shortening of their leg. The degree of the size difference between the two feet is variable, dependent upon the severity of your child’s clubfoot.

It’s important to note that most of the time these differences don’t cause any problems and go unnoticed. However, I have worked with children whose shoe size differential between feet (one with clubfoot and one without) is greater than two sizes.

If your child’s foot size difference is larger than one and a half in shoe size (5/8 of an inch or 1 1/2 centimeters), you should strongly consider providing your child with two different sized shoes. I will be happy to guide you through this process so do not hesitate to contact me:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

After the bracing phase has been completed, I recommend that parents continue to keep their child in good, supportive shoes that provide straight lasts instead of curved ones.

Now, let me show you a selection of shoes that provide the two important features I have mentioned above. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Shoes for Clubfoot

These shoes are also available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW). Make sure that you choose your child’s foot width accordingly.

All of the shoes I recommend come with shoelaces instead of a velcro closure, as shoelaces provide better support and stability than any other type of closure.

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

Let me know in the comment section below if you have found a specific shoe style that has worked well for your child’s feet. I am sure other families will find your feedback helpful.

“Clubfoot.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 28 June 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/clubfoot/symptoms-causes/syc-20350860.

“Clubfoot: Boston Children’s Hospital.” ​Boston Children’s Hospital​, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/clubfoot.