Best Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet and Sever’s Disease – Let’s Support Your Kids’ Heels!

Do you have a child with narrow feet who is experiencing heel pain? Has your physical or occupational therapist diagnosed your child with sever’s disease or calcaneal apophysitis? Heel pain in children is very common due to the very nature of their growing feet. Too much stress on the growth plate is the most common reason why children suffer from heel pain. I am going to show you a list of the best shoes for kids with narrow feet and Sever’s disease based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

Be Proactive and Don’t Take the “Wait and See Approach”

Even though heel pain in children is common, I always recommend parents be proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their children’s heel pain. Leaving your child’s heel pain untreated can only lead to a more severe injury and chronic pain.

If your child is complaining about heel pain, the first step is to check the shoes that your child is wearing. Something so simple as providing your child with the correct pair of shoes can significantly reduce, or fully eliminate your child’s heel pain.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience!

I have been helping children with heel pain find the correct pair of shoes for the last 10 years. I work for a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses on helping children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well.

Certain shoes provide targeted support to the heel and have proven to be the most effective ones when it comes to treating and preventing heel pain. There is a small selection of these shoes that are capable of fitting the shape of a child with narrow feet. I will show you a selection of these shoes shortly, but first I want you to get familiar with the most common heel pain symptoms and what features your kids’ shoes must provide to help treat and prevent heel pain.

Kids with Heel Pain – The 3 Most Common Symptoms!

The heel pain that your child is experiencing is totally different from the heel pain that you might have experienced as an adult. When children experience heel pain, their pain intensifies as they walk, while for adults the pain actually reduces as they walk.

Has your child been complaining about pain in the back or bottom of the heel? Have you noticed any of the following symptoms?

• Limping.
• Walking on toes.
• Difficulty participating in usual activities or sports.

These are all signs that your child might be dealing with heel pain.

Shoes for Kids with Heel Pain and Narrow Feet – 3 Important Features!

1️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: This is the back part of the shoes that provides heel and ankle support. The firmer the heel counter of the shoe is, the better. If you are unsure about where the heel counter of the shoe is located, then take a look at the image below for clarification purposes:

Always make sure that the heel counter of your kids’ shoes feels firm and not flimsy. Below you can find the difference between a shoe with a soft heel counter and one with a firm heel counter:

2️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature helps reduce the impact that your kids’ feet take when they become in contact with the ground. Always look for shoes that come with a thick and supportive outsole. Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial sole versus a shoe with a sole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

3️⃣ Shoelaces vs Velcro Closure: I always recommend shoes that come with shoelaces versus shoes with Velcro closure for kids with foot conditions or for kids who have narrow heels. The shoelaces are going to provide your child with better support and stability, and the shoelaces are going to fit the shape of your child’s narrow feet better than any other alternative closure.

In addition to providing those 3 important features, the shoes that I recommend provide a narrow heel counters and narrow toe-boxes to fit the shape of your child’s narrow feet.

Below you can visualize the difference between a shoe with a narrow toe-box versus a shoe with a rounder one. Do you notice how the shoe on the right has a much narrower toe-box versus the shoe on the left?

This is the type of shoe that is going to help accommodate the shape of your child’s narrow feet.

Now that you know what the symptoms of a child with heel pain are and what features your kids’ shoes must provide, you are ready to take a look at the best shoes for kids with narrow feet and heel pain.

Keep in mind that I only review shoes that I have fitted before, as that’s the only way for me to tell how supportive the shoes are, how well they are made, and how they fit. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet and Sever’s Disease ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes, I indicate whether you need to order a half size or a whole size bigger than your child’s current foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

Please take the time to read the most effective shoe lacing technique for children with heel pain. My co-worker who has over 20 years of experience fitting children’s shoes taught me this technique and I believe your child will strongly benefit from it. You can learn about this shoe-tying technique in the article below:

How to Tie Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet – Make their Shoes Fit and Feel Better!

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

The shoes that I recommended will help treat and prevent your child’s heel pain as long as your child has moderate to mild heel pain. If your child happens to have severe heel pain, then I recommend trying a heel cup inside your kids’ shoes for extra support. Heel cups are more affordable than orthotics and extremely effective when it comes to treating or preventing heel pain.

Are Heel Cups Effective for Children with Heel Pain?

There is a particular heel cup that has proven to be the most effective in significantly reducing or completely eliminating heel pain, as it provides shock-absorbing protection to your child’s heels.

I have fitted this heel cup in several different pairs of kids’ shoes. Tuli’s Heel Cups are the #1 podiatrist recommended heel cup in the world. Below you can find the best heel cup for shoes that I have fitted before:

Small Size – Fits from a little kid shoe size 10.5 to a big kid shoe size 6.

Regular Size – Fits big kid shoe size 6 and above.

Do not hesitate to contact me directly if you are having trouble fitting this heel cup inside your kids’ shoes or if you have any other questions about your child’s heel pain: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com 

 Heel Pain for Kids Who Play Sports – The Best Sport Sports Shoes

Children who play sports are at higher risk of developing heel pain, as when children play sports they are stressing out their feet and legs at a whole different level.

Is your child involved in competitive sports? Does your child complain about heel pain during the game and practice?

It’s important that you allow your child to play sports without experiencing any pain, as this is going to directly affect your child’s performance. It doesn’t matter what type of sport your child is playing – soccer, basketball, baseball, football, etc. there are cleats available for children with narrow feet and I will help you find them.

My last piece of advice to parents is to make sure that their kids don’t skip warm-up or cool-down exercises. Stretching also helps prevent heel pain, especially when sports call for explosive sprints that pull quickly on tendons.

If you happen to be unsure about what shoe size to order because you don’t know your child’s exact foot size, I recommend that you start by taking a look at a resource that I created where I describe the best kids’ shoe stores by state:

The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where To Go for Proper Fittings

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

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to identify a shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article along with a video I created that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home:

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

The constant muscle strain and repetitive stress on your child’s heels, especially in children who are active or obese leads to heel pain.

Have you found a particular shoe style that has been effective in treating and preventing your child’s heel pain? Please share your findings below so other families can benefit from your experiences.