Best Shoes for Kids with Wide Feet in 2024 – Sneakers, Sandals, Boots, and Dress Shoes!
It’s 2024 and unfortunately, most children’s local shoe stores are now out of business. Families don’t know where to take their children to be properly sized and fitted for shoes, and most of the time they end up buying their kids’ shoes online. There is nothing wrong with buying your kids’ shoes online, but you need to be 100% sure of your child’s foot size and foot length, or you will end up wasting a lot of time and money having to return the shoes back and forth.
You also need to know which shoes fit wider than others. Some children’s shoes are available in wide (W) and extra wide (XW) widths, but there are other shoes that even though they are not available in wide widths fit naturally wide.
I understand that it can be challenging to find shoes for children with wide feet, but it’s important to make sure that your kids’ shoes fit properly, as shoes that are too narrow can create blisters, calluses, and ingrown toenails.I am going to show you a list of the best shoes for kids with wide feet in 2024, but first, let me tell you how I know which kids’ shoes are wider than others.
Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time, you can go straight to the selection of the best shoes for kids with wide feet.
My Role Helping Families
I have created several online resources that provide customized recommendations for shoe styles and brands, and I also help families:
- Determine their children’s exact foot size, including length and shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide, high instep)
- Determine whether their children have foot conditions requiring specialized shoes, orthotics, or AFOs (braces)
What Shoes Work Best for Children with Wide Feet?
When children have wide feet, you need to look for shoes that provide these 3 important features:
1️⃣ Round Toe-Boxes: Shoes with round toe-boxes allow for extra space for the toes and help prevent the toes from rubbing against one another or the side of the shoes.
Take a look at the image below that shows the difference in toe-boxes between two shoes that are the same length and width:
2️⃣ Extra Depth: Shoes with extra depth help allow the feet to sit deeply inside of the shoes, which helps prevent the top part of the foot (instep), from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature is ideal for children who have high insteps.
Take a look at the image below that shows the difference in depth between two shoes that are the same length and width but provide very different levels of depth:
3️⃣ Available in Wide Widths (W): Children’s shoes are available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) widths. You will notice that all of the shoes that I recommend are available in wide widths (W). If the shoes I recommend are not available in wide widths is because they fit really wide to begin with.
Most Common Mistakes Parents Make when Buying their Kids’ Shoes
Most families are tempted to get the next size up to help alleviate the width issue. However, buying shoes that are too long can compromise your child’s stability and create foot issues. For example, when there is too much friction and foot movement inside of the shoes, your child can develop blisters.
Buying a pair of shoes that are made specifically for your child’s wide or extra wide feet will keep your child’s feet healthy and comfortable.
My Favorite Shoe Brands for Kids with Wide Feet
There are certain shoe brands that are my go-to ones for children with wide feet. However, it’s important to note that just because I recommend a specific shoe brand that doesn’t mean that all shoes from that brand are effective for children with wide feet. There are specific styles among each shoe brand that work a lot better than others.
Here is a list of my favorite shoe brands for children with wide feet:
- New Balance
- Stride Rite
- Tsukihoshi
- Pediped
- See Kai Run
- Saucony
- Merrell
Let’s now take a look at the best shoes for kids with wide feet in 2024. 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. This allows us to create free content and resources for many families around the world.
Best Shoes for Kids with Wide Feet in 2024
All of the shoes that I recommend on the links below provide the 3 important features that I mentioned before, and they are also supportive, lightweight, flexible, and affordable.
Sneakers
Click Here to See the Best Shoes for Babies with Wide Feet
Click Here to See the Best Toddler Shoes for Wide Feet
Click Here to See the Best Little and Big Kid Shoes for Wide Feet
Sandals
Click Here to See the Best Toddler Sandals for Wide Feet
Click Here to See the Best Little and Big Kid Sandals for Wide Feet
Boots
Click Here to See the Best Toddler Boots for Wide Feet
Click Here to See the Best Little and Big Kid Boots for Wide Feet
Dress Shoes
Click Here to See the Best Toddler Dress Shoes for Wide Feet
Click Here to See the Best Little and Big Kid Dress Shoes for Wide Feet
There Is An Additional Awesome Feature of the Shoes that I Recommend
All of the shoes that I recommend open up nice and wide that way you won’t have to struggle to get the shoes on and off:
Common Signs that Your Kids’ Shoes Are Not Wide Enough
These are the most common signs that your kids’ shoes are not wide enough:
- Do you notice red marks or imprints on the top part (instep) of your kids’ feet? This is usually a sign that the shoes are not wide or deep enough:
- Do you notice your child’s small toe pressing against the side of the shoes? This is usually a sign that the shoes are not wide enough:
- Do you notice that the velcro straps of the shoes are not going all the way across? This is a common sign that your kids’ shoes are either not deep or wide enough:
- If your child is wearing sandals, do you notice your child’s small toe being pushed against the side of the sandals?
Can Kids’ Feet Get Narrower As They Grow?
Children’s feet grow and change shape very quickly. I have seen toddlers with wide or extra wide feet whose feet got narrower as they grew. However, I have also seen toddlers with wide feet whose feet remained wide in their teenage years. This really depends on each child, but it is possible that your child’s feet change from being wide to a regular width.
How Fast Do Kids’ Feet Grow?
➡️ Toddlers between the ages of 1 to 3 should have their shoes replaced every 3 ½ to 4 months. Your toddler’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 4 months.
➡️ Children between the ages of 4 to 6 should have their shoes replaced every 4 ½ to 5 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 4 to 5 months.
➡️ Children between the ages of 7 to 10 should have their shoes replaced every 5 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 5 to 6 months.
➡️ Children between the ages of 11 to 17 should have their shoes replaced every 5 ½ to 6 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 6 months.
Are You Having a Hard Time Finding a Specific Pair of Shoes for Your Child’s Wide Feet?
Let me know in the comment section below if you need help finding a pair of specific shoes for your child’s wide feet or you can email me at:
Concluding Remarks and Suggestions
It’s common for children to have wide feet. In fact, most children who come to the shoe store to be sized and fitted for shoes have wide feet. My final piece of advice is to have your child always wear socks with his/her shoes, even if they refuse to wear them. Keep in mind that socks act as a barrier between your kids’ feet and the shoes, and they help prevent the formation of blisters as well as foot odor.
