Best Soccer Cleats for Kids with Flat Feet – Supportive Outsole and Firm Heel Counter

Do you have a child with flat feet who is feeling overly tired after soccer practice or is experiencing foot and leg pain during the games? Did your medical professional recommend that your child wear supportive soccer cleats but you are unsure about which soccer shoes are more supportive than others? Most soccer cleats don’t provide any support whatsoever. So, we need to look for soccer cleats that provide firm heel counters and extra depth to accommodate a supportive sport insole.

What is the Heel Counter of Your Kids’ Shoes?

The heel counter is the back part of the soccer cleat, and the firmer it is, the better support your child will get from the shoes:

A firm heel counter helps hold the heel in place, preventing excessive movement that can lead to overpronation. This feature is crucial in providing stability and support throughout the game. I am going to help you find cleats with extra support to help stabilize your child’s feet and reduce the strain on the arch and tendons.

Why Flat Feet Matter in Soccer

Flat feet can lead to overpronation, where the foot rolls inward excessively during movement. This can affect balance and agility, crucial elements in a fast-paced sport like soccer. Children with flat feet may also experience foot fatigue and discomfort if not wearing the right footwear, which can detract from their enjoyment of the game.

Do Soccer Cleats Provide Good Support?

Unfortunately, the majority of children’s soccer cleats aren’t built for flat feet. Soccer cleats tend to not provide any support whatsoever, but certain ones provide better support than others. I want to clarify that the soccer cleats that I recommend are not going to correct your child’s flat feet, but they are going to allow your child to play without any pain or discomfort.

I am a shoe fitter who has helped hundreds of children with flat feet find the perfect pair of shoes for their feet, and over the years I became familiar with the best soccer shoes for kids with flat feet. Depending on the degree of your child’s flat feet, you might have to consider fitting a pair of orthotics/insoles inside the shoes for extra support.

Are All Soccer Cleats Outsoles Flat?

It can be challenging to find a pair of soccer cleats that provide good arch support as they often have a thin and flat outsole. This is how the outsole of most children’s soccer cleats looks like:

If you remove the original insoles of your child’s soccer cleats you will notice how they are very thin and don’t provide any support whatsoever.

What Soccer Cleats Are Good for Kids with Flat Feet?

1️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: I have fitted certain soccer cleats that provide more supportive outsoles than others, which helps attenuate the impact that your kids’ feet and legs 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 soccer cleat on the right has a much thicker and more supportive outsole compared to the soccer cleat on the left?

2️⃣ Extra Cushion and Support Below the Heels: The cleats I recommend have extra cushion and padding that provide additional comfort and shock absorption to help reduce the strain on your child’s heels:

The Importance of Providing Your Child with the Correct Shoe Size

Shoes that are too large, too small, too narrow, or too wide can create foot issues and have a negative effect on your child’s walking gait. Your kids’ shoes must fit just right. If you are going to order your kids’ shoes online, you need to be 100% sure of your child’s foot size. I created a virtual shoe fitting service that helps parents figure out their child’s exact shoe size from home.

Now that you know your child’s exact foot length and shape, let’s take a look at the best soccer cleats for kids with flat feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Soccer Cleats for Kids with Flat Feet for Foot Support

Take a look at the description below the image of each shoe to check whether that specific style can fit your child’s foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide).

Make sure that your child’s soccer cleats are properly tied at all times so your child can get the full support and stability that the cleats have to offer. It’s especially important for children with flat feet to have their shoes properly tied at all times. In fact, there is a specific shoe lacing technique that will allow your child to get better support and stability from the shoes.

Reviews from Families Who Already Tried These Soccer Cleats!

Are Any Other Soccer Shoe Choices Available?

Let me know if you are looking for a pair of indoor soccer shoes or if you are having trouble finding a different pair of shoes for your child’s flat feet. You can ask your question in the comment section below or email me at:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com 

What Are the Best Sneakers for Kids with Flat Feet?

There is a different resource I created that describes the supportive everyday sneakers for children with flat feet.

Should You Provide Your Child with a Pair of Insoles/Orthotics?

If you remove your child’s soccer insoles you will notice how they are super thin, meaning that they don’t provide any support or shock absorption. Depending on the degree of your child’s flat feet and how much pain your child experiences when playing soccer, you should consider fitting an insole inside the soccer cleats for extra support.

There is one specific soccer insole I have found to be really effective for children with flat feet. It provides the following features:

• Bio-Mechanical Shape: The insole provides biomechanical support under your kids’ feet. It comes with a built-in-arch that provides shock absorption to reduce the impact that your kids’ feet take when they are running or jumping.

• Heel Cup: This feature helps position the heel to naturally absorb impact. This is the part of the insole that provides ankle and heel support:

I describe this sports insole in more detail in a different resource I created.

Conclusion: Investing in the Right Cleats

While the correct type of soccer cleats will not make your children better soccer players, they will definitely help them improve their skills and move more easily around the field. It doesn’t matter whether your child is into playing basketball, tennis, or soccer, footwork and balance are a key part of mastering any sport. Having flat feet can make your child’s balance more unstable and therefore more prone to fatigue and lack of power. 

Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions or if you have found a specific pair of soccer cleats that worked well for your child’s flat feet. I am sure that other families will benefit from reading about your experiences.