Best Toddler Shoes for Extra Wide Feet and High Instep – Extra Deep Shoes with Rounder Toe-Boxes!

Are you having a hard time finding a pair of shoes for your toddler with extra wide feet and high instep? Are you always struggling to get your toddler’s shoes on and off? Finding a pair of shoes for a toddler with extra wide feet and a high instep can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. The good news is that I know which are the best toddler shoes for extra wide feet and high instep from having fitted them before.

While most parents want to be able to choose from a broad selection of shoes, if your child has extra wide feet and a high instep, the selection of shoes to choose from is very limited.

What Is the Instep of the Foot?

Most parents are not aware of what the instep of the foot is. The instep is the top part of the foot, and when it’s high it makes it more challenging to find shoes that fit. Struggling to get your toddler’s shoes on and off and not being able to pull the velcro straps all the way are common signs of having a high instep. Below you can see an image of a toddler with a high instep:

Some parents want to fit their toddlers in the latest trendy or most popular shoe brands such as Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour. The fact is that toddlers with extra wide feet and high insteps are not able to fit into any of these 3 shoe brands.

My main concern is when I hear parents say that they were able to fit their toddler’s extra wide feet and high instep in a pair of Nike shoes. I soon come to realize that those parents bought the shoes two full sizes too big to accommodate the shape of their toddler’s extra wide feet. You need to stop doing this as you are compromising your toddler’s stability, making your child more prone to tripping and falling.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Toddlers with Extra Wide Feet and High Insteps?

Is always helpful to find shoes that are available in extra wide widths (WX). However, finding a shoe that is labeled as extra wide and trying it on hoping that it will be wide and deep enough for your toddler’s feet is simply not enough.

In addition to being labeled as extra wide, your toddler’s shoes must provide the following 2 key features:

1️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature allows the toddler’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, preventing the top part of their feet (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes:

2️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent your toddler’s toes from overlapping one another or rubbing against the side of the shoes. Some shoes are labeled as extra wide, but they don’t come with rounder toe-boxes.

I am going to show you a selection of toddler shoes that provide all of these features, but you must make sure that you order the shoes in the correct size, otherwise your toddler won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

Are You Sure of Your Toddler’s Exact Shoe Size?

If you usually order your toddler’s shoes online, you will need to know exactly what shoe size to order. I always recommend parents to take their toddlers to be fitted for shoes at their local children’s shoe store. The issue is that most of these stores have been closing down. Even before we were hit by the pandemic, most specialized children’s shoe stores were already closing down. This is a shame because most parents don’t have local shoe stores to take their children to be properly fitted for shoes.

I created a resource that helps parents accurately determine their child’s correct foot length and width, as well as instep height. My service is 100% free and all that you need is a measuring tape or a ruler and 2 pictures of your child’s feet. I have already helped hundreds of families figure out their child’s exact foot length and foot shape, and I will be happy to help you as well.

Remember that shoes that are too long might compromise your toddler’s stability and shoes that are too short might cramp your toddler’s toes together and lead to foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns. Shoes that are too narrow can also lead to ingrown toenails. We need to fir your toddler’s shoes just right!

Be Careful About Fitting Your Toddler in Narrow Shoes

You have no idea how many toddlers can develop blisters from wearing shoes that are too narrow. The most common place they get blisters is on their small toe (pinky toe):

If the shoes are not deep enough you might notice indentations or red marks on the top part of your toddler’s feet (instep):

I know how frustrating and time-consuming it can be to find a shoe for a toddler who has extra wide feet and a high instep. In an effort to make things a little easier for parents I have put together a selection of the best toddler shoes for extra wide feet and high instep.

Best Toddler Shoes for Extra Wide Feet and High Instep

All of the shoes I recommend are available in extra wide widths (XW), so make sure that you order your toddler’s foot width accordingly. 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.

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These are the deepest toddler’s shoes with the roundest toe-boxes that I have fitted before. There are no other shoes that are deeper than the ones I just recommended. With that said, if there is another specific shoe style that you would like to try for your toddler feel free to reach out to me and I will let you know whether that shoe might be worth trying or not:

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One important factor that I wanted to add is how the type of socks that you provide for your toddler also plays a key role in keeping the feet healthy.

What Are the Best Socks for Toddlers with Extra Wide Feet?

I always suggest parents look for seamless socks for their toddlers, especially when they have a toddler with wide or extra wide feet. Seamless socks prevent the toes from overlapping or rubbing against one another, and it allows toddlers to freely move their toes.

Did you know that babies and toddlers tend to move their toes as a way of exercising their feet? It’s important that you don’t constrict this movement through footwear that is too narrow or socks that cramp the toes.

We sell seamless socks at the shoe store that I work for, so I am familiar with which styles are better than others. Keep in mind that certain sock companies claim to sell seamless socks when in fact their socks are not 100% seamless.

Taking care of your toddler’s feet from an early stage will save you from many headaches down the road.

Additional Resources for Toddlers with Extra Wide Feet

Over the years I have created several free resources for toddlers with extra wide feet and high insteps. Some of those resources describe the best dress shoes, sandals, and boots.

Remember that finding a shoe that is labeled as extra wide is simply not enough when trying to accommodate an extra wide foot with a high instep.

Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions or if you found a specific shoe that worked well in accommodating your toddler’s extra wide feet and high instep. I am sure other families will find your feedback helpful.