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 toddler shoes for narrow feet.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes
I have worked for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years. We specialize in fitting children with “complicated” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best shoe brands for kids with narrow feet.
What Makes the Shoes that I Recommend Ideal for Toddlers with Narrow Feet?
The shoes I recommend for toddlers provide 2 key features that make them the best choices for toddlers with narrow feet:
✅ Narrow Heel Counter: Let me show you the difference between two shoes that are the same size in length and width but have very different heel counters. Do you notice how the red shoe has a narrower heel counter compared to the blue shoe which has a rounder one?
✅ Narrow Toe-Box: Let me show you the difference between two shoes that are the same size in length and width but have very different toe-boxes. Do you notice how the shoe on the right has a narrower toe-box compared to the shoe on the left:
There is only a small selection of toddler shoes for narrow feet, but the good news is that I will help you find them. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Best Shoes for Toddlers with Narrow Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The shoes below are the narrowest toddler’s shoes I have fitted before. Shoes that come with shoelaces are always more effective for toddlers with narrow feet, so if your toddler has extra narrow feet, I suggest that you choose the options that come with shoelaces.
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Velcro closure
- Leather and mesh upper for durability and breathability
- APMA Certified
- Traction pods on the outsole for serious grip
- EVA midsole for lightweight feel
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Velcro closure
- Leather and mesh upper
- Non-marking traction pods to help improve stability
- APMA approved
- Toe cap for extra durability
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Double velcro straps
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Double velcro closure
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lightweight and flexible
- Padded collar and tongue for added comfort to child’s feet
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Double velcro straps
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Double velcro straps
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Padded collar and tongue for superior comfort
- Dual hook-and-loop strap for a snug fit
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Natural leathers
- Double velcro closure
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lightweight and flexible
- Padded collar and tongue for added comfort to child’s feet
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lightweight and flexible
- Padded collar and tongue for added comfort to child’s feet
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
If you want to be 100% sure about what shoe size to order online, I suggest that you follow the instructions in the article below:
How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
Shoes for Toddlers with Narrow Feet – Learn About Other Families with Similar Experiences!
I get contacted by parents who need help finding the best type of shoes for their children daily. In this particular case, this mother contacted me worried about her daughter having narrow feet and not being able to find shoes that fit. Since you might be going through a similar experience, I decided to post the conversation here so you can benefit from what we discussed, since along the conversation you will find a selection of the best toddler shoes for narrow feet.
Hello Juan,
I came across your website and was wondering what brands of sneakers and shoes you recommend for toddlers with narrow feet. We always have the hardest time finding shoes for my daughter that fit, as they all seem too wide for her feet.
My daughter is 3 years old and wears a shoe size 8 1/2. We found a shoe brand named “See Kai Run” that used to fit the shape of her feet perfectly, but for some reason, those shoes have not worked lately.
I have noticed how as her feet get larger, it is harder to find her sneakers as they just get wider and wider. Her foot gets larger, but definitely not any wider.
I am aware of the problems that come from ill-fitting shoes (after reading some of your articles) and I have the same narrow foot problem that she does. Any recommendations are appreciated!
See picture for latest try-on failure!
Thanks in advance!
Laura
Hello Laura,
You are correct, those shoes are way too wide for your daughter’s feet. Do you notice how the Velcro straps of the shoes go way over where the Velcro straps finish? When a shoe is fitting properly, the Velcro straps should line up properly.
I have fitted other shoe brands that fit much narrower than See Kai Run. Are you looking for an everyday shoe for your daughter? Have you ever tried other shoe brands such as Asics or Saucony?
Most Asics and Saucony shoes are supportive enough to be worn as everyday shoes and they are also made to last.
If you want to see a selection of the best narrow shoes for girls, you can find them in an article I wrote called:
Narrow Shoes for Girls – The Best Everyday Shoes for Girls with Narrow Feet
I hope this helps!
Hello Juan,
Thank you! I wish I would have seen that article before to save you time. I am looking for a shoe that she can run around all day and play with at school. A shoe that will provide good support to her feet and legs, and that is also durable.
Yes, those shoes that she is wearing in the picture are way too wide. I am going to try one of the shoe styles that you recommend. I notice that some of the shoes you recommend have Velcro and some others have shoelaces, should I choose one over the other? Are these all good for school and running around all day?
Thank you for your time.
Hello Laura,
If you are willing to tie your daughter’s shoes, then I will recommend you choose shoelaces over Velcro as they will fit the shape of her feet better. The main reason for this is that shoelaces will hug your daughter’s feet better and push her heels against the back of the shoes, securing them and minimizing any extra space around her heels.
Your daughter will also feel more secure and stable when running around. However, the shoes I recommend with Velcro also fit very narrow, so I would recommend that you provide her with a pair of Velcro sneakers first and see how those work out. If they still seem too wide for her feet, then I would recommend that you provide her with a pair of shoes that come with shoelaces.
All of the shoe styles in that article are supportive enough to be worn for school and everyday activities.
Hello Juan,
I tried the Saucony shoe style (Baby Ride) from your recommendations and they fit the shape of her feet perfectly. I will stick with that shoe style and get it in different colors as long as it is available in her size.
I can’t believe I have wasted so much time finding narrow shoes for my daughter and I didn’t know that there were shoe styles available to fit the shape of her narrow feet. You have no idea how much time you have saved me!
As summer is approaching where we live, are there any sandals that you will suggest will fit the shape of my daughter’s feet?
Thanks so much!
Laura
Hello Laura,
I am glad that the sneakers worked well for your daughter. I have helped hundreds of families with children with narrow feet and I know how hard it can be to find shoes that fit properly. I always explain to parents that is harder to find a narrow shoe for a child than it is to find a wide or an extra wide shoe.
The main reason for this is that there are several children’s shoe styles available in extra wide widths, while there are very few shoe styles available in narrow widths.
You can stick with that shoe style if you want, but as soon as it is not available in her size anymore please let me know and I will help you find an alternative
When it comes to summer sandals for girls with narrow feet, I would recommend that you take a look at an article I wrote called:
Narrow Sandals for Girls – The Best Summer Sandals for Girls with Narrow Feet!
That article will provide you with a selection of the best narrow sandals for girls, but if you have any other questions after reading that article please let me know.
Hello Juan,
Those Naturino sandals are gorgeous!
Will she be able to wear them as her water play sandals? I really like those styles because I feel like I would be able to dress her up as well. Do these sandals provide good support? Which one specifically would you recommend I get for my daughter?
Sorry for the million questions but I want to make sure I provide her with the best shoe style possible.
Hello Laura,
No worries!
If you want a sandal for your daughter to play around but at the same time be able to dress her up, I would recommend that you get her the Naturino, as it’s closed toe – will protect her toes when playing, and comes with a substantial rubber sole – which will provide support and prevent slipping. It also looks dressier.
Even though the sandal is supportive enough, I would recommend that your daughter doesn’t wear it for more than 4 hours a day. She should be alternating with her sneakers to provide good support to her feet and legs.
If you happen to know of a family who has a boy with narrow feet and is having a hard time finding shoes that fit, you can direct them to an article I wrote called:
Narrow Fit Shoes for Boys – The Best Everyday Shoes for Boys with Narrow Feet
If you can’t seem to find an article related to your question, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
I also recently created a tool that will help you find any other type of shoes for your children such as every day, summer, winter, or sport shoes. The tool lets you filter by the type of shoes you need and I believe it is extremely valuable since it will show you shoe styles in different widths such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide. It will also tell you exactly how each shoe style is cut (short, long, narrow, or wide). You can find that tool here:
Find the Best Shoe Style for Your Child’s Unique Feet
Dear Juan,
AWESOME!
I was just playing around with the tool and I love how I can filter by “shoes for narrow feet”. I will be sharing this with my friends who always complain about not finding good shoes for their kids.
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
I hope you find this post helpful and I encourage you to contact me if you have any doubts or questions. My e-mail address is:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
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Hello, I’m looking for an everyday dressier shoe for my daughter. We LOVE Saucony for her tennis shoes. She is a size 9 narrow toddler, and I’m needing a shoe she can wear with her fall and winter dressier clothes to school. I’ve read most of your articles, but don’t see any suggestions for these. I saw you recc. the Riscotta Mary Jane, but I can’t find any online nor in your link. Thank you!
Hi Brooke,
I believe that the shoe style that you are looking for is a Mary Jane, correct? You can find some examples below:
Narrow Mary Jane: Option 1
Narrow Mary Jane: Option 2
I hope this helps.