Boys with Achilles Heel Pain – The Best Shoes and Sandals for Boys with Achilles Pain!

Are you looking for a pair of shoes to significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s Achilles heel pain? Do you feel like you try several different shoes but the pain persists and intensifies with activity?

Heel pain in children is common, but that doesn’t mean it should go untreated. I always recommend parents to be proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their children’s foot conditions, as waiting for the condition to resolve on its own can lead to the condition getting worse.

Finding a pair of shoes for a child that is experiencing heel pain can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience, especially if you don’t know what shoe styles to look for. You need to find a pair of shoes that come with a firm heel counter to provide extra heel support, and that also come with a substantial outsole to reduce the impact that your kids’ feet take every time they become in contact with the ground.

Wearing the correct type of shoes is the most effective way to help treat and prevent your child’s heel pain, but there are only certain shoe styles that provide targeted support to your child’s heels. The good news is that I know exactly which shoe styles these are and I will help you find them.

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses on children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. We carry some of the most supportive children’s shoes and orthotics, and I am familiar with which shoe brands and which shoe styles are better than others.

I have helped hundreds of children with heel pain find the correct type of shoes to significantly reduce and in most cases fully eliminate the pain. If your child is complaining about heel pain, always start by checking the shoes that he is wearing and press on the heel counter.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Heel Pain?

The shoes provide targeted support to the heel. Let me show you a difference between one of the kids’ shoes I recommend and a different pair. Do you notice how the shoe on the right has more padding below the heel area? This will help reduce the impact on your kids’ heels every time they impact the ground.

The image below shows you the difference between a shoe with a firm heel counter versus a shoe with a soft heel counter. When I press on the heel counter of the shoe on the right it feels firm and it doesn’t bend. However, when I press on the heel counter for the shoe on the left it easily bends, meaning that it doesn’t provide good heel support.

I only write reviews of shoe styles that I have fitted before, otherwise, I wouldn’t know how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best shoes for boys with Achilles heel pain.

The Best Shoes for Boys with Achilles Heel Pain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for boys with Achilles heel pain. Notice how most of these shoes are available in shoelaces as shoelaces provide extra support around your kids’ heels. 

This first selection of shoes is for children with narrow or medium feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

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To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 0.3 inches or 0.7 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

This selection of shoes is for children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet:

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To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 0.3 inches or 0.7 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

If you are unsure of your child’s foot size I suggest that you take a look at a different article:

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

In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.

Let me show you a conversation between myself and a parent of a boy that was experiencing Achilles heel pain that might answer a lot of the questions you might have about this foot condition.

We were able to fully eliminate the pain by finding a pair of shoes that were supportive and provided extra support around the ankle area. The pain was also affecting the child’s walking gait and posture.

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Dear Juan,

I chanced upon your website and would like to seek your advice on what type of shoes and sandals would help my child that keeps complaining about heel pain. He is 9 years old and always experiences pain in his Achilles heels and inner calves. As a result, this is also affecting his posture.

We have tried orthotic insoles that were recommended by his physical therapist, but the pain persists. What can we do to help him as he still suffers from pain in his feet and legs?

Appreciate your help very much in this!

Best regards,

Hyun

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Hello Hyun,

I need to see a picture of the shoes and the orthotics that your child is currently wearing – that way I can tell if they are supportive enough.

When it comes to sandals, there is a particular brand called Keen sandals that provide the best support. Those sandals are the most supportive ones that you can provide for your child, they provide excellent support and structure and will minimize the impact that your kids’ feet take every time they come in contact with the ground. You can find them in an article I wrote called:

Keen Sandals For Boys – The Most Supportive Summer Sandal

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Hi Juan

Here is a picture of his shoes and orthotics. What are your thoughts?

Have you ever heard of the shoe brand Vivobarefoot? Apparently, they are supposed to be really good for kids especially for my boy that is experiencing foot pain.

Here is the description I found:

“All Vivobarefoot children’s shoes are wide, thin and flexible with a super-thin puncture resistant sole. Quality leather school shoes, thermally protective Winter boots, lightweight synthetic shoes for playtime and adventures. Kids’ feet aren’t fully formed into the teenage years. Stiff, padded footwear gets in the way of natural foot development. Our shoes let kid’s feet thrive as nature intended. They’re built to protect feet from sharp objects and the cold, whilst still allowing them to grow and function as they should. 90% of feet are born healthy”.

Thank you!

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Hello Hyun,

Thank you for clarifying. The orthotic and the shoes look supportive. I am not familiar with that shoe brand and it’s hard to go by the description as all shoe brands have a nice description but then you really have to test and try the shoes on to make sure they provide the correct amount of support.

If the pain persists is because either the shoes or the orthotics are not being supportive enough. Possible causes for why the pain persists:

1- Did you remove the original insole of the shoe before placing the orthotic inside the shoes? While this might sound like a very simple step it does make a big difference in how the shoes fit and feel.

2- When you press on the heel counter of the shoe – back part of the shoe that provides ankle support, does it feel firm or soft?

Below you can find a picture that shows where the heel counter of the shoe is located:

My recommendation is to keep the same orthotic and then try a different shoe style. There is a particular one that I have fitted before and it’s the most effective one with orthotics. You can find that shoe style here:

Supportive Shoe For Orthotics

Please order the “W” wide, or the “XW” extra wide to accommodate the orthotic.

I hope this helps!

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Dear Juan,

Our appreciation and God bless.

We have since brought my boy to a podiatrist to have a check. He was given proper insoles, massages and exercise instructions to ease the problem.

The shoes you recommended fit him perfectly, the Achilles heel pain has fully disappeared, and he has been walking and running much straighter.

Thank you so much for your help.

Best regards,

Hyun

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Have you found a particular shoe style that has worked well in reducing or fully eliminating your boys’ Achilles heel pain? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.