Corrective Shoes for Toddlers – The Most Effective Way to Treat and Prevent Common Foot Conditions!

January 19, 2023 Shoes that Improve Posture Juan Valenzuela 2 - Comments

Do you have a toddler that is dealing with a foot condition that is affecting your toddler’s walking gait and overall posture? Toddlers who are diagnosed with foot conditions such as flat feet, low muscle tone, overpronation, etc. need shoes that provide good arch and heel support to absorb shock and reduce the impact that their feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground. I am going to show you a list of the best corrective shoes for toddlers based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

Is It Normal for Toddlers to Have Flat Feet?

One of the most common foot conditions that toddlers experience is flat feet. It is a fact that most toddlers are flat-footed and they usually develop an arch by the age of five, but taking corrective action at a young age helps prevent more serious foot issues in the future. Take a look at the picture below, does it look familiar?

Corrective shoes are one of the most effective ways to improve toddlers’ body posture and help them walk and run straighter. When toddlers experience a certain foot condition such as overpronation, rolled ankles, low muscle tone, or knock knees, their whole bodies are thrown out of alignment which leads them to put pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to.

The most common reasons why toddlers might need a pair of corrective shoes are:

  • Overpronation
  • Weak Ankles
  • Low Muscle Tone
  • Knock Knees
  • Toe Walking

Something so simple such as providing toddlers with the correct pair of shoes can prevent their feet from collapsing and the knees from turning inwards/outwards, improving their overall posture. Let me prove it to you!

What a Difference the Correct Pair of Shoes Can Make!

Let’s start by taking a look at a picture of a flat-footed toddler standing barefoot. Do you notice how the toddler’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?

Before Image

toddler-with-flat-feet

Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same toddler wearing a pair of supportive shoes. Do you notice how the supportive shoes are aligning the feet by preventing them from collapsing and turning inwards? This is helping improve the toddler’s overall posture.

After Image

toddler-wearing-supportive-shoes

While corrective shoes are extremely effective in helping stabilize toddlers’ feet by allowing them to walk and run straighter, there is only a small selection of corrective shoes available for toddlers.

Most parents think of orthopedic or corrective shoes as bulky and ugly, but the ones I describe below are fashionable and supportive at the same time.

Find Out Your Toddler’s Foot Size

I always recommend parents take their toddlers to their local fitting children’s shoe store that they trust, the issue is that most fitting stores have been closing down, and parents need to end up buying their kids’ shoes online. For that reason, I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home.

In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot length 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.

Now that you know how to figure out your toddler’s foot size from home, you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best corrective shoes for toddlers. 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.

Best Corrective Shoes for Toddlers to Improve Posture and Stability

Most of the shoes below are made of natural materials such as 100% leather which ideally adapts to the toddler’s foot, without causing discomfort and skin irritation.

Lace-Up Closure

  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
  • Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
  • Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style SRT Emilia by Stride Rite on Amazon
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
  • 100% leather made
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite on Amazon or Zappos
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • 100% leather made
  • Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite on Amazon or Zappos
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • 100% leather made
  • Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
  • Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

Velcro Closure

  • Order the shoe style Tracks by Timberland on Zappos
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Breathable textile lining
  • Stable base of support with firm heel counters
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Cohesion on Zappos
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Heel grid system for stable cushioning
  • Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Removable insoles
  • Extra deep
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
  • Generous toe box and instep to accommodate and support your toddler walker’s needs
  • Rubber outsole pods designed to stand up to daily wear and tear
  • Extra deep
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization 
  • Stiff and high ankle support for toe walkers
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization 
  • Stiff and high ankle support for toe walkers
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
  • Generous toe box and instep to accommodate and support your toddler walker’s needs
  • Extra deep
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’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 size or a whole size bigger than your toddler’s current foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

*A half a size bigger translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

*A whole size bigger translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

Key Features of Corrective Shoes for Toddlers

These are the three most important features that the corrective shoe I recommended above provide:

1️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: This feature helps strengthen, straighten, and support your toddler’s heels by keeping the foot in the right position.

New Balance shoe with a firm heel counter for kids with heel pain vs a Nike shoe with a soft heel counter.

2️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature minimizes the impact that toddlers’ feet take every time they come in contact with the ground. This part of the shoe must also provide good traction to minimize the likelihood of your toddler slipping and falling.

Supportive New Balance kids' shoe vs an unsupportive Nike shoe.

3️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible: While the shoes need to be supportive, they must be lightweight and flexible at the same time to prevent your toddler’s feet from easily getting tired.

New Balance kids' shoe with the correct amount of flexibility vs Nike kids' shoe that is too flexible and unsupportive.

If you try any of the shoe styles I recommended for 2 to 3 months and your toddler’s foot condition hasn’t improved, then I recommend that you try an orthotic inside the shoes.

Can Orthotics Help Treat and Prevent Your Toddler’s Foot Conditions?

Let’s start by clarifying what an orthotic is: Orthotics are shoe inserts that are specifically designed to offer cushioning, support, stability, and relief pressure areas of the foot.

The correct type of orthotics fitted in the correct type of shoes will help straighten and strengthen your toddler’s feet and legs, allowing them to walk and run straighter. If your toddler is experiencing foot or leg pain the orthotics will help significantly reduce or fully eliminate the pain. I created a different resource that describes the best orthotics for toddlers.

The orthotics and the shoes work together in improving your toddler’s foot conditions whether your toddler is experiencing overpronation, weak ankles, low muscle, knock knees, or tip toe walking.

Get in Touch for a Personalized Shoe Suggestion

Without a doubt, your toddler’s shoe needs can vary depending on their age, activity level, and any specific foot conditions they may have. If you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact me via email and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I am happy to help you find a different pair of shoes for your child so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Have you found a particular pair of corrective shoes that have worked well for your toddler’s foot condition? Please share your findings in the comments section below so other parents can benefit from them.