Are you having a hard time finding a pair of dress sandals for your child with wide feet? Do you feel like you try a whole bunch of different sandals but always end up empty handed? Finding a pair of dress sandals for a child with wide feet can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. Let me show you a list of the best dress sandals for kids with wide feet
What sounds worse? Shopping for your dress sandals or shopping for dress sandals for your children with wide feet? There is only a small selection of dress sandals for kids with wide feet, but the good news is that I will help you find them.
You might be thinking: That’s great, but my child has high instep too. So, what to do in that case? No worries, the dress sandals that I recommend are capable of fitting children with high insteps as well.
How Does a High Instep Look Like?
The instep is the top part of the foot, and when it’s high, it makes it really difficult to find shoes that fit. Below is an image of a child with wide feet and a high instep:
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience!
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses in helping children with “complex” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. I am familiar with the best children’s shoe brands and the best shoe styles among those brands from having fitted them before.
The sandals that I recommend provide extra depth and a rounder toe-box to accommodate the shape of a child with wide feet. The sandals are also supportive, lightweight, flexible, durable, comfortable, and made out of 100% leather. Leather sandals are always softer and mold to the shape of your child’s feet. Always avoid dress sandals made of synthetic materials as they often feel hard against your kids’ feet.
Did I forget to mention stylish? While I am no fashion expert, I have been told that the sandals that I recommend are very stylish.
Some of the shoe brands that manufacture dress sandals for children with wide feet are:
- See Kai Run
- Frodo
- Livie & Luca
- Nina
- Stride Rite
Did I forget to mention a particular brand that makes high-quality and supportive dress sandals for children with wide feet? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.
What Makes the Dress Sandals I Recommend Effective for Wide Feet?
Let me show you why the sandals that I recommend are the best type for children with wide feet and high insteps.
1️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent your child’s toes from rubbing against one another or the side of the sandals.
2️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature allows the child’s wide feet to fit deeply inside the sandals and prevents the top part of the feet (instep), from rubbing against the top part of the sandals.
Do You Know Your Child’s Foot Size? – Let’s Find Out!
To buy your kids’ shoes online, you must know their exact foot size. I always recommend parents take their kids to be properly fitted for shoes at their local shoe store, where a shoe fitter can measure their feet and find shoes that fit. Start by taking a look at a resource I created where I describe the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores In The United States – Where To Go For Proper Fittings
If you don’t happen to have a children’s shoe store in your area, then take a look at an article that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home. Go to the link below:
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 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 your child’s exact foot size and what 2 important features these sandals provide, you are ready to see a selection of the best dress sandals for kids with wide feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Dress Sandals for Kids with Wide Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Many of the sandals featured below come in several color options, so if your child likes a specific model, please make sure to click through and see if they have the desired color.
Girls
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening and hook and loop closure
- Slip-resistant traction with sensory pod technology to help feel the ground underneath
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in wide widths
- 100% leather
- Padded heel collar for comfort
- Memory foam insole for enhanced comfort
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s foot size
- Available in extra wide widths
- 100% leather
- Leather lining and cushioned sockliner provide comfort through breathability
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in wide widths
- 100% leather
- Padded heel collar for comfort
- Memory foam insole for enhanced comfort
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet
- Water-friendly and machine washable
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet
- 100% leather
- Memory Foam Technology (MFT) acts like a custom insole by shaping perfectly to your child’s foot and supporting it in all the right places.
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet
- Water-friendly and machine washable
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Available in wide widths
- 100% Leather
- 2 adjustable velcro straps for easy on and off
- Outsole with rounded edges to follow the natural shape of a child’s foot
- Flexible grooves on the outsole for a barefoot feel
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet (fits high insteps)
- FlexiRun EVA foam outsole is ultra-lightweight and flexible with durable traction pattern for outdoor wear
- Dual hook-and-loop straps allow for a secure fit and custom adjustability
- Water-friendly and machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s foot size
Boys
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- 100% leather
- Oversized opening for easy on-and-off
- Padded collar for added comfort
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in wide widths
- 100% leather
- Flexible grooves on the outsole for a barefoot feel
- Convenient alternative closure for a snug fit and easy on/off
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Available in wide widths
- 100% leather
- Flexible grooves on the outsole for a barefoot feel
- Double velcro straps for easy on and off
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Water-friendly and machine washable
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than you child’s current foot size
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening and hook and loop closure
- Slip-resistant traction with sensory pod technology to help feel the ground underneath
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet
- Water-friendly and machine washable
- High heel design provides better support and helps with lateral movements
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
What Sandal Size Should You Order?
Please note that most sandals are only available in whole sizes only. In each of the descriptions of the sandals, 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.
These are the features that these sandals provide:
1️⃣ 100% Leather: The sandals are all made out of leather, which helps keep your kids’ feet healthy and comfortable. Leather sandals are softer and more comfortable, and leather helps prevent the sandals from developing a smell. The leather material is always softer and it molds to the shape of your children’s feet, making them feel more comfortable.
2️⃣ Support: This feature helps attenuate the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground, allowing your child to be able to wear these sandals for longer periods of time.
3️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible: These two features help prevent your kid’s feet and legs from easily getting tired.
Are Your Kids’ Sandals Wide Enough? – Let’s Check!
- Do you usually notice imprints on your kids’ feet when you take the sandals off? This is the first sign that the sandals that your child is wearing might be too narrow:
- Are your kids’ toes cramped against the side of the sandals? This is the second sign that the sandals might be too narrow:
Keep in mind that when children don’t feel comfortable in a particular shoe, they will refuse to wear it, so make sure that the shoes that you provide for your child are always the correct size and made from comfortable, high-quality materials.
What are the Best Sneakers for Kids with Wide Feet?
I created a different resource that describes the best everyday sneakers for kids with wide feet:
What are the Best Shoes for Kids with Wide Feet?
Are Any Other Sandal Choices Available?
Do not hesitate to contact me directly via e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of sandals for your child. My e-mail address is:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Are you having a hard time finding a pair of wide sandals for yourself? I actually created an article where I describe the best wide sandals for women that also provide excellent support. Go to the link below:
Wide Women Sandals with Arch Support – Supportive, Lightweight, Flexible, and Affordable!
Is there a particular shoe brand or sandal style that has worked well for your kids with wide feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
I am a 55 year old woman just diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. I often have to buy kids shoes that don’t look grown up enough. Help! I am a size 4 semi-wide (not narrow for sure, but not extra wide). I was buying shows from Naturalizer but they have gotten more expensive and their size 4 shows have gotten more narrow. And did I say that they are expensive! Any suggestions would be helpful. Even the shoes the ortho told me to try like Teva or Hoka don’t come in size 4. I have lived with small feet my whole life; it’s not fun as most shoes start at size 5 for women’s grown-up looking shoes. P.S. I have tried New Balance in the past and they did not work for me. It’s been many years ago now so I don’t remember why they didn’t work. Nike seem to feel the best (in kids) but they don’t have lots of support. Sorry to rant but you seem to be the only person that gets how difficult it is having kids’ sized shoes, being an adult, and having plantar fasciitis (left foot). Lastly, I also have a very high arch.
Hello Kathy,
Finding shoes for narrow feet can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience if you don’t know what shoe styles to look for, especially when you are in those particular hard sizes.
A woman’s shoe size 4 translates to a kids’ shoe size 2 1/2.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like you need a pair of supportive shoes that come with a firm heel counter (for your plantar fasciitis), and the shoes need to be deep as well (to accommodate your high arch).
I know you said that New Balance shoes didn’t work for you, but there are hundreds different styles among that brand and they all fit different. I mention this because there is a particular shoe style made by New Balance (the 990 series), that fit extremely well.
I don’t know how much you are looking to spend but here is how the style looks like, and you might find a previous version for a cheaper price:
New Balance Deep and Supportive Shoe: Option 1
New Balance Deep and Supportive Shoe: Option 2
If you have tried these styles before and they haven’t worked, please get back at me and I can recommend some Asics shoe styles that might work.
I hope this helps!
Hello again,
I forgot to mention one thing. Have you ever tried inserting a tongue pad inside the shoes? They are extremely effective in snugging up the whole shoe and filling any remaining gap around the ankles. A tongue pad is an adhesive backed pad that goes in the tongue of the shoe and pushes your heels against the back of the shoe securing and protecting them. You can learn more about tongue pads here:
Leather Shoe Tongue Pads – Stop Heel Slippage
Thank you for your article. My daughter is 14 and wears a size 3-4 in kids. Her foots is very wide and her toes are short. She would like to wears wedges or heels of some kind, but we can’t find any shoes that fit her foot that aren’t little girl shoes.
Hello Shawna,
I understand your frustration. It’s hard for me to tell what might work without looking at her feet, so please feel free to email me pictures of her feet to get a better idea of how wide her feet are. In the meantime you can start trying a couple of styles that I have fitted before for girls with wide feet.
Wide Sandal: Option 1
Wide Sandal: Option 2
I hope this helps!
Shawna,
Keep in mind that you can always get her a pair of sandals in women’s sizes (she will translate to a woman’s shoe size 5). Let me know if you will be interested in doing that, I can send you more options.