Extra Wide Shoes for Kids – The Best Everyday Shoes for Your Child with Extra Wide Feet!

Are you having a hard time finding a pair of shoes for your child with extra wide feet? Do you notice red marks or indentations on the top of your child’s feet every time you take the shoes off? Finding a pair of shoes for a child with extra wide feet can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience, especially if you don’t know what shoe styles to look for. In addition, if your child happens to have a high instep as well then it makes the process of finding shoes a lot more complicated. Let me show you a list of the best extra wide shoes for kids based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

If you are in a rush, you can go directly to the selection of extra wide shoes for kids.

Most Frequent Mistakes and Misconceptions

The most common mistake that I see parents make is to assume that once they find a shoe that is labeled as extra wide that shoe will automatically fit the shape of the child’s extra wide feet. Another common mistake that I see parents make is to end up buying larger shoes for their children to take away the pressure from the widest part of their feet. I strongly suggest that you stop doing this, as you will end up compromising your child’s stability.

Let me show you a couple of pictures of kids with extra wide feet that I helped find the perfect pair of shoes for their feet:

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Extra Wide Feet?

In addition to being labeled as extra wide, there are other 2 additional key features that the shoes I recommend provide.

1️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature allows the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes and prevents the top part of the feet (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. Let me show you a pair of shoes that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t:

2️⃣ Rounder Toe-Box: This feature prevents the child’s toes from overlapping or rubbing against one another or the side of the shoes. The shoes below are the same length and width, but have very different toe-boxes. Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides a rounder toe-box versus one that doesn’t:

You must stay away from shoes that come with pointer toe-boxes, or you will end up cramping your kids’ toes inside the shoes. Parents are often confused as to how they are supposed to find shoes that provide those 2 features as shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep” or with a “rounder toe-box”.

Be Careful About Fitting Your Child in Shoes that Are Too Narrow

If you provide your child with shoes that are too narrow, your child might end up creating all sorts of foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns, the last ones being really hard to get rid of. Shoes that are too narrow will lead to foot and leg pain as well.

I have helped parents find shoes for their children with extra wide feet that they didn’t even know existed such as sport shoes, summer sandals, winter boots, dress shoes, or any other type of shoe style that you might think of.

I will show you a selection of the best extra wide shoes for kids shortly, but first I want to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size.

Are You Convinced of Your Child’s Foot Size?

If you don’t know your child’s exact foot size you won’t know what shoe size to order online.

I always recommend parents take their children 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. There is nothing wrong with this, but you must know your child’s exact foot size to know what size to order.

I created a resource that showcases the best-fitting children’s shoe stores by state.

Guidance on Finding Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to identify a shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article I created that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home.

I only review shoes 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 extra wide shoes for kids. 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.

The Best Extra Wide Shoes for Kids 

All of the shoes below come labeled as extra wide (XW), so please choose the shoe width accordingly.

The shoes are also capable of fitting children with high insteps. The instep is the top part of the feet and when it’s high, it makes it a lot more complicated to find shoes that fit. When children have high insteps, there is a lot of extra foot volume to be fitted inside the shoes. Let me show you a picture of a child with a high instep:

Extra Wide Shoes for Kids – The 5 Most Important Features!

1️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This part of the shoe supports and cushions your kids’ feet, minimizing the impact that their feet and legs receive every time they become in contact with the ground. A shoe that comes with a supportive outsole helps prevent your child’s feet from collapsing (in case they have flat feet) and will allow your child to walk and run straighter.

Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides a substantial outsole versus one that doesn’t:

2️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: This part of the shoe cushions and protects your kids’ ankles and provides lateral stability and ankle support. You should always press on the heel counter of the shoe before buying it to make sure it feels firm:

3️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This is really important especially if your child has extra wide feet, sit helps prevent your kids’ toes from overlapping and rubbing against each other or the side of the shoes.

4️⃣ Extra Depth: The deeper the shoes are, the better. This feature allows your child’s feet to sit comfortably inside the shoes and prevent the top part of the foot from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature is really important as it helps children who have high insteps.

5️⃣ Good Traction: This feature helps prevent your child from slipping and falling especially when walking on wet surfaces.

I provided you with a selection of the widest shoes that I have fitted before. There are no other shoes that are wider than the ones I recommend, so if the shoes are still too narrow for your kids’ feet you should consider using a shoe stretcher.

Additional Resources for Children with Extra Wide Feet

There are other related articles that I have created for children who have extra wide fee on options for sandals, boots and dress shoes.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a particular shoe style for your child’s extra wide feet, I have likely fitted it before and I will help you find it. My email address is: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Have you found a particular shoe style that has worked well for your child’s extra wide feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.