High Top Shoes for Babies with Foot Issues – Supportive, Lightweight, and Flexible!
Do you have a baby with a foot condition that requires him/her to wear supportive shoes? Is your baby having stability issues and falling? If your medical professional recommends that your baby wears a pair of high top shoes but didn’t specify which specific models to get, I will show you a list of the best high top shoes for babies with foot issues.
I am here to help those parents whose babies or toddlers continue falling after learning how to walk or are flat-footed and need shoes with more support and structure.
Is Your Baby Having Trouble Balancing?
When babies are learning how to walk it is normal for them to fall occasionally. However, you want to look into other reasons why your baby or toddler might keep falling. The first step is to check the shoes that they are wearing. Shoes that are too small or too long can compromise your baby’s stability and can create foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.
Did you know that if your babies have a foot condition or are having trouble balancing and learning how to walk certain shoes can help improve their balance? I am not talking about orthopedic shoes. There are specific everyday sneakers that help babies walk and run straighter.
There is a specific high-top shoe for babies and toddlers that have proven to be the most effective one when it comes to treating, preventing, and helping kids balance. This shoe has proven to help babies with the following conditions:
➡️ Low Muscle Tone
➡️ Flat Feet
➡️ Rolled Ankles
➡️ Knock Knees
This style is also the most recommended one by pediatricians and physical therapists for babies who have foot problems.
Does Your Baby Have a Specific Foot Condition?
Certain babies are born with flat feet and this condition is believed to be hereditary. Please keep in mind that if you don’t notice an arch on your baby’s feet this doesn’t mean that your baby is automatically flat-footed. There is usually a fat pad below it which might prevent you from seeing it.
A baby or toddler who is flat-footed walks and runs differently, and you may notice the feet and legs turning inwards or outwards with every step. The main issue with toddlers being flat-footed is that it can lead to foot and leg pain since they are putting pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to. Also, flat-footed children don’t have the arches to provide shock absorption every time their feet impact the ground.
I will show you which is the best shoe style for babies who have stability issues, flat feet, and have trouble keeping their feet and legs straight when they walk. I have fitted and tested this shoe style on hundreds of babies and toddlers, and the difference it makes in the way they walk is amazing. You will notice an improvement in the way they walk and run immediately.
The 5 Most Important Features this High Top Shoe Provides!
Why is this shoe style the most recommended not just by me but by most pediatricians and physical therapists as well? This shoe style provides several features that most babies and toddler shoes do not.
In addition to helping your babies and toddlers feel more secure and stable when they walk, the firm heel counter of the shoe allows for better lateral movement support and the structure of the shoe prevents your babies’ and toddlers’ feet from collapsing and turning inwards or outwards. Let’s take a look at the features this shoe provides to your babies or toddler’s feet:
1️⃣ Ankle support for better lateral movement:
2️⃣ Sensory pods in the sole to allow your baby to feel the ground:
3️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible
4️⃣ Substantial outsole that provides more support and prevents babies’ and toddler’s feet from turning inwards or outwards:
5️⃣ Available in medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) widths.
If your baby or toddler has extra wide feet and you always have problems finding shoes that are wide enough, I can guarantee that this shoe will fit the shape of their feet perfectly. This is truly one of the best fittings shoes for babies and toddlers.
Helping Babies and Toddlers Balance – Shoes Play a Key Role!
Parents are always anxious about their babies’ first steps. Please remember that is always best to leave your babies barefoot around the house when they are learning how to walk. This will allow for healthy foot development. However, shoes come into play when you take your babies to the playground or the shopping mall, since we want their feet to be protected. When a baby is learning how to walk, shoes serve as a means of warmth and protection.
I am always emphasizing to parents that it doesn’t matter how many features a particular shoe style provides, if the shoes are not fitted properly which involves getting the correct shoe length and the correct shoe width, your baby won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.
I always recommend parents take their babies and toddlers to their local children’s shoe store that they trust, the issue is that most 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.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
I created a resource that showcases the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state.
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.
In that article I help parents determine their toddler’s exact foot size and whether the toddler has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your toddler has a high instep or not.
I know what works for babies and toddlers from my experience of actually testing and fitting the shoes and observing how the child reacts to them.
This shoe style it’s great for babies or toddlers who have stability issues, flat feet, knock-knees, low muscle tone, or rolled ankles. This classic high top will improve your babies’ stability by helping them walk straighter.
Now that you know what features this shoe style will provide and how to figure out your babies’ foot size from home, you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best high-top shoes for babies with foot issues.
I only write reviews of 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. 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. This allows us to create free content and resources for many families around the world.
The Best High Top Shoes for Babies with Foot Issues
If your baby’s walking gait doesn’t improve after wearing this shoe, then you might have to consider providing your baby with a pair of orthotics. Below you can find the best high-top shoes for babies with foot issues. These high-top shoes can fit babies with medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW).
- Shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Now you can treat and prevent your baby’s and toddler’s foot conditions and help them balance at the same time. The fact that they come in wide and extra wide widths it’s really important since most babies and toddlers have wide feet. The extra wide width will even fit your baby and toddler with a high instep.
Before you leave I wanted to tell you that socks play a key role in keeping your babies’ feet healthy.
I have found seamless socks to be the most effective ones when it comes to keeping your baby’s feet healthy, but it’s not only important for socks to be seamless, they need to be the correct size as well. A pair of socks that is too short will constrict toe movement and make your baby’s toes overlap and rub against each other. On the other hand, a pair of socks that is too long will bunch up below your baby’s feet and make your baby uncomfortable.
I describe the best baby socks and how to order them in the correct size in another article I wrote.
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:
Have you tried this shoe style for your baby before? Have you found another shoe style that has worked better for your baby’s feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from them.
Hell Juan Pablo,
First, let me thank you for making a site dedicated to shoes for children.I ordered two pairs of the white high top shoe for both my daughters and their stability has improved significantly. Thank you again for the much needed and valuable information! I will be coming back next time they are ready for new shoes.
I am glad that they worked out! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hello Juan Pablo. Congratulations on a good website. I enjoyed it and the page that I am commenting on is filled with good things. I mean, there can not be a stone that you have not turned over.
So many ideas are covered here like the fact that toddlers taking there first steps should walk in bare feet for a while to build up strength. Also, you point out that parents are always pushing our kids to walk early and I think part of this is that we parents are kind of embarrassed when the child doesn’t just “take off”. But you point out that it is in the child’s own DNA (my thought) to walk when they want too and not to push them. Good point.
I like the personal stories you shared with Jonas and his family in the mall. That is a cool story and good for you as you must be a friendly person. Also the point of wearing the proper socks and the point about “instep” and the point that kids feet are more apt to get wider faster than longer….who would of thought it.
Duane.
I am glad you enjoyed reading my website and this post in particular. I believe that shoes play a key role in keeping our kids feet and legs healthy, and something so simple such as providing our kids with the correct shoe size and the correct shoe style, will prevent them from getting injuried and developing several foot problems.
And yes, when babies are learning how to walk, barefoot is always best!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Pablo,
Great article, I’ve found it super interesting!
When my children were babies, I’ve let them walk barefoot most of the time as I thought it was the best for their feet. They were wearing shoes only occasionally when we were going in town or somewhere where shoes were a must to be worn.
Today, my daughter has problems with her feet, and the sad thing is that the orthopedic says that there is nothing to any more about it. However, it is imperative to choose the right shoes for our precious little babies:).
My sister gave birth a few months ago, and I will share this great article with her, I am sure she will love it!
Thank you for this excellent post!
Hello Danielle,
When a child is learning how to walk it’s always best to allow them to walk barefoot, and we only put shoes on them when we take them to the shopping mall or the playground. The shoes must be very lightweight and flexible, since the child doesn’t have the strength to bend a shoe with a harder sole.
I do agree that is very important to choose the correct type of shoes to keep our kids feet and legs healthy!
I have a son who is almost 1 years old and a daughter who is 3 years old.Do these shoes come in wide or extra wide widths? I want to get them each a pair but they both have very wide feet and they can’t fit in most shoes. Please advise.
Hello,
Please read the post carefully. It explains how the shoe comes in wide and extra wide widths, and that is one of the many features the shoes has to offer.
I love the way these shoes look! They can be worn for dress up occasions and I like that they provide good support and good lateral stability! My child has stability issues and keeps falling down. I ordered a pair of these shoes for him to see how they work out.
Hello Rubi,
This is one of the best shoes for children with stability issues! Make sure you tie them properly in order for your child to get all the benefits the shoe has to offer. You will notice an immediate change in the way he walks and runs, since your child will feel so much more stable and confident!