High Top Shoes for Kids with Foot Problems – Improve Your Child’s Ankle Stability!

Has your child been diagnosed with a foot condition such as rolled ankles or heel pain and has your medical professional recommended a pair of high top shoes? Are you having a hard time finding a pair of high top shoes for your child? Whether your child is dealing with a foot condition or not, there are specific high top shoes for kids with foot problems that can improve your child’s balance, walking gait, and minimize injury risk.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience!

I have been fitting children’s shoes for the last 10 years, and the shoe store that I work for specializes in helping children with foot conditions. I have helped hundreds of families find the correct pair of shoes for their children with flat feet, rolled ankles, low muscle tone, hypermobility, toe walking, and other conditions as well.

Certain high top shoes provide extra support around the ankles. In addition, the extra lacing helps keep the ankle joint stable.

Many families have reached out asking about which are the best high top shoes for kids with foot problems, so I decided to put this article together to clarify certain points.

Do High Top Shoes Provide Better Support?

High top shoes don’t necessarily provide better support compared to your child’s everyday sneakers. That being said, not all high top shoes are the same.

Some high tops can be really effective in helping treat your child’s foot conditions, while some others provide less support than your regular everyday sneakers.

The correct type of high top shoes can provide a stable base of support and make your child’s ankles feel more stable.

Main Benefits of Providing Your Child with High Top Shoes

The main advantage of providing your child with a pair of high top shoes is to improve your child’s stability. The snug protection of high top shoes can certainly make your child’s ankles feel more stable.

Keep in mind that if your child is dealing with a foot condition it’s always important to properly support the feet without restricting your child’s mobility.

Before I show you a list of the best high top shoes for kids with foot problems we need to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size. If you don’t provide your child with the correct shoe size your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

Are Converse High Top Shoes Recommended for Kids with Foot Problems?

Converse shoes are fashion-oriented shoes that provide no support whatsoever.

I want to clarify that if your child is dealing with a foot condition, Converse high tops won’t provide the correct amount of support to your child’s feet. I wanted to mention this because I have seen a lot of families who ask about high top Converse shoes.

What Makes the High Top Shoes I Recommend Effective for Kids?

The high top shoes I recommend provide a firm heel counter and targeted support right below the heels.

1️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: The firmer the heel counter is, the better ankle support and stability it will provide for your child.

2️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: This feature provides a stable base of support for your child’s feet.

Are You 100% Sure of Your Child’s Exact Foot Size?

Children’s feet come in all different shapes and sizes. Some parents believe that their children have wide feet when in fact they have extra wide feet. Other parents assume that their children’s feet are medium width when in fact they have narrow feet.

Some children might have a high instep which also determines what shoe brands and what shoe styles children can wear.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

Since most specialized children’s shoe stores are closed now —some of them started closing even before the pandemic hit— I decided to help those parents determine their child’s exact foot size from home for free.

If you are unsure of your child’s foot shape and length please follow the instructions in the article below:

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

Now that you know your child’s foot size we can take a look at a list of the best high top shoes for kids with foot problems. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best High Top Shoes for Kids with Foot Problems

Take a look at the description below each shoe to check what foot shape that specific shoe is capable of accommodating —narrow (N), medium (M), wide (W), extra wide (XW).

If you are planning on fitting an orthotic inside any of these high top shoes I strongly recommend that you remove the original insoles of the shoes before placing your child’s orthotics.

Toddlers (Fits Shoe Size 3 through Shoe Size 7)

Little Kids (Fits Shoe Size 10 1/2 through 7)

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should 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 child’s current foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having a hard time finding a different pair of shoes to help treat your child’s foot condition:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com