Are you looking for a pair of supportive hiking boots for your child with flat feet? Does your child usually complain about his/her feet and legs feeling tired?
If your child has flat feet, you need to look for hiking boots that provide good arch support and good cushioning.
When parents try to find a supportive hiking boot for their children with flat feet they usually find themselves staring at a wall full of shoes that look very similar and very different at the same time.
Kids hiking boots don’t come labeled as “supportive” or with “extra arch support”, so the only way to tell whether they are supportive or not is by having fitted them before.
There is a small selection of hiking boots that provide good arch support, but the good news is that I will help you find them.
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now. This experience has afforded me many insights into children’s shoes and the way they fit. Our store specializes in shoes for children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. From my experience fitting thousands of kids, I have become familiar with the best hiking boots for children with flat feet.
The hiking boots that I recommend are also waterproof, which means that you won’t have to worry when your child jumps or passes through a puddle. If the boot doesn’t have a label that reads waterproof, then it’s because it isn’t.
These hiking boots also come with a supportive and substantial sole that will help treat your child’s overpronation. This is one of the main reasons why these boots are extremely effective in treating children with flat feet. The boots come with added support right below the arch and it extends all the way through the heel, which helps absorb shock in the heel area as well. In addition to providing good support, the boots provide excellent traction.
What Makes the Boots I Recommend So Effective for Kids with Flat Feet?
When children are flat footed, their feet tend to collapse and turn inwards, which usually throws their bodies out of alignment and affect their posture. If you provide your child with the correct pair of hiking boots, you will prevent your child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards. Let me prove this to you.
Let’s take a look at a picture of a flat footed child. Do you notice how the feet collapse and turn inwards when standing barefoot?
Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child wearing a pair of the hiking boots that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are not collapsing and turning inwards anymore? The arch support of the boots is preventing the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards.
This proves that something so simple just as providing your child with the correct pair of shoes can make a huge improvement on your child’s overall posture.
Please keep in mind that how effective the hiking boots are in treating your child’s flat feet depends on the degree of your child’s pronation.
In certain cases, where a child has strong pronation, you might have to provide that child with an orthotic in addition to a good supportive boot.
I am going to provide you with a selection of the best hiking boots for kids with flat feet shortly, but first let’s make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size. I also want to show the 3 most important features that the hiking boots I recommend provide.
Hiking Boots for Flat Feet – The 3 Most Important Features!
These are the 3 most important features that the hiking boots I recommend provide:
✅ Substantial/Supportive Sole: Like I mentioned before, this is one of the most important features that your kids hiking boots must provide if your child has flat feet. Let’s take a look at an example of a hiking boot that comes with a substantial sole and arch support:
✅ Firm Heel Counter: This is the back part of the boots that provides good ankle and heel support. Take a look at the image below to visualize where the heel counter of the boot is located:
It’s also important for the boots to be well padded right below the heel area, that way they minimize the impact that your kids’ heels take when they come in contact with the ground.
✅ Lightweight and Flexible: While the boots need to be supportive, they need to be lightweight and flexible at the same time. This will prevent your child’s feet and legs from easily getting tired. Your kids hiking boots need to bend at the ball of the foot but no further:
The hiking boots that I recommend also provide great traction, are durable, and waterproof.
Now that you know what features the hiking boots I recommend provide you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best hiking boots for kids with flat feet.
The hiking boots that I recommend are the ones I have fitted before, since that is the only way for me to tell how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit.
Best Hiking Boots for Kids with Flat Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Below you can find a selection of the best hiking boots for kids with flat feet. These hiking boots are capable of fitting the shape of children with medium or wide feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Toddler/Little Kid M
Little Kid M,W,XWLittle/Big Kid M,W,XWLittle/Big Kid M,W,XWLittle/Big Kid M,W,XWToddler/Little Kid M
In order to allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these hiking boots a half a size larger than the size their children’s feet measure. This translates to 0.3 inches or 0.7 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the boots.
If your child happens to have narrow feet, please contact me directly and I will send you specific boot recommendations: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
It’s important that you lace the shoelaces of your kids’ hiking boots properly, since that will provide your child with better support and stability. One common issue that kids complain when wearing hiking boots is how their heels tend to slip off.
There is a particular shoe tying technique method that I use that works really well especially for children with narrow heels. I also use this method when children wear orthotics inside their shoes, since it helps keeping the orthotics in place and prevents the heel from slipping off the shoes.
Let me show you how this shoe tying technique works.
✅ Start by lacing up your kids’ hiking boots as you would normally do but leave the first top two holes (eyelets) of the shoes unlaced.
✅ Loop the lace through the top hole first as shown in the image below.
✅ Loop the lace through the hole that we left open and make sure you tie them properly.
This method will push your kids’ feet back, securing the heels against the back of the boots, which will fill up any remaining gap and prevent your child’s heel from slipping off the boots.
In order to get the full benefits that the hiking boots have to offer, you need to provide your child with the correct boot size, which involves getting the correct shoe length and the correct shoe width.
Are You 100% Sure of Your Child’s Foot Size? – Let’s Find Out!
Hiking boots that are too short or too narrow can make your kids’ toes rub against one another or the front or side of the shoes. On the other hand, hiking boots that are too long or too wide allow for too much foot movement inside the boots, and that constant rubbing and friction between your kids’ feet and the boots can lead to blisters, calluses, and corns.
I always recommend parents to take their children to be properly fitted for shoes at their local shoe store, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their feet and find shoes accordingly. However, most specialized children’s shoe stores have been closing down, and parents need to either buy their kids’ shoes online or have them fitted at big retailers.
Start by taking a look at a map thatI created that showcases the best children’s shoe store by state. Go to the link below:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores In The United States – Where To Go For Proper Fittings
If after looking at that map you still can’t seem to find a shoe store in your area, then take a look at an article I created where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s exact 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
Hiking socks play a key role in keeping your child’s feet healthy and comfortable. While I can’t get into too much detail about the best hiking socks for kids, you should take a look at another article where I describe them in detail. Go to the link below:
The Best Hiking Socks for Kids – Breathable and with Extra Cushion in Targeted Areas of the Feet!
If you happen to need any other type of shoes with arch support such as sneakers, sandals, or dress shoes, please do not hesitate to contact and I will help you find them.
If you have found a particular hiking boot that has worked well for your flat footed child, please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
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