Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on March 2022 and reflects up-to-date information on how to fit heel cups.
Has your child been complaining about heel pain? Have you taken your child to your physical or occupational therapist and has been diagnosed with Sever’s disease or plantar fasciitis? After you have identified which heel cup is best for your child’s feet, the next step is to make sure they fit perfectly inside your kids’ shoes. If the heel cups don’t fit correctly inside your kids’ shoes, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the heel cups have to offer.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store evaluating children with foot issues and helping them find the right pair of shoes, heel cups, and orthotics for over 10 years. Moreover, heel pain in children happens more often than you imagine, and this is mostly because they are wearing the wrong pair of shoes, but sometimes it’s due to having a foot condition such as flat feet, rolled ankles, or low muscle tone.
Follow my simple 2 step method to make sure that your kids’ heel cups are fitting correctly inside the shoes.
How to Fit Heel Cups – 2 Simple Steps!
☑️ First Step: Make Sure you Have the Correct Type of Shoes
Heel cups are not able to fit in any type of shoes. The shoes need to provide extra depth to allow the heel cups to fit deeply inside the shoes. If the heel cups don’t fit deeply inside the shoes, your kids will get the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoes.
Let me show you the difference when a heel cup is fitted in a pair of shoes that provide extra depth versus a pair that doesn’t. Do you notice how the heel cup on the left shoe is fitting a lot deeper compared to the shoe on the right?
Let’s take a look at an image from a different angle:
I always recommend parents to provide their children with a pair of shoes that come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure. The main reason for this is that shoes that come with shoelaces provide better support and stability. A pair of shoes with shoelaces also helps push the child’s heels back and secure them against the back of the shoes.
☑️ Second Step: Apply my Special Shoe Lacing Technique
There is a particular shoe lacing technique that I use for children who wear heel cups or orthotics inside their shoes. This technique is extremely effective as it pushes the kids’ heels back supporting them and securing them against the back of the shoes.
✅ Start by leaving the two top eyelets (small holes of the shoe) of each side of the shoes open – take a look at the image below for clarification.
✅ Grab the shoelaces and go through the top hole first as shown in the image below.
✅ The last step is to go through the holes you left open.
If you follow these 2 steps, your child will get the full benefits that the heel cups have to offer and you will notice how the pain will be greatly reduced or eliminated.
I have had the opportunity to help several children that were dealing with heel pain to minimize and in most cases, fully eliminate the pain that they were experiencing by fitting them in a pair of heel cups and good supportive shoes. It’s important to understand that the heel cups and the shoes work together in reducing or eliminating your child’s heel pain.
Supportive and Deep Shoes for Fitting Your Child’s Heel Cups
Below you can find a selection of the deepest and most supportive shoes that have proven to be the most effective ones for children who need to wear heel cups. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Toddler Shoe Sizes (0 to 10)
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- 100% leather made
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Constructed with a breathable textile lining and an OrthoLite® comfort foam insoles provide moisture transport, antimicrobial function, and long-term cushioning
- Water-friendly
- Double hook-and-loop closure for easy on and off
- Order this boot half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Removable insoles
- Extra deep
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Double velcro straps
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Adjustable double hook and loop closure
- Built-in multi-dimensional orthotic support
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Double velcro straps
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Extra depth and width for orthotics
- Rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Little and Big Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Removable insoles
- Extra deep
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Durable leather upper
- Stability Web outsole technology provides added arch support
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Supportive outsoles and firm heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- NDurance rubber outsole technology provides superior durability in high-wear areas to help get more out of the shoes
- Lace-Up closure
- Non-marking outsole
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Triple velcro straps
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Triple velcro straps
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, and wide feet
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Breathable mesh and synthetic upper
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning in the heel
- EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability
- Reinforced toe cap for durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- Leather and suede upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium feet
- The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
In each of the descriptions of the shoes 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.
You don’t need to remove the original insoles of your kids’ shoes when placing the heel cups, just place the heel cup on top of the shoe insoles.
Do You Have the Correct Type of Heel Cups? – Let’s Find Out
I have found a particular heel cup that offers superior shock absorption – minimizes the impact that the feet take when they come in contact with the ground and prevents foot fatigue – it prevents your kids’ feet and legs from easily getting tired by returning energy.
This is the most advanced shock-absorbing heel cup available today. I have fitted this heel cup before and I have seen the positive outcome that it has if fitted with the correct type of shoes.
The Best Heel Cup to Treat and Prevent Heel Pain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tuli’s Heel Cups are the #1 Podiatrist recommended Heel Cups in the world!
- Ideal to treat and prevent general heel pain, plantar fasciitis, Sever’s disease, excessive pronation, Achilles tendonitis
- Innovative multi-cell, multi-layer waffle pattern design, helps to absorb impact pressure (shock) and return impact energy back to the feet
- The extra cushion this heel cup includes reduces and prevents sore heels and shin splints
- Allow your child to become familiar with the feel of the heel cups
- Allow your child to become familiar with the feel of the heel cups
What Heel Cup Size Should You Order?
Small Size – Fits from a little kid shoe size 10.5 to a big kid shoe size 6.
Regular Size – Fits big kid shoe size 6 and above.
The 3 most important benefits of wearing a heel cup are:
✅ Preventing long-term foot problems.
✅ Accommodating every contour and feature of the children’s foot.
✅ Providing better balance and proper support.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of this heel cup take a look at the article below:
Heel Cups for Kids – How to Stop Heel Pain
Heel Cups for Sport Shoes – Reduce the Impact on Your Kids’ Feet!
When children get involved in a particular sport such as soccer, football, baseball, or basketball, they are stressing their feet and legs at a whole different level.
I have helped several children that were experiencing heel pain after their soccer games or even during soccer practice, by fitting them in the correct type of heel cups. If you have a child that is playing sports and experiencing heel pain, the heel cup I showed you will significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s heel pain.
If after trying the heel cups I recommend with a pair of good supportive shoes your child still complains of heel pain, then your child might need to be fitted for an orthotic. If this is the case with your child, please refer to the article below:
The Best Orthotics for Kids – The Solution to Your Kids’ Foot and Leg Pain!
Never ignore your child’s heel pain, is not normal and there are various ways of reducing or fully eliminating the pain.
If you have any doubts about how to fit heel cups inside your kids’ shoes do not hesitate to contact me:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Children between the ages of 4 and 8 are at most risk of developing Sever’s disease, which is an inflammatory condition of your kids’ growth plate in the heel bone, and it happens because children tend to put a lot of stress and pressure on the growth plate.
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