How to Help Children Get their Shoes on the Correct Feet – Free Hack!

Does your child require assistance putting the shoes on the right foot? Are you trying to allow your child to be more independent but you are worried that the shoes will end up on the wrong foot? You would think that children can tell when they are walking around in shoes that are on the wrong foot, but sadly this is not the case. Let me show you a free hack that will help your child get the shoes on the correct foot every time!

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

I have helped many families find the perfect pair of shoes for their children as I have worked for a children’s shoe store for over a decade. You won’t believe how many times children who visited the shoe store were wearing their shoes on the wrong foot.

I remember this particular family because the grandmother told me how even though there is a 50/50 chance of children putting their shoes on correctly, they always seem to put them on the wrong feet.

This might sound like a minor thing to some families but shoes on the wrong foot can compromise your child’s stability and make your child more prone to falling.

It’s important to note that children develop at their own pace and some may become independent with this skill earlier or later than other children.

Your child will eventually learn how to put his or her shoes on the correct foot, but if you need an immediate solution there is a hack you can try that has helped many children, and I believe it will help your child as well!

Should You Buy those Left and Right Stickers that Go Inside the Shoes?

This hack worked well for several families (we sell the stickers at the store), but oftentimes, the stickers don’t properly stick inside the shoes, fade, or the child removes them from the shoes.

The reason why some families had good luck with the stickers and some others didn’t is that how well the stickers adhere to the inside of the shoes depends on the insole of each particular shoe style. In addition, the stickers don’t work well with summer shoes such as sandals, Crocs, or flip flops.

How to Help Children Get their Shoes on the Correct Feet – Try this Free Hack!

Instead of buying those stickers, I suggest using a sharpie to write a smiley face or arrows on the side of the outsole of the shoe so your child can better visualize when the shoes are on the right feet. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes:

No more issues with shoes on the wrong feet! This is a creative and FREE way to get the correct feet into the correct shoes!

You can also draw arrows on the inside of the shoe pointing towards the other shoe, so when the shoes are next to each other the right way the arrows will be pointing at each other. This is a good idea for summer shoes like sandals, flip, flops, or Crocs where it might be more difficult for a sticker to stick. 

What Can You Do if the Outsole of Your Kids’ Shoes is Black?

In this case, you can try the left and right stickers or use the sharpie to draw inside the shoes. I am going to leave you a link to the stickers in case you decide to try them, as these are the most adhesive and durable ones that I have tried:

This is also a great way to get your child to put shoes on the right feet. By the way, if you happen to have stickers at home all you need to do is cut a sticker in half and place it in each shoe.

The advantage of buying these stickers is that you can write your child’s name on them, which is perfect for children who go to daycares and preschools to keep track of which shoes belong to each child. Your child’s teacher will appreciate it too!

Have you found a specific hack that helped your child get the shoes on the correct foot? Help me make this resource even better by adding your shoe hacks and input on what has worked well and not so well!