How to Lace Shoes for Kids with High Instep – Relieve Mid-Foot Pressure!

Do you have a child with a high instep and you always have a hard time finding shoes that fit? Does your child always complain that the shoes feel too tight around the mid and top part of the foot? If your child is wearing shoes with shoelaces there is a specific shoe lacing technique that relieves pressure from the instep area. Let me show you how to lace shoes for kids with high instep.

I learned this shoe lacing technique from a coworker who has over 20 years of shoe fitting experience. Before I show you the best way to lace shoes for kids with high instep I want to make sure that your child is wearing the correct type of deep shoes. Your kids’ shoes must provide extra depth to allow extra room for the high instep.

The shoes I recommend in that article provide extra depth, meaning that they allow the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, preventing the top part of the foot (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. Now that we are sure your child is wearing the correct type of shoes let’s take a look at the most effective way to lace shoes for kids with high instep.

How to Lace Shoes for Kids with High Instep – Follow These 3 Simple Steps!

The main goal of this shoe lacing technique is to open up the middle and top part of the shoe to prevent the laces from putting extra pressure around your child’s instep.

1️⃣ Start by lacing the shoes normally with a crisscross:

2️⃣ Keeping each lace on the same side of the shoe, skip an eyelet and weave into the eyelet above it:

3️⃣ Continue to lace the top portion in a crisscross until you reach the last eyelets (shoe holes) of the shoes:

Your child will notice a difference right away! If you happen to have a high instep as well I suggest that you apply this shoe lacing technique in your own shoes to see what a difference it makes.

Additional Tip – How to Prevent the Tongue of the Shoe from Sliding

I also wanted to point out that to prevent the tongue of the shoe from sliding, there is a simple trick that will keep it from moving. Lots of kids’ shoes have a loop on the tongue that can really help with this problem. Just make are that you go through the loop on the tongue of the shoe to prevent the tongue from sliding:

We are making the shoe tighter at the top and bottom part of the shoe, but we are leaving the shoe looser right in the middle area, where your child’s instep is. Keep in mind that we need the laces to be somewhat tight to provide your child with support and stability.

Getting the Correct Shoelaces for Your Child’s Shoes

This type of shoelace is durable and comes with “bumps” that help the shoelaces stay tied better. Below you can find the best shoelaces for kids:

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

On a different note, if you are unsure whether your child has a high instep and you want to find out your child’s exact foot shape —narrow, medium, wide, extra wide— you should take advantage of a virtual fitting service I created.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a different type of shoe to accommodate the shape of your child’s high instep:

[email protected] 

Have you tried this shoe lacing technique before? Is there a different shoe lacing technique that has worked well for your child’s high instep? Let us know in the comment section below so other families can benefit from your experiences.