How to Lace Shoes for Wide Feet – Relieve the Pressure from the Shoes!

Do you have a child with wide or extra wide feet? Do you want to know which is the most effective, yet simple way to lace your kids’ shoes to relieve pressure from the widest part of their feet? Different shoe lacing techniques will help with shoe fit problems, and the way you tie your kids’ shoes has a direct impact on keeping their feet and legs healthy. Let me show you how to lace shoes for wide feet.

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

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years now, and we are one of the best children’s shoe stores in the country that specializes in fitting children with special foot needs, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best shoe tying techniques for kids.

Children who wear orthotics, are involved in competitive sports, or have wide or narrow feet, can extremely benefit from lacing their shoes a particular way to fit their unique foot shape.

I have learned several different shoe lacing techniques, ranging from teaching a child the simplest way to tie shoes to how to tie shoes for kids who wear orthotics. If you have a child with wide feet that is wearing a pair of shoes with shoelaces, then let’s take a look at how to lace the shoes to relieve the pressure around the widest part of the feet.

How to Lace Shoes for Wide Feet – The Most Effective Way!

1️⃣ First Step

Start by lacing each end of the lace over one of the eyelets closest to your child’s toes and skip the second eyelet (shoe hole) as shown in the image below. The green arrows are pointing at where the widest part of the child’s feet is, so by using this shoe lacing technique we are taking that pressure away from your child’s small toe. 

2️⃣ Second Step:

Enter each end over the next eyelet down and zig-zag the laces as normal to finish tying the shoe.

You are all set up! Your child will notice a difference right away and you should try this shoe lacing technique on your shoes just to see what a difference it makes.

What a Difference This Shoe Lacing Technique Makes!

Let me show you how the foot of a child with wide feet looks when we lace the shoelaces the traditional way. Do you notice how there is a small bump on the side of the shoes? That is the small toe (pinky toe) being pressed against the side of the shoes by the other toes:

When we apply my shoe lacing technique there is no visible bump on the side of the shoes:

We skipped lacing the widest area of the shoe that way we can take the pressure away from your child’s small toe (pinky toe) and avoid blisters and corns.

Now that you know how to tie shoes for children with wide or extra wide feet, you can keep your child’s feet healthy.

There is a particular type of shoelace that tends to stay tied better than the regular ones. You won’t have to worry about having to re-tie your kids’ shoelaces all the time or worry about the shoelaces becoming untied.

What are Good Shoelaces for Kids?

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

What Shoelace Size Should You Order?

Count how many eyelets (shoe holes) your child’s shoes have and order the laces based on that number:

Most parents are not aware that shoes are available in wide and extra wide widths. Is your child wearing shoes that are wide enough? I have fitted some of the best shoe styles for children with wide or extra wide feet – these shoes are supportive, provide extra depth, and come with the rounders toe-boxes.

What Are the Best Sneakers for Kids with Wide Feet?

If you want to learn about the best shoe styles for children with wide or extra wide feet you can do so in an article I wrote called:

Extra Wide Shoes for Kids – The Best Everyday Shoes for Your Child with Extra Wide Feet!

I am always emphasizing to parents the importance of providing their children with the correct shoe style and size, as shoes play a key role in keeping their kids’ feet and legs healthy. However, to get the full benefits that the shoes have to offer, you must tie them properly.

Have you tried this shoe lacing technique before? Are you familiar with another good lacing technique for children with wide feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.