How to Tie Shoes for Heel Pain – The Most Effective Way!

Do you have a child who has been experiencing heel pain? Do you feel like you have tried several different shoes but the pain persists and intensifies when your child participates in high-impact activities? Heel pain can be very painful, and might lead children to refuse to participate in activities that they used to enjoy. My co-worker who has over 20 years of shoe fitting experience taught me how to tie shoes for heel pain.

How to Tie Shoes for Heel Pain – Follow These 3 Simple Steps!

1️⃣ Start by lacing your kids’ shoes as you would normally do but leave the first top two holes (eyelets) of the shoes unlaced.

2️⃣ Loop the lace through the top hole first as shown in the image below.

3️⃣ Loop the lace through the hole that we left open and make sure you tie them properly.

I have found this shoe tying method to be the most effective one since it pushes the feet back, secures the heels against the back of the shoes and allows children to get the full support from the shoes.

Take a look at your child’s feet from behind and you will notice how the heels look tighter and more secure.

Is Your Child Already Wearing Supportive Shoes?

This shoe lacing technique will only be effective as long as your child is wearing supportive shoes with firm heel counters. We can simply check this by pressing on the heel counter of the shoes. Always make sure that the heel counter of the shoe feels firm instead of soft. The firmer the heel counter is, the better heel support that it provides. Take a look at the image below to visualize what I mean.

The idea is to tie your kids’ shoes so they are tight enough to cushion and support your child’s heels, without being so tight that they feel uncomfortable.

This technique is also extremely effective for children who wear orthotics or heel cups inside the shoes. The issue with fitting an orthotic or a heel cup inside your kids’ shoes is how it usually raises the feet, giving the child the impression that the feet are coming out of the shoes.

One common concern parents seem to have is how their kids’ shoelaces keep coming untie all the time. I recommend staying away from flat shoelaces, since they tend to become untied pretty quickly.

What Kind of Shoelaces Stay Tied?

There is a particular shoelace that I have found that stays tied better than regular shoelaces.

Some parents have told me how they have tried all different types of shoes, heel cups, and orthotics, and that their kids’ heel pain persists and intensifies with activity. You need to keep in mind that not all shoes, heel cups, and orthotics are made the same way, and some of them are going to be more effective than others when it comes to treating your child’s heel pain.

Helpful Resources for Children with Heel Pain

I have written several resources on the best everyday sneakers, heel cups, and sandals for children with heel pain.

Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes to help treat your child’s heel pain. My e-mail address is: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Have you found a particular shoe style, heel cup, or orthotic that has been effective in treating your child’s heel pain? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.