Insoles for Flat Feet – Say Goodbye to Foot Pain

Do you have a child that is complaining about foot or leg pain? Have you taken your child to your pediatrician or physical/occupational therapist and were told that your child is flat-footed and needs a pair of insoles to be fitted inside the shoes for extra support? An insole is a shoe insert that is specifically designed to provide cushioning, support, and stability, and to relieve pressure areas of the foot. Let’s take a look at the best insoles for flat feet.

How Do I Know Which Insoles Work Best for Children with Flat Feet?

I work at a children’s shoe store in the United States where we fit children’s shoes and orthotics. The staff is trained and qualified to fit shoes and orthotics to children who have foot issues, and while I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for over 10 years now, some of my co-workers have been in the shoe business for over 25 years.

I have fitted hundreds of children with flat feet at the children’s shoe store where I work. I learned that something so simple such as providing your children with the correct pair of shoes and insoles will have a tremendous impact in preventing their feet from collapsing and improving their overall posture.

I always recommend parents be proactive and don’t take the wait-and-see approach when it comes to treating their kids’ foot conditions, especially if they want to avoid future foot, leg, and back problems.

Does Your Child Have Flat Feet and Overpronation?

When children have flat feet and overpronation, they tend to put pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to, which usually leads to foot and leg pain.

Children with severe cases of pronation might show visible signs of their feet turning inwards and their shoes caving in, and might complain that their feet and legs hurt. The good news is that there is a particular type of insole that has proven to be extremely effective when it comes to significantly reducing or fully eliminating your kids’ foot and leg pain. Let me prove it to you!

Before Image: Child with Flat Feet Standing Barefoot

Let’s take a look at the image below. Does it look familiar? Do you notice how the feet of the child are collapsing and turning inwards? This is due to the child being flat-footed.

After Image: Unsupportive Insoles

If we have that child stand on a pair of unsupportive insoles you will not see an improvement in the way the child walks, and the pain will persist. Notice how in the image below the child’s feet are still collapsing and turning inwards:

After Image: Supportive Insoles

The picture below shows the same child standing on a pair of supportive insoles. Do you notice how the child’s feet look a lot straighter?

What is the Cause of Flat Feet?

The issue of flat feet is believed to be hereditary or genetics. Physical therapists and pediatricians refer children who have flat feet and are experiencing leg or foot pain to the store I work for on a daily basis. We are one of the few children’s shoe stores in the country that carries specialized insoles for children that might have the following conditions:

• Overpronation
• Flat Feet
• Knock Knees
• Rolled Ankles
• Hammer Toes
• Low Muscle Tone

I will describe the proven method to reduce or fully eliminate your kids’ foot and leg pain if your child is flat-footed, and what steps to take to make sure the pain doesn’t come back.

While we fit all sorts of different insoles for children depending on the issue they might be experiencing. A child that has flat feet will require a different type of orthotic than a child that has knock knees, or rolled ankles. There is one insole that works in most shoes, and it has proven to reduce, and in most cases eliminate the pain your child might be experiencing.

What Shoe Company Manufacturers the Best Insoles for Flat Feet?

Have you heard of the company Superfeet before? These insoles have proven to be one of the most effective ones for children that are flat-footed and are experiencing foot or leg pain. If fitted in the correct type of shoes, these insoles will significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s arch and ankle pain.

There are different types of Superfeet insoles (they are differentiated by colors), and some of them will cater to your child’s needs better than others. I will make things simple for you and show you which are the most effective ones.

Please keep in mind that these insoles will fit children that wear shoe sizes that range from a shoe size 11.5 to shoe size 7.

Important update: If you have a toddler who is flat-footed and is experiencing foot or leg pain and wears a shoe size smaller than 11.5, please refer to a different article I wrote where I describe the best orthotics for toddlers.

I will show you a selection of the best insoles for flat feet shortly, but first I want to dig deeper into what features these insoles will provide to your child’s feet and how they will reduce or completely eliminate the pain.

Does your Child Need a Pair of Superfeet Insoles? – Let’s Find Out!

Did you know that the average child takes approximately 20,000 steps a day?

Children’s feet are subjected to enormous traumatic stress since they usually engage in activities that call for different forms of physical activity that impose torsions, shock impact, sudden-stop action on the foot.

Children who are involved in sports are stressing their feet and legs at a whole different level since they are running faster and engaging in more strenuous activities. I have had several cases of children having knee pain and leg pain after playing soccer. However, these issues tend to diminish or fully disappear when using Superfeet insoles. I will dig a little bit deeper into how these insoles will help children who play sports as well.

When children experience foot, knee, or leg pain the first step is to check the shoes that they are wearing. Take a look at the picture below where we have the same shoe style with the shoe on the left being worn by a child with flat feet for 2 months and the shoe on the right is brand new.

Do you notice how the shoe on the left is caving in? This means that the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards from being flat-footed.

Keep in mind that in certain cases children overpronate from wearing shoes that are not supportive enough. The shoes and the insoles will work together in helping your child walk and run straighter, but if you fit a pair of insoles in a pair of unsupportive shoes, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the insoles have to offer.

The shoes must provide good arch and ankle support, so always make sure that you provide your child with shoes that come with a substantial sole and a firm heel counter.

Do you know what the heel counter of the shoe is? The image below shows the difference between a shoe with a soft heel counter versus a shoe with a firm heel counter.

If you have a feeling that your child’s shoes are not supportive enough, I will provide you with a selection of shoes that provide good arch support and come with a firm heel counter.

The Advantages of Superfeet Insoles – STOP Foot and Leg Pain!

Superfeet insoles are important in realigning your child’s body posture as well as strengthening the muscles. They reduce or eliminate common foot pain, arch pain, heel pain and plantar fasciitis. They also might be a short-term solution to your child’s foot problems if early intervention is provided. Keep in mind that in some cases children might need insoles for prolonged periods of time.

Superfeet insoles are affordable (since children’s feet are constantly growing) and offer professional-grade orthotic support, performance and comfort.

One of the greatest advantages of these insoles is that they fit the contour of the foot the best and are the most durable ones I have found on the market.  They are easy to fit and the rewards of wearing them are tenfold.

The two particular styles that have proven to be the most effective ones are the Green and Blue Superfeet.

Superfeet Insoles: Green or Blue?

1️⃣ The green Superfeet will provide your child with maximum support, stability, balance and shock absorption. The green ones are better for children who have medium arches and suffer from arch, heel and knee pain.

2️⃣ The blue Superfeet will work better for children who have low to medium arches that cannot tolerate maximum support. The arch shape accommodates most foot types while the moderately deep heel cup provides control and comfort. This style will fit in lower volume or tight-fitting shoes, that is the main reason why they work so well with sport shoes such as cleats.

Another feature that I love about these Superfeet insoles is that you will be able to switch them from your kids’ running shoes, to their dress shoes, to their hiking boots and even their sport shoes.

It is worth mentioning that I have fitted children in these insoles that had a hard time playing soccer due to the pain that they were experiencing on their feet and legs. After trying the blue Superfeet insoles, the pain wasn’t an issue anymore.

Superfeet insoles, indeed, can be life-changing, like well-fitted shoes. Take a look at the chart below which further explains the benefits of each Superfeet insole:

I only review insoles and shoes that I have fitted before since that is the only way for me to tell how well-made the insoles are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

The Best Superfeet Insoles for Kids

Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?

Yes, you will have to remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this insole inside the shoes.

Once you purchase your first pair of Superfeet insoles for your children, they should start wearing them for 1 to 2 hours the first day, 2 to 3 hours the second day, and then increase the number of hours until their feet are accustomed to the support that they provide. The whole process of getting used to the insoles should not take more than a week.

How to Fit Your Kids’ Superfeet Insoles Properly? – Get It Right!

You will use the original insoles of your child’s shoes to make sure that the Superfeet insoles match that same length.

Fit Instructions:

1️⃣ The first thing you need to do is remove the original shoe insole from your kids’ shoes.

2️⃣ Turn both the original insole and the Superfeet insole face down. Place the original insole on top of the Superfeet insole:

a) line up both the backs of the heel and

b) the inside edges, and then

c) use a pen to trace the outline onto the Superfeet.

3️⃣ Trim: Cut along the outside of the trace line, that way if it is still too long, you will be able to trim it a little more.

4️⃣ Insert and Test. Put the trimmed Superfeet into the shoe.

Most children’s shoe styles now come with removable insoles. You need to make sure that you remove the original insoles that come with the shoes, and then insert the Superfeet insoles. If you leave the original insoles of the shoe inside, the shoe will feel really tight on your child’s foot, and you will be raising your kids’ feet too much, giving them the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoe.

Children should replace their Superfeet insoles between 5 to 9 months, depending on how fast they are growing.

What Shoes Should Your Child Wear with Superfeet Insoles?

Please remember that the shoes and the insoles work together in keeping your kids’ feet and legs healthy. There are certain shoe styles that I have fitted before that have proven to fit best with the Superfeet insoles.

I think it’s worth mentioning that shoes that come with shoelaces  provide better support and stability than velcro closure. I do understand that some children might not be ready to learn how to tie their shoes yet, that is the reason why I will provide you with a selection of shoes that come with shoelaces and also velcro closure.

Below you can find a selection of the best shoes kids’ shoes for Superfeet insoles. These shoes are the ones I recommend the most for children that are flat-footed and need extra support from their shoes, and they can fit children with narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide feet.

The Best Shoes for your Kids Superfeet Insoles

What Shoe Size Should You Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes, I indicate whether you need to order a half size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

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

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to find a kids’ shoe store in your area, then proceed to read an article I created where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home.

How to Clean Your Kids’ Superfeet Insoles – Let’s Find Out!

You should never machine wash the insoles. If you want to clean them, you should hand wash them with mild soap in lukewarm water, make sure you rinse them well, and allow them to air dry.

What can affect your child’s Superfeet experience?

• Footwear brand, model and size
• Shoes with non-removable insoles
• Lacing method
• Thickness of the sock.

 Superfeet Insoles for Mom and Dad? -You Can Wear Them Too!

Working at a shoe store requires me to be on my feet all day, sitting down, getting up, climbing ladders to reach for the shoes, running back and forth during the busiest days. It only took me 6 months from the day that I started working there to start experiencing not only foot pain, but knee and leg pain as well.  The pain later moved to my lower back.

One day, the owner of the shoe store decided to start carrying Superfeet insoles. The company sent each employee a pair to try them out and be able to better explain to customers the features of the product.

After trying a pair of green Superfeet insoles, the pain started to reduce, until it fully disappeared. I was extremely pleased with the results, and I can tell you from personal experience that these insoles do work. Keep in mind I did wear them with a pair of supportive sneakers.

Even though I have had a positive experience using these kinds of inserts, how effective they will be in your kids’ feet will depend on individual foot anatomy. Superfeet insoles are meant for light to moderate pronation, so please keep in mind that they will not work if your child has severe foot problems or low muscle tone.

Do not underestimate the importance of stretching, since this can significantly relieve the foot and leg pain that your child might be experiencing.

Now that you know which are the best insoles for flat feet, you are ready to make the most informed decision.

 Be kind to your child’s feet.  They’ve got to carry them a long way.

Have you tried the green or blue Superfeet for your child’s feet? Did you find one more effective than the other one? Please share your experiences below so other parents can benefit from them.