Is Your Toddler Complaining About Foot Pain? – The Proven Method to Reduce or Fully Eliminate your Toddler’s Foot Pain!
Is your toddler complaining about foot pain? Did you know that foot pain in toddlers is mostly related to the shoes that they wear and how they fit? Toddlers are affected by many of the same foot conditions that adults are, including flat feet, heel pain, overpronation, and ingrown toenails. I will show you a list of supportive toddler shoes that have proven to reduce or completely eliminate foot pain. These are not orthopedic shoes, they are everyday sneakers that provide better support to targeted areas of your toddler’s feet.
What a Difference the Correct Pair of Shoes Can Make!
Let’s say you have a toddler that is flat-footed and is dealing with overpronation as well as foot and leg pain. When children have flat feet, their feet collapse, and this leads them to put pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to.
Below is a picture of a flat-footed toddler standing barefoot. Do you notice how the toddler’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Before Image
Now let’s take a look at another picture of the same toddler wearing a pair of supportive shoes. Do you notice how straighter his feet are?
After Image
Key Features of Supportive Shoes for Toddlers
When parents bring their children with foot conditions to the store complaining about foot pain the first step I take is to start by checking the shoes that they are wearing. Let me show you another example of why shoes can be a contributing cause of your toddler’s foot pain.
Do you know what the heel counter of the shoes is? The heel counter is the back part of the shoe that provides ankle support. Certain shoes provide a firm heel counter while others provide heel counters that are too soft and too flimsy. Below is a picture of where the heel counter of the shoe is located:
From now on, before you buy your toddler a pair of shoes, I want you to always press on the heel counter and make sure that it feels firm.
Do You Know If Your Toddler Has High Insteps?
If your toddler is experiencing foot pain in the top of the foot, then it’s very likely that your toddler has a high instep. Do you know what the instep of the foot is? The instep is the top part of the foot, and when it’s high you need to find deeper shoes to prevent the top part of your toddler’s feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes.
Let me show you a picture of a toddler with a high instep. instepTo accommodate the shape of a toddler with a high instep, we need to find shoes that provide extra depth, as there is going to be a lot of extra foot volume to fit inside the shoes.
Most parents are confused as to how they are supposed to find shoes that provide extra depth if shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep”. That’s why I am here for, as I know which shoes are deeper than others from having fitted them before.
Supportive Toddler’s Shoes – The 5 Most Important Features!
1️⃣ Stable Base of Support: The shoes that you provide for your toddler must be lightweight and flexible, but supportive at the same time to minimize the impact that your toddler’s feet take every time they become in contact with the ground.
2️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: This is important to provide your toddlers with good ankle support. This is especially important for toddlers as most of the time they are performing lateral movements.
3️⃣ Lightweight: The shoes must be lightweight and flexible for your toddler’s feet and legs to not become tired easily. Some toddlers don’t have the strength to bend shoes with harder soles.
As you can see certain shoes will help protect and support your toddler’s feet better than others, and I am here to help you find them.
Do You Know Your Toddler’s Exact Foot Shape and Length?
One thing I always emphasize to parents is that if they don’t provide their toddlers with the correct shoe size, they won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer. That is the reason why I always recommend parents take their toddlers to be properly fitted for shoes at their local kids’ shoe store, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their feet and find shoes that fit.
The issue is that most parents don’t have a local kids’ shoe store in their area to take their kids to be properly fitted for shoes, and they must end up purchasing their kids’ shoes online. For that reason, I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home.
In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.
Now that you know what features the shoes must provide and how to make sure that your toddler is wearing the correct shoe size, let’s take a look at a selection of the best toddler shoes to prevent and treat their foot pain. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
Supportive Shoes for Toddlers with Foot Pain
The shoes I describe below are available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW).
Lace-Up Closure
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style SRT Emilia by Stride Rite on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- 100% leather made
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 2002 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
Velcro Closure
- Order the shoe style Tracks by Timberland on Zappos
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Breathable textile lining
- Stable base of support with firm heel counters
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Cohesion on Zappos
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance Online Store
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Removable insoles
- Extra deep
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 574 on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Generous toe box and instep to accommodate and support your toddler walker’s needs
- Rubber outsole pods designed to stand up to daily wear and tear
- Extra deep
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- Stiff and high ankle support for toe walkers
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- Stiff and high ankle support for toe walkers
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990v4 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Generous toe box and instep to accommodate and support your toddler walker’s needs
- Extra deep
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Looking for Other Shoe Recommendations?
Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if your toddler has narrow feet and needs a different selection of shoes. My e-mail address is:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Orthotics for Toddlers with Foot Pain
There will be certain times in which the shoes that you provide for your toddler might not be enough to reduce or fully eliminate your toddler’s foot pain. For those cases, your toddler might need a pair of orthotics to be fitted inside the shoes for extra support.
Orthotics can be extremely effective in reducing or fully eliminating your toddler’s foot and leg pain. Below is the most effective orthotic for toddlers that has proven to reduce, and in most cases fully eliminate their pain. The main reason why I recommend this orthotic is that it provides excellent support but is not as invasive and it allows the toddler’s muscles to develop on their own.
- Order the Footlogics full-length supportive insole on Amazon
- Fits a toddler shoe size 5 up to a big kid shoe size 3
- Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion and support
- Deep heel cup with strong arch support
- Made from lightweight yet supportive cushioning material with shock-absorbing heel padding
- Forefoot padding to increase comfort
- They can be trimmed to size with scissors if needed
- The original insoles of your kids’ shoes must be removed before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.
- Order the 3/4 length Footlogics supportive insole on Amazon
- Fits a toddler shoe size 5 up to a big kid shoe size 3
- 3/4 length makes it ideal to fit in most shoes
- Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion and support
- Deep heel cup with strong arch support
- Made from lightweight yet supportive cushioning material with shock-absorbing heel
- It’s not necessary to remove the original insoles of the shoes when fitting this orthotic.
For this orthotic to be effective, it must always be fitted in shoes that are supportive and extra deep. The good news is that the shoes I described above are all supportive and deep. Deeper shoes allow the orthotic to fit deeply inside the toddler’s shoes and prevent raising your toddler’s feet — as this can give your toddler the impression that his/her feet are coming out of the shoes.
Let’s take a look at what a difference a pair of deeper shoes can make when you need to fit an orthotic inside the shoes. Do you notice how the orthotic is sitting deeply inside the shoe on the right image compared to the shoe on the left image?
Deeper shoes also help prevent the top part of your toddler’s feet (instep) from rubbing against the top of the shoes.
I want parents to remember one thing: Never ignore your toddler’s foot and leg pain thinking that it might be “growing pains”. I always recommend parents to be proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their toddlers’ foot conditions. Leaving your toddlers’ foot conditions untreated can only lead to the condition getting worse.
Do you have a toddler who is experiencing foot or leg pain? Have you found a particular shoe that has worked well for his or her feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
