Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on May 2022 and reflects up-to-date information.
Have you ever gotten your kids’ shoes at Foot Locker? Has your child developed a foot condition from not wearing the correct type of shoes? Providing your child with the correct shoe size which involves getting the correct shoe length and the correct shoe width, is essential to keep your children’s feet and legs healthy.
In addition to providing your child with the correct shoe size, you must find a pair of shoes that are supportive, lightweight, flexible, breathable, and durable.
I have noticed how the kids’ shoes that are sold at Foot Locker are not available in different widths. For example, they carry some of the most popular kids’ shoe styles made by New Balance, a shoe brand known for fitting the shape of children with wide and extra wide feet, but the New Balance shoes that they offer are not available in wide (W) or extra wide (XW) widths.
If your child happens to have a foot condition that requires a pair of more substantial/supportive shoes or your child happens to have wide or extra wide feet, I recommend that you don’t take your child shoe shopping at Foot Locker.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses in helping children with “complicated” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. We carry some of the most supportive children’s shoes and orthotics, and I am familiar with which shoe brands and which shoe styles are better than others.
I want to clarify that as long as your child has a medium width foot, getting your child’s shoes at big retailers such as Foot Locker, Nordstrom, or Payless should not be a bigger issue.
Let me tell you the 2 main reasons why I don’t recommend parents shop for their kids’ shoes at Foot Locker:
✅ First Reason: The staff who works at Foot Locker is not properly trained on how to properly measure children’s feet, and they generally end up fitting them in the wrong-sized shoes. I know this for a fact because I have helped several families that came to the shoe store that I work for after having their children’s shoes fitted at Foot Locker, and 90% of the time those children were wearing the wrong sized shoes or the wrong shoe style.
✅ Second Reason: Foot Locker carries shoe brands such as New Balance and Saucony, which are shoe brands that are popular among young children for making wide and extra wide shoes, but they don’t carry their shoe styles in actual wide or extra wide widths (only medium widths). I believe that it can be confusing for parents to learn that New Balance and Saucony are the 2 most popular shoe brands for children with wide or extra wide feet, as they might provide their children with these shoe brands without knowing that they actually need to buy the shoes in wide (W) or extra wide widths (XW).
It’s important to understand that New Balance and Saucony are the best shoe brands for children with wide or extra wide feet as long as the shoes come labeled as wide (W), or extra wide (XW) widths.
One important thing that I learned throughout these years of fitting kids’ shoes is that at least 70% of the time toddlers who range from 1 to 3 years old require a wide or an extra wide shoe, and I would say that 50% of older children require a wide or an extra wide shoe.
If you have a child with wide or extra wide feet and you are providing your child with a New Balance or Saucony shoe style that is labeled as a medium width (M), you will end up creating several foot issues to your child’s feet such as blisters, calluses, and corns.
This is why it’s so important for the shoes to be available in different widths such as wide or extra wide.
As Foot Locker doesn’t offer kids’ shoes in different widths, I have put together a selection of the best shoes for a child with wide or extra wide feet. These are all shoe styles that I have fitted before, and in addition to fitting a child with wide or extra wide feet, they are also supportive, lightweight, flexible, breathable, and durable.
I only recommend shoe styles that I have fitted before, as that is the only way that I can tell the quality of the shoe, the amount of support that it provides, and how it fits. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Shoes for Kids with Wide or Extra Wide Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Below you can find a selection of the best wide and extra wide shoes for children.
Toddler Shoe Sizes (0 to 10)
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper for durability and comfort
- Extra deep
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper for durability and comfort
- Extra deep
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet
- Adjustable extra-long straps
- Opens super wide which makes in and out easy
- Breathable mesh
- Order this shoe a half size larger than the end of the AFO footplate
- Available in extra wide widths
- Oversized opening for easy on and off
- 100% Suede
- Hook and loop closure
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Velcro closure
- Heel stabilizer provides lateral stability
- Removable insoles
- The insoles are Infused with natural Green Tea extract (no chemicals)
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s foot size (fits long)
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Velcro closure
- EVA-cushioned midsole
- Extra Deep
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits wide and extra wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Dual hook-and-loop straps allow for a secure fit and custom adjustability
- Removable, contoured, leather-lined footbed for breathability and comfort
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Leather and mesh upper
- Alternative closure for easy on and off adjustability
- Lightweight EVA midsole for cushioning
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Little and Big Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Fits wide and extra wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Dual hook-and-loop straps allow for a secure fit and custom adjustability
- Removable, contoured, leather-lined footbed for breathability and comfort
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Velcro closure
- Removable insoles
- The insoles are Infused with natural Green Tea extract (no chemicals)
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Velcro closure
- Heel stabilizer provides stability
- Removable insoles
- The insoles are Infused with natural Green Tea extract (no chemicals)
- Machine washable
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Hook and loop closure system for easy on and off
- Leather/mesh upper
- Durable rubber outsole designed to withstand wear-and-tear
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Hook and loop closure system for easy on and off
- Leather/mesh upper
- Durable rubber outsole designed to withstand wear-and-tear
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Hook and loop closure system for easy on and off
- Leather/mesh upper
- Durable rubber outsole designed to withstand wear-and-tear
- Order this shoe the same size as your child’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Lightweight EVA foam cushioning in the midsole and heel increases comfort
- Firm heel counter
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot fresh foam
- Firm heel counter
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- Suede/mesh upper
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- Leather and suede upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Lace-up closure
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- Leather and suede upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
If your child has narrow feet you can email me so I can send you specific shoe recommendations: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
If you usually order your kids’ shoes online, you need to be 100% sure of your child’s foot size. You won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online if you don’t know your child’s foot size to begin with.
Are You 100% Sure of Your Child’s Foot size? – Let’s Find Out!
I always recommend parents to take their kids to be properly fitted for shoes at the local shoe store that they trust, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their feet and find shoes that fit. The issue is that not all parents have a good fitting children’s shoe store in their area. That is the reason why I created a resource where I describe the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where to Go for Proper Fittings!
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 Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
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.
Did you know that your kids can develop foot and leg pain from wearing shoes that are too narrow, too wide, too short, or too long? That is why it’s so important for your kids’ shoes to fit just right.
One common mistake that I see parents make is to assume that once they figure out their kids’ foot size, that size automatically translates into their actual shoe size.
We always want to provide children with a half a size longer (0.3 inches) of the size that they measured on the foot measuring scale to provide them with growing room. The issue is that shoes can run short, long, narrow, or wide, and depending on how they run, you will need to adjust the size that you get for your child.
For example, if your child measures a shoe size 10 on the measuring scale but the shoes fit “short”, then instead of providing your child with a shoe size 10 ½ to allow for growing room you will have to provide your child with a shoe size 11 – as the shoes fit short.
I hope I was able to raise awareness of why parents should not take their children to be fitted for shoes at Foot Locker, especially if they have a child with wide or extra wide feet or a foot condition that requires extra attention.
It’s infuriating for me when I see a child that was fitted in the wrong sized shoes, as they are putting the child’s foot and leg health in danger. I want to believe that the staff that works at Foot Locker simply don’t know what they are doing when it comes to measuring children’s feet, and that they don’t fit children in the wrong pair of shoes just to make a sale.
Have you taken your child to be fitted for shoes at Foot Locker? What was your experience like? Please share your thoughts and experiences below so other parents can benefit from them.
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