Tongue pads are important because they WILL prevent heel slippage by snugging up a loose-fitting shoe. While they are used for several different reasons, tongue pads are known for providing two main things:
- Keeping the foot from sliding forward.
- Keeping the heel from slipping.
Do you know what a tongue pad is? Tongue pads are adhesive-backed pads that go in the tongue of the shoes and they work in all enclosed shoes.Tongue pads will work great specially for children that have narrow feet and you are having a hard time finding shoes that fit!
If your child is complaining about his shoes slipping every time he walks, TRY a tongue pad! You will be amazed about the huge difference a tongue pad will make. It will significantly reduce or completely eliminate heel slippage, and you WON’T have to worry about your child falling by feeling unstable in his shoes.
Tongue pads can make the way shoes feel totally different! I have been working at a children’s shoe store for over 6 years now, and I normally use tongue pads for three different reasons:
- When a child has a narrow foot with skinny ankles.
- When a child wants a slip-on shoe such as a Merrell.
- When the child’s foot moves too much inside the shoe (in these cases the shoe might have been fitted too wide or too long for the child).
When Should I Use A Tongue Pad For My Kids’s Shoes?
Tongue pads are extremely handy, especially when a child wants a pair of slip-on shoes and his or her foot keeps slipping out of them. When fitting a slip-on for a child, we cannot expect to leave as much growing room as we would if we were fitting that child in a pair of sneakers. A slip-on shoe needs to be fitted heel to toe (meaning no growing room in order for the child’s foot not to come out of the shoe).
Slip-on shoes don’t have a velcro fastener or shoe laces to grab the child’s foot, that is the main reason why we can’t leave as much growing room in these shoes. Parents immediate response is: I don’t want to buy shoes for my child that are only going to last him 2 months!
I get it, I wouldn’t want to spend money in one of my children shoes that will not last him as expected. That is when I recommend trying a shoe half a size bigger, but with a tongue pad. The tongue pad will put more pressure in your child’s top of the foot (instep), and it will push his foot back, securing his heels and preventing the shoe from moving up and down every time he is walking. Isn’t that a great asset for a child whose feet are still growing?
The Benefits Of Using A Tongue Pad – Comfortable Shoes!
- Easy to apply (it can be applied in a matter of seconds)!
- They can be used in most shoes that have a tongue!
- They will eliminate heel slipping!
- They will prevent the shoes from sliding forward!
- They can help reduce or eliminate the pain caused by the crease of a shoe!
- They are very reasonable priced!
Have you ever worn a shoe that kept slipping out of your foot? When there is too much heel movement in a shoe it will start rubbing against your ankles, which can create several foot problems such as blisters and corns!
Tongue Pads – The Solution To Your Kids’ Narrow Feet!
Children who have narrow feet always have a harder time time finding shoes that fit. This is not surprise, since I have been fitting children shoes for over 6 years now and it still takes me the longest time to find shoes for children with narrow feet. Shoe companies rarely make sneakers in narrow widths for children, even though some shoe brands run narrower than others.
I have used tongue pads several times for children with narrow feet, since by putting more pressure in the instep of the child’s foot, it secures the child’s heel against the back of the shoe, and it snugs up any remaining gap left inside the shoe!
If you are having a hard time finding tongue pads locally, you can order them from Amazon which also offers the best price for them. Stop heel slippage! Allow your child to walk and run comfortably in his shoes without the shoes moving up and down!
If you are looking for kids’ shoes and you don’t have a children’s shoe store in your area, Amazon is by far the best place to get your kids’ shoes. You will find the cheapest prices and get free shipping depending on the type of account you have with them! I describe this into more detail in this post:
Kids Shoes On Amazon – Is Amazon The Best Place To Buy Your Kids’ Shoes?
Below you can find a selection of the best quality tongue pads for shoes:
If you are wondering what tongue pad size to order you can read the following guidelines:
- The small size for kids’ shoe sizes 8 to 10 1/2.
- The medium size for kids’ shoe size 10 1/2 to 3.
- The large size for kids’ shoe sizes 3 to 7.
- The extra large is for children that are wearing adult shoe sizes 7 1/2 and up.
How Do I Fit A Tongue Pad In The Shoe? – Learn The Steps!
Fitting a tongue pad in a shoe is quite simple, since they are self-adhesive and they can be easily placed in the tongue of the shoe. The only question that might arise is that you will notice how tongue pads have a larger side to them, so how do you know which side goes where?
I always place the wider end closer to the opening of the shoe, that is the correct way of doing it! Below you can find a picture of the wider part of the tongue pad, and that is placed in the top of the tongue.
When Is It The Right Time To Remove The Tongue Pad?
I also explain to parents that as the child starts growing into the shoe, the tongue pad can easily be removed. Let’s say the child has been wearing the slip-on shoe for two to three months, then you can safely remove the tongue pad from the shoe, and this will open up for extra space in the inside of the shoe for your child to keep wearing the shoes for another month or two!
Parents can use tongue pads for their shoes as well. I have talked to parents that come to the shoe store telling me what they can do about their favorite shoes from slipping. My immediate answer is to get the correct shoe size next time they get shoes, since a properly fitted shoe shouldn’t slip in the back. But for now, they can try a tongue pad that will significantly improve the way the shoes feel!
Tongue Pads For Kids’ – Make Your Kids’ Shoes Feel Better!
Tongue pads can really make a big difference in the way your kids’ shoes fit and feel! It can improve the way your kids’ shoes feel SIGNIFICANTLY! If you are ready to throw away your kids’ shoes because they are feeling too uncomfortable, TRY a tongue pad. You can get a whole bunch for a very reasonable price, and it might save your kids’ shoes as well as your own!
Before you leave I want you to know that I wrote a post where I describe the BEST every day kids’ shoes that come in different widths such as medium, wide, and extra wide. You can find that post here:
The Best Kids Sneakers – Learn About The Best Shoes For Children Ages 3 Through 10
Do you have a child with a narrow foot that needs tongue pads in his shoes? Have you ever tried tongue pads in your own shoes? Please share your experiences below so we can all benefit from them!
Hi Juan,
I bought a couple of tongue pads since my child slip on shoes were huge on him. I follows your guidelines and it made such a big difference! Something so simple fixed the shoes and now my child can walk and run comfortably! I am bookmarking your website Juan!
Zuzana,
Tongue pads do make a huge difference when it comes to fitting kids’ shoes. Remember to remove them as he starts growing into the shoe or when he starts complaining that the shoes feel too tight,
Good fitting shoes are so important for kids but because their feet grow so quickly it can become expensive for the parents. The leather shoe tongue pad would enable the child to wear the shoe longer before mom had to buy new shoes. I remember having blisters on my heels from my shoes slipping at the heel. The leather shoe tongue would prevent that happening. A very useful product.
Margaret,
You are correct! A simple thing like a tongue pad can STOP the shoes from slipping in the heel, and prevent blisters and calluses! Most parents don’t even know that tongue pads exist and what difference it can make to their kids’ feet, so help me spread the word!
Hi!
Great post, very informative! I will definitely be bookmarking this website for future use as my baby has an issue with her pinky toe. It curls up over her other toes and I am worried it will cause her problems walking or being uncomfortable in her shoes. It looks like a tongue pad would be very useful to her in the future.
Alison,
I wouldn’t recommend using a tongue pad in this case. Please make sure you are not getting your child shoes that are too small or too narrow. This will only make her pinky toe curl even more! If you don’t have a local children’s shoe store in your area, you can find the best wide and extra wide shoes for kids’ here: Children Extra Wide Shoes – Prevent Blisters, Calluses, And Corns!
Great Information. I had never heard of these before. I always had a Problem finding shoes for my middle daughter because her feet were so long and skinny. I sure wish i would have known about these earlier. My niece has the same problem so i will sure recommend these to my sister. Thanks for the good info
Hello Dhall,
These tongue pads are a life saver for kids’ or adults with narrow feet! They make a huge difference and will stop your kids’ heel from slipping too much inside the shoe.
I was looking to put a tongue pad in my shoes since they were slipping around too much and they were really expensive shoes. I came across your website and even though it is for children, I believe in this case it applies to adult shoes. I ordered a bunch of them and I will follow the instructions to put them on the right way! Thank you for showing us this!
My website mainly focus on children’s shoes and their feet, but a lot of the things I describe do apply to adult shoes. You will see what a difference tongue pads will make in your shoes!