Do you have a child with flat feet who has been asking you for a pair of Mary Jane shoes? Are you looking for a pair of Mary Jane shoes that are stylish and supportive at the same time? I have put together a list of the best Mary Jane shoes for kids with flat feet based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience.
It is common for children to have flat feet. Several children don’t develop their arches until the age of five. However, there are different degrees of flat feet and pronation, and that determines how early you should intervene.
Children who are 5 years old or older and have flat feet are highly likely to remain flat footed for the rest of their lives.
Can Shoes Help Treat Your Child’s Flat Feet?
Fitting children in the correct types of shoes can help improve your child’s walking gait and overall posture, and at the same time prevent foot or leg pain. It’s important to understand that shoes won’t mold your child an arch.
Children should wear their sneakers as their primary piece of footwear, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t wear a casual shoe such as a Mary Jane for a couple of hours each day. You just need to make sure that the casual shoe is supportive enough.
My 10 Years of Shoe Fitting Experience
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years, and we specialize in helping children with “complicated” foot shapes (narrow, wide) as well as foot problems (flat feet, rolled ankles), but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best shoes for kids with flat feet.
Can Children with Flat Feet Wear Mary Jane Shoes?
Yes, but Mary Jane shoes shouldn’t be their primary piece of footwear. Children with flat feet should wear sneakers for most of the day, but they can still wear casual shoes as long as you limit the amount of time that they wear them (maximum of 4 hours a day).
Do Mary Jane Shoes Provide Good Support?
Most Mary Jane shoes don’t provide good support, and they are meant to be worn for a special occasion. The good news is that I found certain Mary Jane shoes that provide better support than others, and I will show them to you shortly.
What Makes the Mary Jane Shoes that I Recommend Ideal for Kids with Flat Feet?
The Mary Jane shoes that I recommend provide supportive outsoles and firm heel counters, which makes them ideal for kids with flat feet.
1️⃣ Supportive Outsole: The Mary Jane shoes that I recommend provide a supportive outsole that is going to help straighten your children’s feet by preventing them from collapsing and turning inwards.
Take a look at the image below, do you notice how the Mary Jane shoe on the right has a more substantial outsole compared to the Mary Jane shoe on the left? I will provide you with a link to that specific Mary Jane shoe shortly.
2️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: The Mary Jane shoes that I recommend provide targeted support right below the heels. They also come with a firm heel counter which is going to help prevent your children’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards.
Take a look at the image below, do you notice how the Mary Jane on the right has more padding and support right below the heels? I will also provide you with a link to that shoe.
What Shoe Brands Manufacture Supportive Mary Jane Shoes?
My go-to shoe brands that manufacture supportive Mary Jane shoes for kids are:
- Memo
- Dr. Martens
- Pediped
- Wobbly Waddlers
The Importance of Providing Your Child with the Correct Shoe Size
It’s a complete waste of time and money to buy shoes for your child that are the wrong size, as they won’t properly support your child’s feet and might end up creating foot issues such as blisters, corn, or ingrown toenails.
I recommend taking your child to be properly fitted for shoes at your local shoe store, that way she can have her feet properly measured and the shoes properly fitted. By shopping at your local shoe store you will be supporting local businesses!
If you are unsure whether you have a good fitting children’s shoe store in your area I suggest that you take a look at the resource I created below:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where to go for Proper Fittings
No Local Shoe Store? – Find Out How to Retrieve Your Child’s Shoe Size Online
If you don’t have a local shoe store in your area and you need to retrieve your child’s exact foot length and shape online I suggest that you take a look at the resource below:
How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
Let’s now take a look at the list I have put together that describes the best Mary Jane shoes for kids with flat feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Best Mary Jane Shoes for Kids with Flat Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Take a look at the description below each shoe to find out what foot shapes that shoe can accommodate and hat features the shoe provides.
Many of the shoes featured below come in several color options, so if your girl likes a specific model, please make sure to click through and see if they have the desired color.
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather made
- Built-in arch support helps distribute body weight equally over the entire foot, releasing pressure in the joints
- Order this Mary Jane shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather made
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather lined
- Firm heel counter
- Supportive outsole
- Order this Mary Jane shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Padded footbed
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Designed with a sole cemented outsole with a air-cushioned rubber outsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Rigid heel counter
- Recommended by physical therapists for correction of pronation, flat foot, tip toe walking, club foot
- Order this Mary Jane shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Rigid heel counter
- Recommended by physical therapists for correction of pronation, flat foot, tip toe walking, club foot
- Order this Mary Jane shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Padded footbed
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Designed with a sole cemented outsole with a air-cushioned rubber outsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Padded footbed
- Supportive outsole with firm heel counter
- Upper, lining, and insole made of leather material
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should 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 Supportive Mary Jane Shoes Available?
The Mary Jane shoes that I recommend above are the most supportive ones that I have fitted before. With that said, let me know if you need the Mary Jane shoes to be made of a specific color or material and I will try my best to help you find them:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Should You Provide Your Child with a Pair of Orthotics?
If you feel like your child might benefit from wearing an orthotic, you can definitely fit one inside of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommended.
All of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommended provide extra depth, which helps allow extra space to fit an orthotic. However, whether the orthotics will fit inside of the Mary Jane shoes I recommended directly depends on how much space the orthotics will take.
If you are unsure about what orthotic will work best for your child’s flat feet I suggest that you take a look at the article below:
Orthotic Inserts for Kids with Flat Feet – Align Your Kids’ Feet and Improve Their Posture!
What Socks Should Children Wear with Mary Jane Shoes?
Most parents are confused as to what socks children should wear with their Mary Jane shoes. This is a personal preference, as the socks can be any length as long as it covers the back of your child’s ankles. It’s important that the socks cover at least your kids’ ankle area to prevent the formation of blisters.
If you want to see a selection of the best socks for Mary Jane shoes I suggest that you take a look at the article below:
Best Kids’ Socks for Mary Jane Shoes – Stylish and Comfortable!
Finding a pair of shoes for a child who has flat feet requires time and experience. Parents of children with flat feet must understand that their children cannot wear any shoe, especially if the child is experiencing foot or leg pain.
What are the Best Sneakers for Kids with Flat Feet?
If you are looking for a pair of everyday sneakers for your child I suggest that you take a look at the resource below:
The Best Shoes for Kids with Flat Feet – STOP Your Kids Foot Pain!
Help me make this resource even better by adding your Mary Jane shoe recommendations as well!
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