New Balance Shoes for Children with Wide Feet – Find Out the Widest Styles!

Did you know that not all New Balance shoes work well for children with wide feet? Do you feel like you try several different shoes but none of them seem to be wide enough for your child’s feet? I have been working for a children’s shoe store for over 10 years, and I have helped hundreds of children with wide feet find the perfect pair of shoes for their feet. Unfortunately, most children’s shoe stores have gone out of business. Do you remember when you used to take your child to be properly fitted for shoes at your local shoe store? I am going to show you a list of the best New Balance shoes for children with wide feet based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience.

If you are in a rush, you can go directly to the selection of the best New Balance shoes for children with wide feet.

A recent study conducted by the National Health Institute showed that 65% of all children are wearing the wrong shoe size. Most of these children were either wearing shoes that were too short or too narrow, which is a huge problem as it can lead to developing the following foot conditions:

  • Blisters
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Bunions

Many families now shop in big-box stores, which are often self-serve, or in sporting good stores where employees may have only a rudimentary knowledge, if any at all, of how a shoe is supposed to fit the child’s foot.

Are New Balance Shoes the Best Choice for Children with Wide Feet?

New Balance is my go-to shoe brand for children with wide feet as it manufactures shoes that are available in wide (W) and extra wide widths (XW). In addition, New Balance shoes provide two key features that makes them ideal for children with wide feet:

1️⃣ Extra Depth

This is a feature that most parents often overlook, but it’s of utmost importance for children with wide feet and high insteps. Shoes that provide extra depth allow the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, which helps prevent the top part (instep) of the child’s feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature also helps prevent the top part of the child’s toes from rubbing against the top front part of the shoes. This is a key feature if you usually notice red marks or indentations on the top part (instep) of your child’s feet.

Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes. The shoes below are the same size in length, but do you notice how the shoe on the right is a lot deeper compared to the shoe on the left? I will provide you with a link to that specific New Balance shoe style shortly.

2️⃣ Round Toe-Boxes

Shoes that provide round toe-boxes help prevent the child’s toes from overlapping against one another or rubbing against the side of the shoes.

Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides a rounder toe box versus a shoe that doesn’t. Both shoes in the image below are the same size in length and width. However, do you notice how the shoe on the left has a narrower toe box compared to the shoe on the right?

Below you can find a list of the widest New Balance shoe styles that I have fitted before at the shoe store that I used to work for. 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. This allows us to create free content and resources for many families around the world. 

Best New Balance Shoes for Children with Wide Feet

If you like a specific style make sure to click on the image of the shoe as it might be available in girls’ and boys’ colors. I also suggest that you take a look at the description below each shoe to find out the following information:

  • The foot shape the shoe can accommodate (medium, wide, extra wide, high instep)
  • The best size to order allowing for growing room
  • Other important information such as material

Did you notice that below each shoe style I describe exactly what shoe size you should order to allow for the correct amount of growing room? All shoe styles fit a little differently. For example, you should never assume that the size marked on the box (or advertised online) accurately conforms to the size of the shoes in the box (or delivered from a website). Shoes can fit short, long, or true to size, and depending on how they fit, you need to adjust the final shoe size that you order. I know exactly how each shoe style fits from having fitted them before.

Are These the Only New Balance Shoes that Work Well for Children with Wide Feet?

New Balance manufactures many other shoe styles, but these are the styles that work best for children with wide or extra wide feet as well as high insteps.

Do You Know Whether Your Child Has a High Instep or Not?

Some children in addition to having wide feet also have high insteps. The instep is the top part of the foot as shown in the image below:

How many parents struggle to get their children’s shoes on and off? Have you ever noticed red marks or indentations on the top part of your child’s feet? These are both signs that your child might have a high instep.

What is the best way to deal with a child who has a high instep? Fit your child in shoes that provide extra depth! I already went over the importance of this feature, and rest assured that all of the shoes I recommended above are capable of fitting children with high insteps.

If you don’t know your child’s exact foot length and shape, you won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online. I created a resource that will help you retrieve your child’s exact shoe size from home.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below! You can also help other families by sharing what New Balance shoes have worked best for your children’s wide feet.