Orthopedic Shoes for Kids – STOP Your Kids’ Foot Pain!

January 5, 2023 Orthopedic Shoes Juan Pablo Valenzuela 2 - Comments

Has your child been complaining about foot and leg pain? Did you know that the most effective way to significantly reduce or fully eliminate your children’s foot and leg pain is to provide them with the correct type of shoes? I am going to show you a list of the best orthopedic shoes for kids based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

Is Your Child Dealing with a Specific Foot Condition?

If you have a flat-footed child that is experiencing overpronation, rolled ankles, low muscle tone, knock knees, or any other foot issue that you might think of, the first step to treat, correct, and prevent the issue is to wear the correct type of shoes.

Have you noticed how a child with flat feet walks? Once they stand and put pressure on their feet the arch collapses and the feet turn inwards. This also leads to their legs turning inwards, so they are putting pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to.

There are only certain types of orthopedic shoes that are effective in treating a child’s foot or leg condition. The correct types of shoes can improve your child’s foot posture and overall posture as well. Let me prove it to you!

Before and After Images: Barefoot and Wearing Supportive Shoes

Let’s take a look at a picture of a child with flat feet standing barefoot:

Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same child wearing two different pairs of shoes. Do you notice how the feet are still pronating and turning inwards?

child-with-flat-feet-wearing-unsupportive-shoes

Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same child wearing a pair of supportive shoes. Do you notice how the child’s feet look a lot straighter?

supportive-shoes-with-straight-lasts-for-children-with-flat-feet

The arch and ankle support of the shoes are preventing the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards. These are examples of regular sneakers that will help improve the posture of a child with overpronation. However, if you have a child that is experiencing more severe foot conditions, you will need an actual pair of orthopedic shoes.

For your children to lead active lives they must feel comfortable when walking and running, and the shoes must provide them with the correct amount of support, so they can perform their everyday activities.

Be cautious about the type of shoes that you provide for your child. I have noticed how shoe companies have been making an increased amount of shoe styles that are poorly made and are damaging to the feet and body posture of children.

Is It Worthy to Invest in a Pair of Orthopedic Shoes?

I am always trying to emphasize to parents the key role that shoes play in keeping their children’s feet healthy. Parents are always skeptical of investing in their children’s shoes and the main reason is that kids grow out of shoes relatively quickly. However, it is extremely important and beneficial to invest in footwear that is supportive and has orthopedic technology if you want to keep your children’s feet and legs healthy, and you will end up saving a lot of time and money in the long run.

More expensive shoes don’t automatically translate into better shoes for your child. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on your child’s shoes, you just need to know which shoe styles provide better support and will fit the shape of your child’s feet better, and that’s what I am here, to help you find them.

Keep in mind that orthopedic shoes tend to be more expensive than regular sneakers, as they provide certain features that regular sneakers don’t provide. The shoes are made of the highest quality and made of natural materials suitable for children’s feet. The styles I describe below are actually registered as medical products.

Orthopedic Shoes for Kids – 4 Important Features!

There are 4 important features that the shoes must provide to keep your kids’ feet healthy:

1️⃣ Heel Support: The shoes must provide a firm heel counter to prevent deformation of the feet and keep the foot in the right position. This feature helps support and straighten your kids’ ankles.

2️⃣ Extra Depth: Orthopedic shoes provide extra depth in case you need to fit an orthotic inside the shoes for extra support.

3️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature minimizes the impact that your kids’ feet take every time they become in contact with the ground. This part of the shoe must also provide good traction to prevent your child from slipping and falling.

4️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: The shoes come with a round toe-box to prevent your kids’ toes from rubbing against the side of the shoes or overlapping against one another.

The type of orthopedic shoes that I describe below are best for children that are dealing with overpronation, in-toeing (pigeon toes), toe walking, rolled ankles, knock-knees, bowlegs, and posture problems. They will also shape and mold to your kids’ feet assuring proper body gait development. I have fitted all of these shoe styles before and they are the best quality shoes you can provide to your child.

I only write reviews of shoes that I have fitted before, otherwise, I wouldn’t know how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit. 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.

The Best Orthopedic Shoes for Kids

Below you can find a selection of the best orthopedic shoes for kids – which are all approved by medical professionals.

  • Shoe style Alex by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Alex is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
  • Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
  • Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Polo by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Polo is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
  • Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
  • Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Ankle Support by Princepard
  • The shoe style Gabi Princepard is available for toddler, little, and big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Genuine leather and breathable mesh
  • Integrated heel support structure
  • Removable insoles
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Cinderella by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Cinderella is available for big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth and width for orthotics
  • Rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Gabi by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Gabi is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Genuine leather and breathable mesh
  • Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization 
  • Stiff and high ankle support
  • Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
  • Shoe style Gabi by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Gabi is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Genuine leather and breathable mesh
  • Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization 
  • Stiff and high ankle support
  • Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
  • Shoe style Orthopedic by Princepard
  • The shoe style Princepard is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Genuine leather and breathable mesh
  • Integrated heel support structure
  • Removable insoles
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Chicago by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Chicago is available for little and big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
  • Triple velcro straps
  • Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Polo by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Polo is available for little and big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
  • Triple velcro straps
  • Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Princessa by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Princessa is available for toddlers, little, and big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth and width for orthotics
  • Rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Anna Supportive by Memo
  • The Memo shoe style Anna is available for toddlers and little kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Extra depth and width for orthotics
  • Rigid heel counter
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size
  • Shoe style Alvin by Memo
  • Fits medium and wide feet
  • Genuine leather and breathable mesh
  • Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization 
  • Stiff and high ankle support
  • Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
  • Shoe style Orthopedic Corrective by Princepard
  • The shoe style Princepard is available for toddlers, little, and big kids
  • Fits children with medium or wide feet
  • Made of leather and breathable mesh
  • Integrated heel support structure
  • Removable insoles
  • Triple velcro straps for maximum support and stability
  • Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size

What Makes the Orthopedic Shoes I Recommend the Best Choice for Kids?

These shoe styles are all made from genuine natural leather so they can mold to your kids’ feet. The shoes also come with a stable foot technology that prevents your child’s feet to slide back and forth which avoids friction between our kids’ toes and the shoes and promotes good balance.

Another reason why I recommend these shoes is that they all have been designed with the assistance of specialists orthopedic pediatricians and doctors. Each of their shoes are made out of leather on the outside and inside of the shoe. Each shoe style is individually cut, stitched and crafted by hand from start to finish.

If after wearing any of these orthopedic shoe styles your child is still complaining about foot or leg pain, you can send me a picture of the sole of the shoe because depending on which zone is worn out, there are certain insoles that can be selected to correct the problem.

email: [email protected]

Are You 100% Sure of Your Child’s Foot Size? – Get it Right!

I always recommend parents take their children to be fitted for shoes at their local children’s shoe store that they trust, the issue is that most stores have been closing down and parents need to end up buying their kids’ shoes online. There is nothing wrong with this, but you must know your child’s exact foot size to know what size to order.

I created a resource that showcases the best-fitting children’s shoe stores by state.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to identify a shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article I created that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot 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.

I have fitted several children who were experiencing foot and leg pain in good orthopedic shoes and I have seen the positive impact that the shoes provided allowing the kids to walk and run straighter.

Do you happen to need a pair of orthopedic shoes for yourself? There is a different website that describes the best orthopedic shoes for women.

Have you tried a particular orthopedic shoe style that has minimized or fully eliminated your kids’ foot and leg pain? Do you have a children’s shoe store in your area that you trust? Please let us know in the comments section below as other families will find that information helpful.