Orthotics for Kids with Knock Knees – Let’s Improve your Kids’ Posture!

February 13, 2025 Knock Knees Juan Valenzuela 6 - Comments

Do you have a child with knock knees and have been looking for ways to improve your child’s walking gait and overall posture? Kids with knock knees often face challenges in maintaining proper posture and stability, but I have found certain orthotics that can improve your child’s stability and overall posture by realigning their feet and legs. Orthotics are shoe inserts that provide foot arch support, helping to align the feet and reduce stress on the knees.

When Should Parents Be Concerned About Knock Knees?

Persistent knock knees can lead to issues with balance and posture, making early intervention important. The condition usually becomes apparent when a child is two to three years old, and it may increase in severity until about age four. While for younger kids knock knees are just a normal part of growing up, I strongly recommend parents to not leave this condition untreated, as it can lead to complications in the future such as foot, leg, and back pain.

How to Check If Your Child Has Knock Knees?

If you’re unsure whether your child has knock knees, I recommend having them stand up straight, ensuring they are looking straight ahead. Then, check if their knees are touching each other. You can also refer to the images below to help visualize what a child with knock knees looks like.

An image of a child with knock knees standing barefoot.
An older child with knock knees standing barefoot.
An image of a toddler with knock knees standing barefoot.

Children with knock knees are doing something that is biomechanically incorrect when they walk or run, and that will have a lasting effect on your child’s muscle structure. Something so simple such as providing your child with the correct pair of shoes and orthotics can have a huge impact in the way your child walks and runs.

My Experience as a Shoe Fitter

As a shoe fitter, my goal is to help families find the best solutions for their children’s foot conditions. Working closely with physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs), I have gained valuable insights into the importance of orthotics and supportive shoes for children with knock knees. Collaborating with these professionals has allowed me to understand the specific needs of children and how to tailor shoe fittings to meet those needs effectively.

about-me
Juan Pablo Valenzuela fitting children’s shoes at a local specialized children’s shoe store in Maryland.

Before and After: The Impact of Orthotics and Supportive Shoes

Many parents wonder about the tangible benefits of using orthotics. By providing before and after images of children standing barefoot versus wearing supportive shoes with orthotics, we can observe noticeable improvements in alignment and posture. These visual comparisons highlight the effectiveness of orthotics in correcting misalignment and promoting stability.

An image of a flat-footed child with knock knees.
An image of the same child standing in a pair of supportive shoes and orthotics. Do you notice how straighter the feet and legs are?

What Makes LittleSTEPS Orthotics the Best Choice for Your Child?

LittleSteps orthotics are designed specifically for children and address a wide range of foot conditions, including knock knees. These are the two most important features that make littleSTEPS orthotics the best orthotics for knock knees:

1. Foot Arch Support: Most children that have knock knees tend to be flat footed. The orthotics I recommend provide medial and lateral flanges to prevent the feel from collapsing by keeping the foot aligned over the orthotic. I have noticed how most children’s prefabricated orthotics lack this feature and the child’s foot basically pushes through the orthotic and does whatever it wants.

2. Ankle Support: 30 mm heel cup helps stabilize the ankle and prevent excessive inward rolling of the foot, which can exacerbate knock knees. The heel cup works by cradling the heel, providing a solid foundation that contributes to overall balance and stability.

How effective this orthotic will be in helping realign your child’s feet and legs depends on the degree of your child’s knock knee condition. With that said, this is one of the best prefabricated orthotic on the market for helping treat, prevent, and control knock knees. 

Choosing the Best Orthotics for Knock Knees

LittleSTEPS orthotics are designed to fit a wide range of shoe sizes and styles, making them a versatile option for parents looking to improve their child’s foot health. 

1. Deep heel cup that helps control the alignment of the heel and lower leg.

2. Medial and lateral flanges to help keep the foot aligned over the orthotic.

3. The 3/4 length design of littleSTEPS orthotics makes them easier to fit into various shoe styles.

4. It’s not necessary to remove the original insoles of the shoes when fitting this orthotic.

Check Price

You Must Enter a Referral Code to Order this Orthotic

To place an order for littleSTEPS® Orthotics, you must submit a Referral Code in the Discount Window during the ordering process: JVFCS100121

Take a look at the chart below to figure out what size to order based on your child’s shoe size:

size-orthotics

This orthotic can be shipped everywhere. Within the USA shipping can take about 10-15 days depending on the location and the shipping method.  Overseas shipping is available but will be more expensive.

Now that you know which are the best orthotic for kids with knock knees, you need to find a pair of supportive shoes that will accommodate the orthotic. The right combination of orthotics and supportive footwear can significantly enhance a child’s mobility and comfort. The shoes and the orthotics work together to help your child walk and run straighter.

The Role of Supportive Shoes for Kids with Knock Knees

If you fit a pair of orthotics in a pair of unsupportive shoes, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer and vice versa. If you already have shoes at home, please make sure that they provide these important features:

1. Stable Base of Support: The shoes must provide a stable base of support to hold the orthotic in place and reduce the impact that your child’s feet take every time they come in contact with the ground. This support is essential for distributing weight evenly and maintaining proper foot alignment.

supportive-shoes-for-children-with-flat-feet
The difference between a shoe with a substantial outsole versus a shoe with an outsole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support.

2. Firm Heel Counters: A sturdy heel counter provides support and prevents excessive inward rolling of the foot. This feature is crucial in maintaining proper alignment during movement.

children's-shoes-with-heel-support
The difference between a shoe that provides a firm heel counter versus one that doesn’t.

3. Extra Depth: Shoes that provide extra depth allow for the orthotic to sit deeply inside the shoes, which helps prevent giving children the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoes. If the shoes are not deep enough, the top of your child’s feet (instep) will rub against the top part of the shoes.

The difference in depth between two pairs of children’s shoes. Notice how the orthotic is sitting deeper inside the shoe (right image).

Access My Resource on Supportive Shoes

For those interested in learning more about selecting supportive shoes for orthotics, I offer a comprehensive resource that guides you through the process.

How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics

You probably notice how most of the shoes I recommend provide laces instead of Velcro closure. The main reason for this is that shoelaces provide better support and stability to your child and also make the orthotics fit better inside the shoes. Therefore, I suggest that you apply the shoe lacing technique outline in another article.

Orthotics Insoles for Knock Knees – My Final Thoughts!

I usually suggest that parents wait 10 to 12 months to see if the orthotics and the shoes have made a difference in improving their child’s knock knees, walking gait, and overall posture.

Remember that the orthotic I recommend works for mild cases of children with knock knees. If your child has a more severe case, then you will need to have your child fitted for an ankle brace orthotic or a pair of derotation straps which have proven to be extremely effective. Fitting these devices is very different from fitting an orthotic, and is not an easy task to do, but if you must do it from your house, please reach out to me and I will show you exactly how to do it.

Have you tried a particular orthotic insole for knock knees that worked well in improving posture and stability? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.