Do you have a child that has been diagnosed with rolled ankles? Has your child been complaining about heel pain?
There is a particular type of orthotic that has proven to be the most effective one when it comes to strengthen and straighten children’s ankles. This orthotic will also help improve your child’s overall posture by preventing your kids’ feet from collapsing and turning inwards.
An orthotic is a shoe insert that is designed to provide cushioning, support, and stability, and to relieve pressure areas of the foot. Orthotics can also be referred as shoe inserts, orthoses, or orthotic insoles.
I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for the last 10 years at a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses on children with foot and leg problems, and we provide regular shoe fittings as well.
We carry some of the most supportive children’s shoes and orthotics, and I am familiar with which shoes are ideal for use with these orthotics.
Most parents assume that overpronation occurs from having flat feet, but overpronation can also occur from having rolled ankles.
If your child has been diagnosed with rolled ankles and has been experiencing ankle and heel pain, the correct pair of orthotics will help significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s heel pain. In addition, the correct type of orthotic will also help improve your child’s overall posture.
Let me prove this to you!
Let’s take a look at a picture of a child with rolled ankles wearing two different pair of shoes with the same orthotic fitted inside them. Notice how straight the child’s feet look when wearing the orthotic in a pair of supportive shoes:
Now let’s take a look at the same child wearing the same orthotic but in a pair of shoes that are too flimsy and unsupportive. Do you notice how the child’s feet are still collapsing and rolling inwards?
The main difference of being flat footed and having rolled ankles is that an orthotic won’t mold your child’s arch, but an orthotic will be able to straighten and strengthen your kids’ ankles.
Orthotics and shoes work hand to hand when treating your children’s foot conditions.
Rolled ankles can lead your children to overpronate and put pressure in parts of their body where they are not supposed to. The orthotic I recommend the most for a child with rolled ankles comes with a deep heel cup that will cushion, support, protect and straighten your kids’ ankles.
Before I show the best orthotic to help treat and correct your child’s rolled ankles, I want to show you 5 important features that this orthotic provides.
✅ Dual layer foot-bed technology that significantly reduces the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take when they come in contact with the ground.
✅ Extra deep heel cup for superior ankle support and stability.
✅ High biomechanically-shaped arch support to control your child’s overpronation.
✅ Metatarsal support to help relieve and prevent ball of the foot pain.
✅ Antibacterial fabric to prevent the buildup of bacteria inside your kids’ shoes.
What Makes the Orthotic I Recommend So Effective for Kids with Rolled Ankles?
The orthotic that I recommend is designed to correct the misalignment caused by flat feet and rolled ankles. Regular insoles are specifically designed to provide cushioning and shock absorption, but they won’t help prevent and correct your child’s rolled ankles.
The orthotic that I recommend is designed to correct the misalignment caused by flat feet and rolled ankles.
The main reason why this orthotic is so effective in strengthening and straightening your kids’ ankles is because the orthotic comes with a deep heel cup, in which your child’s ankles will be properly supported. The deep heel cup will also enhance your child’s stability.
Now that you know what features this orthotic provides, you are ready to take a look at the best orthotic that helps strengthen and straighten your kids’ ankles.
I only review orthotics and shoes that I have fitted before, as that is the only way for me to tell how well-made the shoes are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit.
The Best Orthotic for Kids with Rolled Ankles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This orthotic has been specifically designed by podiatrists for pain relieving arch and ankle support.
Below you can find the best orthotic for kids with rolled ankles. This first orthotic will fit children between the ages of 2 to 9, who wears a toddler shoe size 5, all the way up to a big kid shoe size 3.
Fits Ages 2 to 9 or Shoe Size 5 to 3
If you have an older child who wears a shoe size 3 1/2 or above, the orthotic below will accommodate the shape of your child’s feet.
Size XS fits Children between a Shoe Size 3 1/2 and 6
Please reach out to me if this orthotic doesn’t come in your child’s shoe size and I will be able to recommend an alternative.
Children with Rolled Ankles – What a Difference an Orthotic Makes!
The main reason why I recommend this orthotic is because it provides excellent arch and heel support, and at the same time is not as invasive as other orthotics. This mean that this orthotic allows the child’s foot and leg muscles to develop on their own while supporting them.
Let’s take a look at what a difference an orthotic can make in improving your child’s overall posture. Below is an image of a child with a low arch and rolled ankles, do you notice how her feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child standing in a pair of orthotics. Do you notice how much straighter the feet look?
One common complaint parents have about this orthotic style is how it slides forward inside certain shoe styles. This is the reason why I always recommend shoes with shoelaces over velcro closure, specially when the child needs an orthotic to be fitted inside the shoes.
Orthotics will only work in certain types of shoes, that is the reason why I also provide a selection of the best shoes for orthotics.
Best Shoes for Orthotics – Extra Deep, Rounder Toe-Boxes and Supportive!
Orthotics make a tremendous difference in the way that your child walks and runs, as long as the orthotics are fitted properly inside your kids’ shoes.
In addition to providing good ankle support, the orthotic must also be fitted in the correct pair of shoes. This means that the shoes must come with a firm heel counter. The heel counter is the back part of the shoes that provides ankle support, and the firmer it is, the better. Take a look at the picture below to identify where the heel counter of the shoe is located:
The shoes and the orthotics work together in preventing and helping treat your child’s foot conditions. This means that if you provide your child with a pair of orthotics that provide good support but the shoes are too flimsy and unsupportive, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the orthotics have to offer and vice versa.
Orthotics take a lot of space inside the shoes, which means that sometimes you might have to provide your child with a pair of wider shoes, in order to accommodate the orthotic inside the shoes.
In addition to being supportive, these are 2 key features that the shoes must provide in order to be able to accommodate the orthotics:
✅ Extra Depth: This feature allows the orthotics to sit deeply inside your kids’ shoes, which helps prevent your kids from getting the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a deep pair of shoes and one that is shallow. For better visualization purposes, there is an orthotic fitted in both of the shoes below. Do you notice how the orthotic is sitting much deeper in the shoe on the right image compared to the shoe in the left image?
✅ Round Toe-Box: This feature helps prevent the orthotic from poking a hole in the front part of the shoes.
Please note that I always recommend shoes that come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure, as shoelaces will provide better support to your child’s feet, in particular around your child’s ankles.
The Best Shoes for Orthotics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for orthotics that are available in medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW). Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Toddlers
ToddlersToddlersLittle KidsLittle KidsLittle KidsBig KidsBig Kids
In order to allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes a half a size larger than the size their children’s feet measure. This translates to 0.3 inches or 0.7 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.
When children experience foot or leg pain, most parents make the common mistake of not addressing the issue and they have their children tested for several other conditions that are unrelated to the shoes that they are wearing.
Before you start having your children tested for other conditions, start by taking a look at their feet and provide them with a pair of orthotics and supportive shoes. You will notice what a tremendous difference they make!
Please note that custom orthotics can range anywhere from $250 to $500 dollars. Even parents with good insurances have reported that custom orthotics are usually not covered.
Please leave your feedback in the comments section below.
Do you have a recommendation for sandals with this same support?
Hi Debby,
The Keen Newport is usually my go-to sandal for kids with ankle pain. The sandal comes with a substantial outsole and targeted support right below the heel. It really depends on the degree of your child’s foot condition but it’s worth trying.