Orthotics to Help Strengthen and Straighten Kids’ Ankles – The Best Alternative to Custom Orthotics!
Do you have a child who has been diagnosed with weak ankles and complains about heel pain? There is a particular orthotic that has proven to be the most effective one when it comes to strengthening and straightening kids’ ankles. This orthotic will also help improve your child’s overall posture by preventing your kids’ feet from collapsing and turning inwards, as long as it’s fitted inside the correct pair of shoes.
Examples of Children with Misaligned Heels and Weak Ankles
Most parents assume that overpronation occurs from having flat feet, but overpronation can also occur from having misaligned heels and ankles. Below are some examples of children with weak ankles:
What a Difference the Correct Type of Orthotics Can Make!
Let’s take a look at a picture of a child with misaligned heels and weak ankles standing barefoot and then standing on a pair of the orthotics that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child standing in a pair of the orthotics that I recommend. Do you notice how straighter the feet look?
The main difference between being flat-footed and having misaligned heels and 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.
What Makes the Orthotic I Recommend Effective for Misaligned Heels and Weak Ankles?
1️⃣ 30mm heel cup helps control heel alignment, lower leg alignment, and supports the arch.
2️⃣ Medial and lateral flanges help keep the foot aligned in the orthotic.
3️⃣ Metatarsal support to help relieve and prevent ball of the foot pain.
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.
Best Orthotics to Help Strengthen and Straighten Kids’ Ankles: littleSTEPS
1️⃣ Deep heel cup that helps control the alignment of the heel and lower leg.
2️⃣ Medial and lateral flanges to help keep the foot aligned over the orthotic.
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
Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of Your Kids’ Shoes?
No, you won’t have to remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.
What Orthotic Size Should You Order?
Take a look at the chart below to figure out what size to order based on your child’s shoe size:
Please note that custom orthotics can range anywhere from $250 to $500. Even families with good insurance have reported that custom orthotics are usually not covered.
One common complaint parents have about this orthotic style is how it slides forward inside certain shoes. This is the reason why I recommend shoes with laces over velcro closure, especially 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. You need to look for shoes that provide firm heel counters. The heel counter is the back part of the shoe 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 to prevent and help 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 up a lot of space inside the shoes, which means that sometimes you might have to provide your child with a pair of wider shoes to accommodate the orthotics inside the shoes.
In addition to being supportive, these are two key features that the shoes must provide to be able to accommodate the orthotics:
1️⃣ 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. 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?
2️⃣ Round Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent the orthotic from poking a hole in the front part of the shoes.
Best Shoes for Orthotics – Extra Deep and Supportive
Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for orthotics that are available in medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW).
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in laces and velcro
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in laces and velcro
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Lace-up closure
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style SRT Emilia by Stride Rite on Amazon
- Lace-up closure
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Tracks by Timberland on Zappos
- Available for toddlers
- Double velcro straps
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Water-friendly
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 574 on the New Balance website
- Available for toddlers
- Available in velcro and laces
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 990V6 by New Balance on the New Balance Online Store
- Available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in velcro and laces
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Genuine leather and breathable mesh
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Gabi by Memo on Amazon
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Genuine leather and breathable mesh
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Cohesion on Zappos
- Available for toddlers
- Velcro closure
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Bootie by Timberland on Amazon
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Padded collar for a comfortable fit around the ankle
- Water-friendly
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Mary Jane by Memo on Amazon
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Rigid heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Cohesion KDZ on Zappos
- Available for little and big kids
- Velcro closure
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Cohesion KDZ on Zappos
- Available for little and big kids
- Velcro closure
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Synthetic and mesh upper
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Fresh Foam 650 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper material features no-sew overlays for a sleek fit and feel
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Fresh Foam 650 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper material features no-sew overlays for a sleek fit and feel
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 2002 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Available in laces
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 2002 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for toddlers and little kids
- Available in laces
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style New Balance Fresh Foam 650 on the New Balance website
- Available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Synthetic and engineered mesh upper
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Ankle Support by Memo on Amazon
- Available for little and big kids
- Triple velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an orthopedic shoe
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Chicago Corrective by Memo on Amazon
- Available for little and big kids
- Triple velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an orthopedic shoe
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Own the Game 2.0 by Adidas on Amazon
- Available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Supportive outsoles and firm heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Non-marking outsole
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Oder the shoe style Kinvara LTT by Saucony on Zappos
- Available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Cushioned footbed
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Shadow 6000 by Saucony on Zappos
- Available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Cushioned footbed
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 574 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style 327 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Fresh Foam X 1080v13 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Fresh Foam X 1080v13 by New Balance on the New Balance website
- Available for big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
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How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics
I strongly suggest that you apply this shoe lacing technique to prevent heel slippage and allow your child to get the full benefits of the orthotics.
Looking for Other Shoe Recommendations? – Get a Personalized Suggestion
If you are unsure about which specific shoe might work best for your child’s orthotics or if you rather get a specific shoe recommendation based on the orthotics that your child wears you can contact me directly via email:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
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 make sure that they are wearing supportive shoes.
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.