Sandals for Hypermobility – Extra Arch and Heel Support!
Do you have a child who has been diagnosed with hypermobility and you are unsure about which sandal you should buy for the summer? My recommendation is to avoid sandals that are too flat or unsupportive since this might make your child more prone to falling and experiencing foot pain. I am going to show you a list of sandals that provide a stable base of support with extra cushion and padding below the heels while being lightweight and flexible.
Many children with hypermobility tend to have overly flexible ankle joints that roll spontaneously, leading to a lot of twisted ankles and making your child more prone to falling. This is why it’s so important to keep your kids’ ankles supported during the summer.
How Do the Feet of a Child with Hypermobility Look Like?
Children with hypermobility are often flat-footed, have weak ankles, and overpronate. Hypermobility may cause your kids’ feet and ankles to roll in, given an excessively flat-footed appearance. This leads to your child’s feet collapsing and throwing your whole child’s body out of alignment. Take a look at the image below. Does it look familiar?
What Makes the Sandals I Recommend Effective for Kids with Hypermobility?
The sandals that I recommend have proven to be the most effective ones in treating children with hypermobility. The sandals provide a stable base of support and an anatomical footbed with an internal support mechanism to reduce the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground.
Another awesome feature that the sandals provide is that they come well-padded around the ankle area, which helps cushion your child’s ankles and prevent heel pain.
The sandals I recommend below are supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time to help prevent your kids’ feet and legs from easily getting tired. 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.
Best Sandals for Kids with Hypermobility – Extra Cushion and Support
Many of the sandals featured below come in several color options, so if your child likes a specific model, please make sure to click through and see if they have the desired color.
Toddler Sizes (0 to 10)
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Pedro by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Genuine leather lining
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Betti by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- Genuine leather lining
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Psyclone by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the shoe style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Two adjustable velcro straps
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Apakowa on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Apakowa on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Lucky Brand on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Supportive footbed
- Adjustable buckles at the front and velcro strap at the back for easy on and off
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style by Geox on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Little/Big Kid Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- Order the sandal style Agnes by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Michael by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
- Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 3 points of adjustability so children can make the sandals as tight or loose as they want
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Hurricane by Teva on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 3 points of adjustability so children can make the sandals as tight or loose as they want
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Rio by Birkenstock on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Suede-lined cork footbed offers excellent arch support, a deep heel cup, roomy toe box, and molds to the shape of each individual’s foot
- Flexible and lightweight EVA outsole is durable and shock-resisting
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Milano by Birkenstock on Zappos
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Suede-lined cork footbed offers excellent arch support, a deep heel cup, roomy toe box, and molds to the shape of each individual’s foot
- Flexible and lightweight EVA outsole is durable and shock-resisting
- I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Order the sandal style Newport H2 by Keen on Amazon
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- I suggest that you get this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
What Sandal Size Should You Order?
Please note that children with hypermobile joints don’t need as much growing room. If you leave too much growing room in your kids’ shoes, your child won’t get the full support that the shoes have to offer and you will also be compromising your child’s stability.
Most sandals are not available in half sizes, they are available in whole sizes only. The sandals that I recommend for children with hypermobility fit “true to size”. Let me show you a couple of different scenarios that will help you determine what sandal size to get for your child:
- If your child measures a foot size 5, you will order the size 6 and your child will get the correct amount of growing room.
- If your child measures a foot size 5 ½, you will order the size 6 and your child will get the correct amount of growing room
Don’t Be Tempted to Provide Extra Growing Room
Don’t forget that you should not provide your child with hypermobility with a lot of growing room. I understand that most parents might be tempted to leave a good amount of growing room, especially with seasonal footwear. It’s okay to leave some growing room so your child can wear the sandal for the whole summer, but please make sure that you don’t leave excessive room since this can lead to compromising your child’s stability.
Should You Fit Orthotics Inside Your Kids’ Sandals?
Orthotics are more effective in shoes that provide good arch and ankle support, and while certain sandals do provide good arch support, they lack a heel counter, which is the back part of the shoes that provides ankle support. If you believe your child might benefit from wearing orthotics inside the sandals I suggest that you visit a different resource that explains this in more detail.
What Are the Best Everyday Sneakers for Kids with Hypermobility?
If you happen to need an everyday pair of sneakers for your child with hypermobility, take a look at another article I wrote where I describe the best shoes for kids with hypermobility.
How to Determine Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape?
Before you leave, there is a resource I created that will help you determine your child’s foot size from home. My recommendation to parents is to take their children to their local children’s shoe store, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their kids’ feet and find shoes accordingly.
If you don’t have a local kids’ shoe store in your area, take advantage of a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home.
Don’t Take the “Wait and See Approach” – Be Proactive!
Most doctors are hesitant to diagnose a child with hypermobility until the child starts complaining about joint pain or fatigue. Taking early action is crucial to help treat this condition, and something so simple as wearing the correct pair of shoes can make a world of difference. If your child has been diagnosed with hypermobility and is experiencing foot and leg pain, you will have to find shoes that provide good support.
