Sandals for Toddlers with Low Muscle Tone – Supportive, Lightweight, and Flexible!
Have you noticed that your toddler has increased flexibility, poor posture, and gets tired easily? Has your toddler been diagnosed with low muscle tone (hypotonia) and your medical professional recommended a pair of shoes to help improve your toddler’s walking gait, overall posture, and stability? I already created several resources that describe the best sneakers for toddlers with low muscle tone, but in this article, I will show you the best sandals for toddlers with low muscle tone.
Toddlers with low muscle tone might have to put in more effort to get their muscles moving properly when they are doing an activity, and this might make your toddler more prone to sit rather than play.
How Can I Improve My Toddler’s Low Muscle Tone?
Your medical professional might have suggestions on what steps to take to help improve your toddler’s low muscle tone. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you cannot change your child’s muscle tone.
There are steps that you can take to improve your toddler’s foot posture, walking gait, and overall posture. More importantly, there are steps that you can take to improve your toddler’s stability.
I have noticed throughout the years that several physical/occupational therapists recommend fitting toddlers with low muscle tone in shoes with a stable base of support and firm heel counters. The shoes need to be lightweight and flexible at the same time.
I work for a children’s shoe store where we specialize in helping children with “complex” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best sandals for toddlers with low muscle tone.
Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time here is a list of supportive and lightweight sandals for toddlers with low muscle tone.
Can Shoes Help Improve Your Toddler Low Muscle Tone?
No, shoes will not help improve your toddler’s muscle tone as muscle tone doesn’t really change. However, the correct types of shoes might help improve your toddler’s foot posture, walking gait, and stability.
What a Difference the Correct Types of Sandals Can Make!
It’s amazing the difference that a pair of supportive and well-fitting sandals can make in helping improve a toddler’s walking gait, overall posture, and stability. Let me show you an example of what a difference the correct pair of shoes can make in helping improve your toddler’s foot posture.
BEFORE IMAGE
Let’s start by taking a look at an image of a child with low muscle tone in weight bearing. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
AFTER IMAGE
Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child wearing a pair of the supportive sandals I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are a lot straighter? The substantial outsole and targeted heel support are helping keep the child’s feet in the correct place.
What a difference the correct pair of sandals can make!
What Makes the Sandals I Recommend Effective for Low Muscle Tone?
The sandals I recommend provide 2 key features that make them ideal for toddlers with low muscle tone:
1️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature helps provide a stable base of support for your toddler’s feet, which can help improve your toddler’s foot posture and walking gait.
2️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible: Your toddler’s sandals should be supportive, but they need to be lightweight and flexible at the same time. Your toddler’s sandals should always bend at the ball of the foot but not any further.
Can Supportive Shoes Make My Toddler’s Feet and Muscles Weaker?
No, children with foot conditions need to wear supportive shoes to improve their child’s walking gait, posture, and stability.
There is a common misconception that supportive shoes can make the child’s feet “lazy” or “weaker”. Supportive shoes simply provide children with structural support that is not going to take away from the musculature. We are not making the muscles weak.
Do You Know Your Toddler’s Exact Foot Length and Shape?
Before I show you a selection of the best sandals for toddlers with low muscle tone I want to make sure that you know your toddler’s exact foot length and shape. For example, do you know whether your toddler’s feet are narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide? Do you know whether your toddler has a high instep or not? These are all factors that determine what types of shoes your toddler can wear.
If you are unsure of your toddler’s exact foot length and shape I suggest that you take a look at a different resource I created.
Now let’s take a look at a selection of the best sandals for toddlers with low muscle tone. 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 Toddlers with Low Muscle Tone
All of the sandals below provide substantial outsoles and are lightweight and flexible at the same time. Take a look at the description below each sandal to check whether that specific style can fit your toddler’s foot shape (medium, wide, extra wide).
Boys
- Sandal style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Apakowa
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Psyclone by Teva
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, and extra wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Aldus by Carter
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Double adjustable straps
- Anatomically shaped footbed
- Order this sandal a half size larger than your child’s foot size
- Sandal style Miki by Memo
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- The stiff heel cup prevents the foot deformities; it is placed vertically to the shoe base, and holds the foot in the appropriate position
- High heel design provides better support and helps with lateral movements
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Arizona by Birkenstock
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Double adjustable straps
- EVA outsole
- Order this sandal a half size larger than your child’s foot size
- Sandal style Pedro by Memo
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Genuine leather lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Girls
- Sandal style Newport H2 by Keen
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Apakowa
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Leather insole with arch support
- Two points of adjustability
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Psyclone by Teva
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, and extra wide feet (fits high insteps)
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports
- Rubber outsole for great traction
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Kristina by Memo
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- The thermoplastic sturdy heel counter, Thomas heel for flat feet prevention and treatment
- 100% genuine breathable leather
- High heel design provides better support and helps with lateral movements
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Duncan by Carter
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- Double adjustable straps
- Anatomically shaped footbed
- Order this sandal a half size larger than your child’s foot size
- Sandal style Doris by Memo
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- Genuine leather lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Sandal style Betti by Memo
- Fits toddlers with medium and wide feet
- This is an orthopedic sandal
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support
- Genuine leather lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Many of the sandals featured above come in several color options, so if you want the sandals to be made of a specific color, please make sure to click through and see if they are available in that specific color.
Make sure that you pull the velcro straps and toggle shoelaces comfortably tight, as this helps provide your toddler with better support and stability.
Are There Any Other Sandal Choices Available?
If none of these sandals are available in your toddler’s shoe size or if you are looking for a different type of sandal to help treat your toddler’s low muscle tone, I suggest that you leave me a comment below or email me at:
What Are the Best Shoes and Orthotics for Toddlers with Low Muscle Tone?
I created two different resources that describe the best everyday sneakers and orthotics to help treat your toddler’s low muscle tone.
Can My Toddler Outgrow Low Muscle Tone?
Toddlers with low muscle tone become adults with low muscle tone. You can help your toddler learn and compensate for their limitations, and wearing the correct types of shoes can make a world of difference in helping improve your toddler’s walking gait and stability.
Don’t wait until your toddler is a certain age to see whether his/her foot conditions improve by themselves, as the longer you wait, the more severe the misalignment might become.
It’s important to remember that there are different levels of muscle tone and each child is impacted differently.
