Sever’s Disease in Kids: Best Shoes to Stop Heel Pain
Last updated: September 14, 2026 · Written by Juan Valenzuela, Certified Children’s Shoe Fitter
Is your child walking or running differently, or complaining of heel pain? They may be dealing with Sever’s disease — a common condition in growing, active kids. Despite the name, it’s not actually a disease, but a temporary inflammation of the growth plate in the heel. As a children’s shoe fitter, I’ve seen firsthand how the right footwear and early intervention can ease pain and speed up recovery. With proper support, Sever’s disease in kids can be managed — and the discomfort significantly reduced.
What Actually Causes Sever’s Disease?
Sever’s disease happens during a growth spurt, when the leg bones grow faster than the calf muscles and Achilles tendon can keep up. That mismatch pulls on the growth plate at the back of the heel, causing inflammation and pain — it’s a normal part of growing, not something caused by any single choice a parent makes. Unsupportive or poorly fitted shoes don’t cause Sever’s disease, but they can make the pain worse and slow recovery down, since a shoe without a firm heel counter or adequate cushioning does less to absorb shock and stabilize the heel during the exact activities that aggravate it.
If your child is experiencing discomfort, the first step is to let them rest the affected foot until the pain improves — then focus on the shoes, heel cups, and lacing that support recovery going forward.
Key Features of Supportive Shoes for Kids with Sever’s Disease
Firm heel counters. This provides the stability needed to prevent excessive heel movement, reducing stress on the growth plate. When selecting shoes, make sure the heel counter is rigid and supportive.
A stable base of support. This distributes pressure evenly across the foot, minimizing impact on the heel. A wide, flat base gives a solid foundation that helps reduce discomfort.
Extra padding and cushion below the heel. This absorbs shock and helps alleviate pain directly at the point of impact.
Being Proactive Matters
Early intervention — the right footwear, targeted stretching exercises, and orthotics or heel cups where needed — tends to shorten how long symptoms last. Parents who wait it out often see the pain drag on longer than it needs to.
Fit Matters as Much as the Shoe Itself
Shoes that are too loose allow excessive foot movement; shoes that are too tight cause discomfort and can restrict natural foot development. Regularly measuring your child’s feet and buying the correct size is essential — especially during a growth spurt, when feet can outgrow shoes faster than expected. This measuring guide helps you find your child’s exact width — narrow to extra wide — plus whether they have a high instep, from home.
Best Shoes for Kids with Sever’s Disease
These shoes are chosen for their firm heel counters and real cushioning, and accommodate narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide feet depending on the style. Disclosure: some links above are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Fresh Foam 625 by New Balance
These New Balance running shoes for Sever’s disease are perfect for kids who need a reliable all-around shoe, capable of supporting diverse sports engagements.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon or the New Balance website
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Ideal for mild cases of heel pain
- Fresh foam midsole cushioning provides an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Padded collar and tongue
- Sizing tip: Order a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
Contend by Asics
These supportive kids’ shoes for Sever’s disease feature a cushioned midsole, durable outsole, and breathable upper, making them ideal for kids with plantar fasciitis and heel pain.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Fits narrow or medium feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- The toe reinforcement, toe rubber stitching, and solid rubber outsole improve durability
- Sizing tip: order a full size larger than your child’s current foot size
Mach by Hoka
These supportive shoes for heel pain provide a plush midsole with superior shock absorption, while the lightweight design ensures ease of movement.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Fits medium or wide feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- Cushioned midsole for shock absorption
- Durable outsole with excellent traction
- Sizing tip: order a full size larger than your child’s current foot size
Gel-Noosa by Asics
These Asics shoes for heel pain are perfect for kids who want to make a fashion statement while enjoying the benefits of supportive footwear.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Fits narrow or medium feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- Injection E.V.A midsole cushioning
- Stitched toe and solid rubber outsole to improve durability
- Sizing tip: order a full size larger than your child’s current foot size
1906 by New Balance
These are some of the best shoes for kids with Sever’s disease as they offer a blend of style and functionality. The shoes are designed for both casual wear and athletic performance, making them versatile options for kids with heel pain.
Key Features
- Order on the New Balance website
- Fits medium or wide feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression
- Padded collar and tongue
- Sizing tip: order half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Fresh Foam Arishi v4 by New Balance
These New Balance shoes for kids with Sever’s disease are a popular choice for their comfort and versatility. They are suitable for everyday wear, from school days to high-impact and sports activities.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon or the New Balance website
- Accommodates medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- Semi-firm heel counters
- Sizing tip: order half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
GT-1000 by Asics
These are some of the best running shoes for Sever’s disease as they have infused gel below the heels for extra support and stability.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Accommodates narrow or medium feet
- Ideal for moderate to strong cases of heel pain
- Firm heel counters, stable base of support, and semi-straight lasts
- Sizing tip: Order a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Kinvara by Saucony
These kids’ shoes for heel pain are lightweight and offer excellent cushioning and flexibility. It’s perfect for kids who enjoy running and other high-impact activities.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Fits medium or wide feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- Foam padding placed around the ankle collar and under the tongue
- Comfort sockliner molds to your foot with padding in the heel for ultimate cushioning at heel-strike
- Engineered mesh for structure, stretch and enhanced breathability
- Sizing tip: order half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
990v6 by New Balance
These are the absolute best shoes for kids with Sever’s disease. The robust outsole helps distribute weight evenly across the foot and reduces strain on the muscles and joints. The downside that many parents complain about is the high price tag.
Key Features
- Order with laces on the New Balance website or Amazon
- Velcro version also available on the New Balance website or Amazon
- Accommodates medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Ideal for strong cases of heel pain
- Firm heel counters, stable base of support, and semi-straight lasts
- Removable insoles
- Sizing tip: Order a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
Cross Em Up by Adidas
The Cross Em Up by Adidas are the best basketball shoes for kids with Sever’s disease. The versatility of the shoe makes it suitable for both sports and everyday wear, adding value for parents looking for multi-functional footwear.
Key Features
- Order on Amazon
- Accommodates medium or wide feet
- Ideal for mild to moderate cases of heel pain
- High-top design for additional ankle support
- Versatile — suitable for sports and everyday wear
- Sizing tip: Order a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Reach Out for Specific Shoe Recommendations
Every child’s foot shape and degree of pain are different, and a huge range of sport-specific questions come up in the comments below — from ice hockey to badminton to lacrosse. Reach out directly with your child’s shoe size, width, and sport, and I can give you a tailored recommendation.
Lace Shoes the Right Way
This lacing technique helps secure the heel in place, reducing stress on the growth plate and preventing the foot from sliding inside the shoe during activity. The same principle applies if your child is also wearing an orthotic, has narrow feet, or both — the goal is always the same snug, secure hold at the heel, just adjusted slightly for the specific combination of factors involved.
Heel Cups for Kids: Extra Cushion and Support
In most cases, supportive shoes with good heel structure are enough to relieve the pain. If your child is already wearing them and still hurting, a heel cup can offer the extra cushioning needed. They’re simple, affordable, and fit into most shoes — though as several parents have found through trial and error, a heel cup is only as effective as the shoe it’s placed inside.
Tuli’s Heel Cups
- Order Tuli’s Heel Cups on Amazon
- These heel cups for plantar fasciitis can fit in most shoes
- Small Size – Fits from a little kid shoe size 10.5 to a big kid shoe size 6. Best for children under 80 lbs.
- Regular Size – Fits big kid shoe size 6 and above. Weight up to 175 lbs.
KidSole Heel Cups
- Order KidSole heel cups on Amazon
- Available from a little kid shoe size 11 through big kid shoe size 7
- Sport grip design allows the heel pad to stay in place while kids run and play
- These gel heel cups for plantar fasciitis can fit in most enclosed shoes
- Fits from a little kid’s shoe size 10.5 to a big kid’s shoe size 6. Best for children under 80 lbs.
What If My Child Also Has High Arches or Flat Feet?
Sever’s disease often overlaps with other foot conditions, and a heel cup alone won’t fully address those. If flat feet are also a factor, these insoles add arch support alongside heel protection — several parents in the comments have combined a heel cup with an arch-supporting insole for exactly this reason.
Can Kids with Sever’s Disease Still Play Sports?
Yes — as long as they’re wearing the right sport-specific shoes in the correct size. The wrong shoes or fit can increase injury risk and even affect long-term development. Look for athletic shoes that match the demands of the sport while still offering proper heel support, and don’t assume wide or extra wide feet rule out sport-specific cleats — most sports offer wide options even when it’s not obvious from the main product listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — it’s caused by a growth spurt outpacing the flexibility of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon, which pulls on the heel’s growth plate. Unsupportive shoes don’t cause it, but they can make symptoms worse and slow recovery, which is why the right footwear still matters even though it isn’t the root cause.
It varies widely by child, but with supportive shoes, appropriate rest, and stretching, many kids see meaningful improvement within a few weeks to a couple of months. Sever’s disease also naturally resolves once the growth spurt behind it levels out, which is part of why it’s most common between ages 8 and 15.
If the pain doesn’t improve with supportive shoes, heel cups, and reasonable rest, if it’s severe enough to affect how your child walks, or if you’re not sure whether it’s Sever’s disease versus something else, it’s worth having a pediatrician, podiatrist, or orthopedist take a look.
Thanks for this post! My son is about to turn 12 and is growing out of his men’s size 9.5 Saucony shoes. Any other recs for men’s shoes? (Can’t believe my boy is in men’s sizes already!) TY!
Hello Cristen,
To recommend specific shoes for your son I first need to know his foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide).
Hi wondering if you have any suggestions for a youth baseball cleat for a ten year old with severs? Any brands in general to stay away from? Thank you !!!
Hello Stephanie,
It’s hard to recommend specific shoe brands as there are specific models among each brand that work a to better than others.
If you tell me your child’s foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide), and the country that you are contacting me from I can check what specific baseball cleats you might be able to order.
Hi, my daughter is 13 and has had severs for 1 year. She is a runner and she is very frustrated and discouraged with the extreme pain she gets every time she runs. Weve tried multiple types of heal cups suggested by foot doctors but none seem to help. She wears women’s size 7 1/2 to 8 shoes. She has very narrow feet. What running shoes would you suggest? Also woyld any of the superfeet inserts help? Thank you
Hi Wendy —
I understand your daughter’s frustration.
Please note that if the heels cups are fitted in the wrong pair of shoes then they are going to be ineffective. Below you can find my shoes recommendations. These running shoes provide targeted support to the heel area:
For the first option please choose the narrow width option (N)
Option 1
Option 2
How to Tie Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet – Make their Shoes Fit and Feel Better!
I recommend that she tries any of these 2 sneakers for a month and if the pain persists then that’s when I recommend fitting a pair of heel cups.
I hope this helps.
Any suggestions for softball cleat? Should we do a turf shoe instead? Daughter is 9 and has pain every season and when she runs while playing on normal day activities. She is 5 feet tall. Not professionally sized. But size 5.
Hi Trish –
There is a particular baseball turf cleat that your daughter can wear to softball. This cleat comes with a firm heel counter and a substantial sole that is going to help reduce the impact that your daughter’s feet take when they come in contact with the ground. I also recommend trying a pair of heel cups inside this cleat. Do you know if your daughter has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet?
Hello! Thanks for all the information. My 12 year old son plays basketball and complains of heal pain. He wears a size 7 – that zone where he is in the largest size kid shoe or the smallest size adult shoe. He is a medium/standard width.
Do you have any recommendations on an everyday shoe (that will still get basketball use in pickup games and outdoor hoop practice) as well as a basketball shoe for actual practice and games. I’v seen both the New Balance 990v5 and the Addias ProBounce recommended. Is this a good pairing? Are there any advantages to the adult versions of these shoes over the kid versions? On a similar note, my son typically wears a low or midtop basketball shoe. He has not gone full hightop yet, but if that is what it takes, I’m sure he is open to it. Thanks!
Hello Bruce –
Yes, the 990V5 and the Adidas Probounce are a good pairing. Your son can wear the 990V5 as an everyday shoe and pickup games.
There are no advantages to the adult versions of the shoes. Your son is still under the kids’ shoe sizes, once he reaches a shoe size 71/2 then he will be officially into men’s sizes. I recommend that you stick with the kids’ version since you will end up saving a lot of money.
The full hightop will provide your son with better ankle and heel support.
Please don’t forget to fit the Tuli’s heel cups inside the shoes and let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, this is Lainie again we took your advice and ordered, “option one” of the volleyball shoes. They were great, the heels were amazing and every thing was good expect for the foot fit. I realize now that my daughter has a very wide foot or that shoe just ran small. I was wondering if you had another recommendation that was very similar to the first option but had a wider foot space towards the front of the shoe.
Hi Lainie,
We need to find a shoe that comes with a rounder toe-box at the front but has a narrower heel. There are no volleyball shoes available in wide widths, but there is a tennis shoe style that your daughter can wear to play volleyball that provides good ankle support. Please find below my recommendation:
Mizuuno Tennis Shoe for Volleyball
I hope this helps!
To answer your questions, the inserts she has worn in the past are Dr. Scholls pain relief orthotics, she wears vans everyday to school with the heel cups in, though sometimes that makes the pain worse. The inserts she has worn in the past have helped her arch pain, but then it led to heel pain so she stopped wearing them.
Lainie,
Dr. Schools are comfort insoles, despite of what they might say on their package label.
Vans are casual shoes, not everyday shoes and they don’t provide any heel support whatsoever.
In conclusion, your daughter is experiencing heel pain from wearing unsupportive shoes. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, my daughter has been experiencing heel pain for about three years, going into her fourth. We have tried heel cups, compression socks, different shoes, inserts, stretching, strengthening, and nothing has made a difference. I am 5-11, and my husband is 6-7 my daughter is 5-10 and hasn’t hit puberty yet, she is thirteen and a little late on maturing. She wears a size 10 in regular shoes, and she has an EXTREMELY high arch, I have failed to find a shoe that helps her severs as well as her high arch. She played basketball all her life, and now is getting into volleyball. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for a volleyball shoe for her situation or a good insert for her arch.
Hello Lainie,
It seems like you have tried it “all”, but not all heel cups and inserts will provide the same level fo effectiveness. You also need to consider that if your daughter doesn’t wear supportive shoes, then the heels cups and the inserts/orthotic won’t be effective. In addition, the shoes need to be tied properly for your daughter to get the full support from the shoes. There are a lot of factors that play a role when trying to significantly reduce or fully eliminate heel pain.
What type of everyday shoes is your daughter wearing? The shoes need to provide a firm heel counter and extra cushion and padding right below where her heels are. Please feel free to send me a picture of the shoes that your daughter is wearing: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
What shoe inserts have you tried?
Before I send you a recommendation of a volleyball shoe, I need to know whether your daughter has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet.
Thank you for responding so quickly, my daughter has been wearing the HyperDunk basketball shoes to volleyball practice, I think that the problem may also be that her ankles have no room to breath. She has a medium foot width, and we have tried the foot machine where you get custom inserts for your arch, but none of the inserts have applied to her heel.
Lainie,
The problem is not that her ankles have no room to breathe.
Here are the recommendations for a volleyball shoe:
Option 1
Option 2
I am not sure what do you mean when you say that none of the inserts have applied to her heel. The inserts usually come with a heel cup, and that’s supposed to reduce the impact that the heels take when they come in contact with the ground. Some inserts provide better support than others, that’s why I was asking you which specific inserts you have tried.
I recommend that you start by trying pair of Superfeet inserts, and if the pain persists, then I can recommend a more substantial orthotic.
Superfeet: Green
I want her to tie her shoes the same way it shows in this article:
How To Tie Shoes With Orthotics- Stop Heel Slippage
I am curious to know what type of everyday shoes she wears. They need be supportive or we won’t be able to combat her heel pain.
I love New Balance, but find the remark made that parents who did not buy supportive shoes, is what lead to severs disease to be false information. If this is true what scientific journals, groups of doctors did these studies to prove this information? Severs according to my sons orthopedic surgeon is caused by a sudden growth spurt where the child’s leg muscles do not grow as quickly as they do and pulls and stretches the heel muscles as they grow causing intense pain in their heals. I agree that sportive shoes are needed if the child ends u suffering from this and that it’s good to have shoes with support but it’s not the fault of the parents who did not buy the correct shoe. If it was the disease would be better known because most every child in poverty would suffer from the disease because many parents cannot afford to buy supportive shoes and there are a lot of kids in poverty.
Hello Nicole,
Thank you for sharing. I don’t believe that I mention anywhere on my article that parents who didn’t buy supportive shoes for their children are the ones at fault for their kids experiencing Sever’s disease.
I created this website to help parents make the most informed decision when buying their children’s shoes based on my experience as a shoe fitter, and what I have learned through the last 10 years. Sever’s disease is a type of bone injury that occurs when the heel becomes inflamed and causes pain. Just because a child doesn’t wear supportive shoes it doesn’t mean that he/she will get Sever’s disease. There are a lot of children who wear minimalist shoes or go barefoot and never experience any sort of foot or leg pain, and this is because of the simple fact that they all have a different type of foot anatomy.
If the child is experiencing heel pain, supportive shoes and in some cases orthotics and heel cups are the best way to help treat this condition.
My son is 11 and diagnosed with severs last fall. Aside from severs he also rolled his ankles about 5 times within a year’s period. We purchased the New Balance 860 and he still rolls his ankle a lot. He has also already worn down the fronts of them (tip toe area). Should we just go back to that shoe or do you have another recommendation? He wears a 4 might be in a 4.5 by now though.
Hello Crystal,
The shoe style that I recommend for this condition is the 990 style not the 860. The 990 has a more substantial sole and a firmer heel counter. Please find the style below:
Shoe Style with Extra Ankle Support
Please let me now if you have any questions.
Hi! Thanks for such an informative website. My 10 year old son (size 3, narrow foot) has been complaining about heel pain for several months now and after reading all of this, I’m pretty sure it’s Sever’s related. He plays competitive ice hockey and soccer and recreational basketball, but up until now I haven’t paid much attention to his shoes. Which is a good everyday sneaker for him to wear to run around and play basketball? He has Adidas cleats for soccer. Is there a solution for the ice skates? It’s so hard to tell how much arch support they provide. Would a heel cup help? Thanks in advance!
Hello Amie,
It seems like your child is extremely active, and the sports he plays involve a lot of high impact movements, sudden stops, and quick direction changes.In order to be able to recommend a pair of shoes for your child I will have to know whether he has a narrow, medium, wide, or an extra wide foot.
I am not an expert when it comes to ice skating, but I know a coach who will be able to provide me with the right information.
Heel cups are extremely effective in reducing or fully eliminating heel pain, but they must be fitted correctly in the correct pair of shoes. Once you get back at me with your son’s foot width, I will be able to recommend a pair of shoes and heel cups.
My 10 year old daughter has been struggling with Severs for a couple of years. She is a size 7 to 7 1/2 and plays basketball and runs. I would love recommendations for both running shoes and basketball shoes.
Hello Shay,
You need to look for shoes that come with a firm heel counter and a substantial outsole, to minimize the impact that her feet take every time they come in contact with the ground.
She is in between kids and women’s shoe sizes, which can be a little tricky but you can find my recommendations below.
Running Shoes for Sever’s Disease: Option 1
Running Shoes for Sever’s Disease: Option 2
These shoes are higher priced because they come with extra infused gel, especially around the heel area.
There is one particular basketball shoe style that works great for kids with heel pain. You will be able to fit a heel cup or an orthotic inside the shoe if you have to, since it’s very deep and available in wide widths.
Basketball Shoe for Sever’s Disease: Option 1
I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for the quick response. I think I am going to have to move her up to women’s sizing given how fast she is growing. Would you still recommend the same brands in larger sizes for running and basketball?
Hello Shay,
Yes, look for shoes with extra cushion and support around the heel area. You should consider fitting a pair of heel cups in the basketball shoes if the pain persists.
I hope the helps!
Hi.. Your article is very helpfull for me.. My son 9 years old, he is a badminton player, He’s exercise 6 hours/day from monday to friday. Now he struggle with sever.. Can you help me what shoes is recommed to support his daily badminton activity. His shoes no 4. Thank you
Hello Yulia,
We need to look for shoes that come with a form heel counter, to minimize the impact on your son’s heels every time they come in contact with the ground. The shoes I recommend below come with infused gel that is specifically targeted around the heel of the shoes.
Shoes for Heel Pain: Option 1
Shoes for Heel Pain: Option 2
If after trying these shoes styles the pain persists, then you should consider fitting a heel cup inside your kids’ shoes. You can learn more about the best heel cups for kids here:
Heel Cups for Kids – How to Stop Heel Pain
I hope this helps.
Can you recommend a good women size basketball and volleyball shoe and everyday tennis shoe for my daughter that wears 9 1/2 women’s and has regular width and severs?
Hello Connie,
Here are my recommendations:
Basketball Shoe: Option 1
Volleyball Shoe: Option 1
Everyday Tennis Shoe: Option 1
Everyday Tennis Shoe: Option 2
If the pain persists after wearing any of these shoe styles, please get back at me and I will able to recommend a pair of insoles or a heel cup for extra heel support.
I hope this helps!
Hi, my son has Severs and plays lacrosse. He is a size 5 wide. Do you have a lacrosse cleat you would recommend for him? We’ve been told to buy turf shoes instead of regular cleats. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks!!!
Hello Crysta,
The majority of lacrosse games are played on natural grass/turf. Thus most lacrosse cleats will have molded TPU spikes/studs to offer traction in all conditions. There is a particular cleat that I recommend that comes with a firm heel counter (this will provide ankle support), and you can also fit an orthotic (such as Superfeet) in order to provide extra support for your child’s feet.
Here is the cleat that I am talking about:
Lacrosse Cleat with Extra Support
Please keep in mind that this shoe style is available in wide widths (“W”), which you will have to choose if you want to fit a pair of Superfeet insoles inside the shoes. You can learn more about Superfeet insoles here:
Superfeet Insoles
The blue Superfeet is the one that works with cleats.
I hope this helps!
Your article is very informative. My son is 12 years old and is in so much pain from Sever’s Disease. He has wide feet and is wearing size 11 men’s. What would be the best everyday shoe for him? Also, do you have a recommendation for the best soccer cleats for him? Thanks for your help!
Hello Denise,
Thank you. Here are my recommendations.
Supportive New Balance Shoe Style for Boy in Men’s Sizes: Option 1
Supportive Shoe Style for Boy in Men’s Sizes: Option 2
When it comes to soccer shoes, we need to find a style that comes with a firm heel counter and that is also available in wide widths. Here is my only recommendation:
Soccer Shoe for Boy with Foot Pain
These are the most supportive styles that I have fitted before. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi. My daughter is 8 years old and diagnosed with Severs. Can you recommend an everyday shoe, basketball and volleyball shoe for her? She is very tiny at 50lbs and very narrow feet. We have been wearing the heal inserts and it’s made a big difference. Thank you
Hi Dulcey,
Yes I can, but next time please send me your daughter’s shoe size instead of her age. I am assuming she knows how to tie her shoes, and she doesn’t she should learn because it will make a big difference in the way the shoes fit, specially since she has narrow feet. All of the shoes that I recommend below are narrow and come with a firm heel counter (to provide heel support).
Everyday shoes:
Option 1
Option 2
Basketball Shoe:
Option 1
Volleyball Shoe:
Option 1
I hope this helps!
Thanks for all of the information! My son is 8 years old, he plays soccer, football and Lacrosse… what are the best cleats for him? We tried heels cups that were gel but they kept sliding in his cleats. Do the Tulis brand slide around?
Hello Tracy,
You have a pretty active child! There is a particular soccer cleat that is very deep, so it will allow the Tuli’s Heel Cup from sliding. You can find that soccer cleat here:
Soccer Shoes for Kids with Heel Pain – Supportive Shoes with Heel Cups to Stop Your Kids’ Heel Pain!
Once you fit the heel cup in those cleats, there is a particular shoe tying method that will lock his heels and prevent the heel cu from moving around. You can learn about that shoe tying method in an article I wrote called:
How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics – Stop Heel Slippage
I hope this helps!
Hello my son is 12 years old and fighting sever’s disease for 3 years now. He is wearing Tulis heel cups for 1 year now and he has already seen a big differrence now.He is an active basketball player for the past 5 years.We have concerns everytime we have to buy shoes for him if we are getting the proper ones.He has the jordan’s superfly 2017 shoes which he is pretty happy,but I think we need something even better.Can you please reccomend me the best shoes that you think is ideal for my son? Don’t forget to mention that he’s a big footer wearing size 12! Thanks.
Hello Arthur,
In order to help you better I need some extra information.
Do you know your child’s shoe width? I need to know if his feet are narrow, medium, wide or extra wide (that way I can recommend a pair of shoes that will fit the shape of his feet).
I also would like to know if he wears his basketball shoes as his everyday shoes. Are you looking for a basketball shoe or for an athletic everyday running shoe for your child?
Thank you for your very informative article. My daughter was diagnosed with severs several months ago and we have been able to address it with PT and lots of stretching, as well as the heel cups you mention here. She has flare ups but they are not as bad as before.
Would you have a recommendation for shoes for her to play tennis in, on a hard court? She has a wide tow box and narrow heel. We would use the heel cups in the tennis shoes.
Many thanks in advance!
Hello Bettina,
Yes, there is a particular tennis shoe style for kids that have wide feet. You can put the heel cup inside but you MUST make sure you tie the shoes properly because it will make a huge difference in the way the shoes feel and because your daughter has a narrow heel.
Here is the particular shoe style I recommend:
Supportive Tennis Shoes for Kids
Take a look at this post where I describe the best way to tie your kids’ shoes:
How To Tie Shoes With Orthotics – Stop Heel Slippage
I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for this page of information. My 8yr old has just been diagnosed with this painful problem. Your article was really helpful and reassuring.
Hello Virginia,
I am glad that you found the article informative! If you ever have any questions please let me know.