Shoes that Toddlers Can’t Take Off – Prevent Your Toddler from Removing the Shoes
Do you have a toddler who is constantly removing his or her shoes? Are you wondering whether your toddler is doing this as a sign of protest or simply out of boredom? I have been fitting children’s shoes for many years, and now I dedicate myself to helping families from all over the world find the perfect pair of shoes for their children online. You have no idea how many families contact me with the subject line: “Help! My toddler won’t keep the shoes on!”. I will show you a list of shoes that toddlers can’t take off based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience.
One of the most favorite places where children take their shoes off is when they are buckled into the car seat. I recently was contacted by a mother of two boys who told me that they had three pairs of shoes with no mates because their child takes them off in the car, and she suspects that one of her sons throws the shoes out the door when she is buckling his little brother.
Many other families reported similar problems in the car, and they are frustrated because every time they get out of the car they have to go on a hunt for the shoes.
Let me start by saying that I have found that most children who are constantly taking their shoes off are trying to tell us something. That something may be that the shoes are too tight and pinching their toes. There could be many reasons why your toddler refuses to keep the shoes on, but some of the most common ones I have found are:
- The shoes are not fitting properly (too small or too narrow)
- The child might be seeking attention
- The child might simply be going through a phase
- Sensory issues
How to Prevent Your Toddler from Taking His/Her Shoes Off?
When it comes to fitting toddlers in shoes that they won’t take off, it’s all about proper fit and secure fastening features to keep them right where they belong.
Step Number One: Check if the Current Shoes are Fitting Properly
The first step I suggest that you take before investing in a new pair of shoes for your toddler is to make sure that the shoes are fitting correctly. Did you know that toddlers’ feet come in all different shapes and sizes? For example, do you know whether your toddler has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? Do you know whether your toddler has a high instep or not? In my experience, most toddlers tend to have wide or extra wide feet as some of them still carry baby fat on their feet.
So, the first thing that you should do is to take your toddler to be measured at your local shoe store to make sure that the shoes are the correct size. If you don’t have a specialized shoe store in your area, you can use a free resource I created to retrieve your child’s exact shoe size.
Step Number Two: Try a Pair of Shoes that Your Toddler Won’t Be Able to Take Off
If you are 100% sure that your toddler is wearing the correct shoe size then I suggest that you try a pair of shoes that your toddler will have a hard time taking off.
Shoes that come with shoelaces will be a lot harder for your toddler to remove. For example, some families reported that they had good luck fitting their toddlers in Converse high-top shoes. My concern is that Converse shoes are not always great at accommodating wide or extra wide feet.
While the selection is limited, there are certain toddler’s shoes that come with shoelaces and that are capable of accommodating different foot shapes such as wide or extra wide. Below you can find a list of shoes that most toddlers won’t be able to take off. 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.
What Shoes Work Best for Toddlers Who Constantly Remove their Shoes?
Fits Children with Medium, Wide, or Extra Wide Feet
- Shoe style Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Elliot by Stride Rite
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- 100% leather made
- Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip
- Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style 990v6 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style 990v6 by New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style 2002 by New Balance
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Fits Children with Medium or Wide Feet
- Shoe style Chuck Taylor by Converse
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up high top sneaker
- Breathable canvas
- Order this shoe the same size as your toddler’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Shoe style Chuck Taylor by Converse
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up high top sneaker
- Breathable canvas
- Order this shoe the same size as your toddler’s current foot size (shoe fits long)
- Shoe style Superstar by Adidas
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Lace-up closure
- 100% leather made
- Lace-up closure
- Good traction
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Shoe style Simple Joy by Carter
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Lightweight and flexible
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Are You Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?
Take a look at the description below each shoe to find out what shoe size you should order to allow for the correct amount of growing room. You will notice that I either mention that you need to order the shoes a half or a whole size larger to allow for the correct amount of growing room. In some cases, if the shoes fit long, you will have to order the shoes in your toddler’s current foot size.
This Shoe Lacing Technique Makes it Even More Challenging to Remove the Shoes!
Step Number One: Start by leaving the two top eyelets (small holes of the shoe) of each side of the shoe open.
Step Number Two: Go through the top hole first as shown in the image below.
Step Number Three: Go through the holes that you left open.
This shoe lacing technique is going to secure your toddler’s feet inside of the shoes and make it harder for your toddler to remove the shoes.
Are High-Top Shoes Harder to Remove than Regular Sneakers?
Not necessarily. Some families believe that a high-top shoe will be harder for their toddler to take off, but it’s no different for them than removing a regular sneaker.
Maybe it’s the Socks?
Some toddlers might be more sensitive than others to the feel of different fabrics. I have seen several children who refuse to wear their socks, and for those cases, I usually suggest fitting those children in a pair of seamless socks. While I can’t get into too much detail about the importance of seamless socks, you can learn more about them in a different resource that I created:
Do You Prefer Shoes with Velcro Closure?
If you prefer to provide your toddler with a pair of velcro shoes instead of shoes that have shoelaces, I suggest that you ask your question in the comment section below or contact me via email:
It is quite common for toddlers to refuse to wear shoes and it is only really an issue if they are going to be walking on a surface that is not safe for their feet. Taking care of your toddler’s feet from an early stage is really important as children’s feet are constantly developing, and what happens to their feet during their childhood will affect their physique as they grow older.
I understand how frustrating it is for parents to constantly have to put their toddler’s shoes back on. If you’re ready to duct tape shoes to your toddler’s feet, ease the battle by following the 2 steps I showed you before!
Do you often struggle with your toddler constantly removing his or her shoes? Share your experiences below as I am sure other families will relate to your stories.
