Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on April 2022 and reflects an up-to-date selection of socks for wide feet.
Socks that are too tight can cramp your kids’ feet and make them overlap and rub against one another. Do your children always complain about their socks feeling too tight on their feet? Are they always saying that they feel too tight and bumpy?
If your children have wide or extra wide feet, the socks can constrict their toe movement and what’s even worse make those toes overlap and rub against one another.
Parents are always asking me: Is there such thing as a sock that can make children with wide or extra wide feet more comfortable?
The type of sock that you provide for your child makes all the difference in the way your kids’ shoes feel. There are certain types of socks that help accommodate the shape of a child’s wide or extra wide feet better, and I will help you find them.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes and Socks
I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses on helping children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best socks for kids.
If you feel like all the socks that you try on your kids’ feet feel too tight around their toes and calves, you must provide them with a different sock style. The good news is that I have fitted socks for children with wide and extra wide feet before, and I know exactly which styles fit better.
Certain socks have been specially tailored to fit children with wide feet. Two of the best sock companies that sell socks for kids’ wide or extra wide feet are Jefferey and SmartKnit. In addition to the fact that they fit wide feet, they are also seamless, which means they allow your kids’ toes to fully stretch and move.
Several parents have asked me what they can do about their children who refuse to wear socks with their shoes. Do any of the following sound familiar to you?
They’re too tight!
They’re too thick!
They’re too bumpy!
The seams bug me!
Let’s keep in mind that your children are complaining for a reason.
Wearing tight socks can hinder your kids’ daily life activities and can cause them discomfort when walking or playing. Certain sock styles are made of flexible and stretchy materials and are also seamless.
Seamless socks are great because they allow the child’s toes to freely move and prevent them from rubbing against each other. Let me show you a selection of the best kids’ socks for wide feet.
Finding the Perfect Socks for Your Child – It All Starts with the Right Size!
Do you usually have trouble finding the correct sock size for your child? Getting a sock that is too long can bunch up below your kids’ feet and cause them discomfort. On the other hand, getting a sock that is too short might cramp your kids’ toes and also cause discomfort and foot issues.
The first step in finding the correct sock size is to know your child’s shoe size.
Always ignore the label that reads “sock size” or “age guidelines”. To provide your child with the correct sock size, you must always look under the label “shoe size” in the socks’ tags. This is the most effective way to find your child’s correct sock size. Take a look at the image below for clarification:
Now that you know how to choose the correct sock size for your child, you are a step closer to ending those morning battles every time is time to put the socks on! Children with wide or extra wide feet often face issues while wearing socks, as their toes always tend to get cramped.
The Best Kids’ Socks for Wide Feet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Below you can find a selection of the best kids’ socks for wide feet. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Toddler/Little/Big Kids
Toddler/Little/Big KidsToddler/Little/Big KidsToddler/Little/Big Kids
These are the widest socks for children that I have fitted before. Some of the other features you will love about these socks are how they are seamless, breathable, durable, and comfortable.
The extra room that seamless socks provide prevents kids’ toes from overlapping or rubbing against each other. These socks are very soft and made from high-quality materials to guarantee your kids’ comfort.
Another great feature of these socks is that you can throw them in the washing machine and don’t have to worry about the color fading or the socks shrinking. Unlike ordinary socks, which lose their quality and tend to shrink after a few piles of washings, these socks are resistant to wear and tear. At the children’s shoe store that I work for, we sell these socks all the time and parents are amazed about how children will stop complaining about their socks feeling too tight or too bumpy.
The Best Socks for Wide Feet – STOP Your Early Morning Battles!
Wearing the right type of socks is essential for your kids to feel comfortable.
Socks play a key role in healthy foot development, as big of a rule as the shoes themselves. If your child has wide or extra wide feet and often faces issues in finding comfortable socks to wear, then consider purchasing a pair of socks that will fit your children’s wide feet.
Parents always have a hard time finding wide socks for their children, and it can be a very frustrating and time-consuming experience since most companies simply don’t make them.
Are you looking for a pair of high-quality, breathable and durable socks for yourself? I wrote an article where I describe the best women’s socks for sweaty feet. Go to the link below:
The Best Women’s Socks for Sweaty Feet – Breathable, Durable, Seamless, and Affordable!
If your child has wide or extra wide feet and you have found a pair of socks that are wide enough for his/her feet, please share your findings in the comment section below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
Socks for kids with wide feet is an important subject. I have never seen an article written about it. The content is nicely written and informative, and I beleive most parents will benefit from reading this. How can I help you spread the word about this article? This is a site to really be proud pf, thank you for doing this.
Karen,
Thank you, I believe most parents that come across my website leave more informed about the importance of fitting their children shoes. That’ the whole goal of the website, to inform parents about the importance that shoes play in their children healthy feet, leg, and back. If you can share the article in social media it will definitely reach more people.
These sound great, and I kind of wish I’d known about these when my daughter was younger. Her feet are growing into a more usual width now she is twelve. But she has been one of those unlucky kids that can only choose from a limited range of school shoes due to the width of her feet. Socks are the same! These seamless ones sound ideal. I have one question – do you know if there are adult versions available? My socks really annoy me inside tall boots, because the seam across the end of the toes either travels above or below where it’s meant to be and pulls on my feet! I find it really uncomfortable and end up pulling the sock out from my toes before I put my boots on, which isn’t a great solution either. Hope you can help.
Mara,
I have met with a lot of parents who asked me if their kids’ feet will narrow down as they get older. I always tell them that they might, because I have helped several children who used to have extra wide feet, and they narrowed down to a regular wide or medium width foot. Some children feet tend to narrow down as they grow, while some of them might stay extra wide or wide forever.
I don’t know if there are adult versions available, but what women shoe size do you wear? Did you know that a women shoe size 8.5 translates to a kids’ size 7? This means that you might not only be able to get children shoes, but children socks as well. Check where the tag of the socks has the sizing information: For example, in the back it will say “Fit shoe size: 12 – 4, or fit shoe size: 4-7”. Depending on the women shoe size that you wear, you will be able to get this kids’ seamless socks, and end up saving some money too! Let me know how it works out and if you have any other questions.
I can’t possibly agree with you more that kids need to wear socks with their shoes! My kids have the ability to get new shoes and if they wear them even once without socks, the shoes begin to stink like they’re years old! Do you know of any ways of “unstinking” stinky shoes?
Pio,
Thank you for sharing your experiences. Yes, socks act as a barrier between our feet and the shoes, and they protect us from bacteria and foot infections. Like you mentioned before, socks will greatly reduce the smell of the shoes.
There is a product I have used at the children shoe store I work for that helps removing the smell of the shoes, and also keeping them fresh. I wrote a post about it not too long ago: How To Stop Smelly Feet – Prevent Foot And Shoe Odor
Let me know how it works out!
Hello, I very much appreciated this subject matter as my son (7 years old) has wide feet and I am forever looking for comfortable socks (and shoes) for him. That being said, we do a lot of hiking, backpacking and rock climbing during the summer months. Do you know of any comfortable hiking socks that I may look at? He is a boys size 2 at the moment.
Thanks!
Andy,
Finding shoes and socks for a child that has wide feet can be time consuming and frustrating. When hiking or rock climbing, it is really important to wear the right pair of shoes and the right pair of socks. Did you know they make hiking boots for children that have wide feet? Here is one example of a hiking boot for kids made by Merrell that comes in wide widths:
Merrell Wide Hiking Boot
When it comes to socks, there is a particular style specially for hiking that will fit a child with a wide foot. Parents love this socks and are amazed by how well made they are:
The Best Hiking Socks For Kids
I hope this helps!
Christmas break is coming soon though so I’m gonna see my daughter in a few more days. Her feet smell so bad when she takes her socks on that I make her wash her feet every time. It is quite a hassle since she doesn’t want to do it every time.
Choosing the right kind of socks is very important because even us adults can get so uncomfortable if the socks we are wearing doesn’t fit properly.
By the way, do you have recommendations for eliminating unpleasant smells from socks?
A lot of children suffer from smelly feet. I wouldn’t look too much into, but it all starts with wearing the right type of socks and shoes. You can probably benefit from reading a post I created about socks that allow the feet to breathe more: Seamless Socks For Kids – Stop The Struggle Of Putting Socks On!
In order to remove the unpleasant smell from socks these must be washed thoroughly. However, the smell WILL come back if the socks are not made of a brethable material.
Do you have any suggestions for toddlers with super wide ankles? All of the socks that fit my son’s feet are super tight on his tree-trunk ankles. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Hello Mary,
In my post I describe the best socks for children with wide or extra wide feet. However, there is a particular style that is seamless and fits wide around the ankles. You can find it in this link:
Socks For Boys With Wide Ankles
My son has wide feet and wears a large size for his age. He’s four years old, and currently wears size 2 XW shoes. That said, he is outgrowing his Jefferies socks (which have been the BEST for us!). The Naartjie socks are way too small and tight. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t find any boys’ socks that fit him anymore. What is the next step? Men’s socks seem to be too big and too long, and the styles are generally inappropriate for my preschooler. Are there any men’s brands that fit the way Jefferies do, and maybe have some color? Thanks in advance!
I am not familiar with men socks since we don’t sell them at the store, but there is a sock brand that fits extremely well for kids with wide and extra wide feet called “Jefferies”. Have you tried this sock brand for your child before? Here is how they look like: Socks For Kids With Wide Feet
I hope they work out for your son!