Does your child have a foot condition such as flat feet, low muscle tone, intoeing, knock knees, and your medical professional recommends that your child wears a pair of supportive sandals during the summer? There are certain children’s sandals (not necessarily orthopedic) that provide a stable base of support and can help improve your child’s foot posture and stability during the summer. I am going to show you a list of the best supportive sandals for kids based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.
My Experience Helping Children with Foot Problems – Over a Decade of Experience!
I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for over 10 years, and the shoe store where I work specializes in helping children with foot conditions as well as “complex” foot shapes. Many medical professionals (pediatricians, physical/occupational therapists) refer families to the shoe store where I work to be fitted for supportive shoes and orthotics.
The most important pair of shoes that your child should wear for most of the day is a pair of everyday sneakers. However, when summertime arrives a lot of parents get confused as to what type of footwear their children should wear. Most parents want to provide their children with a pair of breathable shoes, but they are unsure whether sandals are okay to wear.
Should Children with Foot Conditions Wear Sandals During the Summer?
As long as the sandals provide good support, your child can wear them for 4 to 5 hours a day. You just need to make sure that the sandals are supportive and fit your child’s foot shape correctly.
What Makes the Sandals that I Recommend Ideal for Children with Foot Conditions?
1️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: This feature is going to help improve your child’s foot posture and walking gait. Sandals with supportive outsoles also help provide a stable base of support to attenuate the impact that your child’s feet take when they come in contact with the ground. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes.
Do you notice how the sandal on the left has a more supportive outsole compared to the sandal on the right?
2️⃣ Targeted Cushion and Support Below the Heels: This feature is going to support your child’s heels and minimize the impact that the feet take when they come in contact with the ground.
Do you notice how the sandal on the left has more cushion and support around the heel area compared to the sandal on the right?
Where Can You Find Sandals that Provide These 2 Important Features?
Most children’s sandals don’t come labeled as with extra cushion and support, but I know which models are more supportive than others from having fitted them before. I will show you a list of the most supportive sandals that I have fitted before, but before you buy your children’s shoes online, you must be 100% sure of their exact foot length and shape.
I created a free resource that helps families determine their child’s exact foot length and shape from home:
How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
It’s important that you order the correct shoe size for your child to get the full benefits that the sandals have to offer.
Are the Sandals that I Recommend Orthopedic?
Most of the supportive sandals that I recommend are your regular everyday sandals that simply provide better support and structure than others. However, you will notice that some of the sandals that I recommend are orthopedic. Whether you should provide your child with a pair of orthopedic sandals or not depends on the degree of your child’s foot condition and whether your child is experiencing foot or leg pain.
Orthopedic sandals also tend to be more expensive than regular sandals and not all families can afford to invest $100 or more in a pair of shoes that the child might outgrow in a few months.
What a Difference the Sandals that I Recommend Can Provide!
Let’s take a look at an image of a child who has flat feet wearing a pair of unsupportive sandals (left image) versus an image of the same child wearing a pair of the supportive sandals that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are a lot straighter?
What a difference the correct pair of sandals can make!
What Shoe Brands Manufacture Supportive Sandals for Children?
Some of my go-to shoe brands that manufacture high-quality and supportive sandals for children are:
➡️ Keen
➡️ Teva
➡️ Memo
➡️ Birkenstock
It’s important to clarify that not all sandals manufactured by these shoe brands provide the same levels of support.
Now that you know what makes the sandals that I recommend supportive and what shoe size you should order for your child, you are ready to take a look at the most supportive sandals for kids. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Supportive Sandals for Kids – Ideal for Children with Foot Conditions!
Make sure to read the description below each sandal to find out the following important information:
- The type of foot shape that specific sandal can accommodate (narrow, medium, wide)
- Whether the sandal is orthopedic or not
- The size you should order to provide your child with the correct amount of growing room
Toddler Sizes (0 to 10)
- Fits 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
- Fits 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
- Fits 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
- Fits 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
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 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
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Two adjustable velcro straps
- 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
- Fits 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
- Fits 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
- 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
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all-day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
Little/Big Kid Sizes (10.5 to 7)
- 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
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- 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
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Eva foam footbed cushions and softly supports for all day comfort
- Rigid at the toe box
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- 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
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- 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
- Order this sandal a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- EVA insole with arch support for all-day comfort
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- This internal support mechanism is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support
- Machine washable
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Make sure that you pull the velcro straps of the sandals tightly so your child can get the full support and stability that the sandals have to offer.
Unsure About Which Sandal Might Work Best for Your Child?
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below or you can also contact me via email:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Are the Sandals I Recommend Extra Heavy and Stiff?
No, the sandals that I recommended above are supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time. Sandals that are too heavy or rigid can make your child’s feet and legs easily tired.
Should Your Child Wear Orthotics Inside the Sandals?
I don’t suggest fitting a pair of orthotics/insoles inside your kids’ sandals as they will end up moving too much inside the sandals, which can defeat the whole purpose of investing in a pair of orthotics. In addition, some orthotics might get ruined if they get wet.
Is Your Child Already Wearing a Pair of Supportive Sneakers?
Fitting your child in a pair of supportive sneakers is the best thing you can do to help treat your child’s foot condition and prevent foot pain. Certain sneakers provide some of the features I mentioned above plus straight lasts and firm heel counters that make them ideal for children with foot problems. If you are unsure whether your child is wearing a pair of supportive shoes I suggest that you go to the link below:
Supportive Shoes for Kids – Substantial Outsoles, Firm Heel Counters, and Straight Lasts!
Do You Also Have a Foot Condition and Can’t Find a Pair of Supportive Sandals?
Most foot conditions are hereditary, so it’s highly likely that if your child has a foot problem, you might have it too. There is a great website for women with “complex” foot shapes or foot conditions and you can probably benefit from reading this specific article:
Best Sandals for Women with Foot Pain – The Top 4 Most Supportive and Comfortable Sandals!
Have you found a pair of supportive sandals that worked well for your child’s foot condition? Share your findings below so other families can benefit from your experiences.
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