Supportive Shoes for Children with Clubfoot – Maintain the Corrected Foot Position
Has your child been diagnosed with clubfoot and your medical professional recommends wearing supportive shoes to help improve your child’s foot posture and walking gait? In addition to finding supportive shoes, families of children with clubfoot have the challenge of finding shoes that can fit their children’s specific foot shape (which usually tends to be on the wider side). Whether shoes can make a difference in helping improve your child’s balance, foot posture, and walking gait, directly depends on the degree of your child’s foot condition. With that said, I am going to show you a list of the most supportive shoes for children with clubfoot.
If your child already went through the initial treatment (casting and bracing), it’s important to choose supportive shoes to maintain the corrected position of the feet and provide comfort and stability.
The Challenges of Finding Shoes for Children with Clubfoot
One of the biggest challenges is to find shoes that are wide and deep enough for the child’s feet. Clubfoot can result in size differences between the affected foot and the unaffected foot, so this also creates an additional challenge.
The good news is that I have helped several children with clubfoot find the correct pair of shoes for their feet, and hopefully, I will be able to help your child as well. The shoe store where I work specializes in helping children with clubfoot and other foot problems find the correct pair of shoes for their feet. In some cases, I need to fit the child in supportive shoes and orthotics, but I will dive into this shortly.
Does Your Child’s Age Matter When It Comes to Intervention Techniques?
This is a question that your medical professional should be able to answer, but if the doctor is recommending supportive shoes, then that might be the route to go. In my experience, the earlier the child is, the higher the likelihood that shoes can have a positive impact on the child’s balance and foot posture.
What Makes the Shoes that I Recommend Effective for Kids with Clubfoot?
The list of shoes that I recommend includes the following 3 key features that make them ideal for children with clubfoot:
1️⃣ Straight Lasts: It’s important to avoid shoes with excessively curved lasts and get the ones with straight ones, as this is a key feature when it comes to maintaining the child’s feet in the correct position. Below there is an image for better visualization purposes:
2️⃣ Sturdy Construction: The shoes should provide supportive outsoles to help improve your child’s balance and posture. This feature is also especially important for preventing the feet from turning inward.
3️⃣ Firm Heel Counters: Some families like to call this part of the shoe the heel cup, but I refer to it as the heel counter. This is the back part of the shoe that provides ankle and heel support. When children have a foot condition, you simply just don’t support the arch, you mechanically support all of the pieces that make the foot flat, such as the heels.
Images of a Child with Clubfoot – Find Out the Degree of Your Child’s Clubfoot
Not all clubfeet are the same. There are different degrees to this condition. For example, below there is an image of a child with a mild degree of clubfoot:
Here is another example but in this case the child has a moderate degree of clubfoot.
Whichever degree of clubfoot your child is dealing with, here you can find a list of the most supportive shoes for children with clubfoot. Disclosure: Note that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases, this allows us to create free content and resources.
Most Supportive Shoes for Children with Clubfoot
Now let’s look at a list of the most supportive shoes for children with clubfoot. I have fitted all of these shoes at the shoe store where I work so I am familiar with how they fit and the amount of support that they provide.
- The New Balance shoe style 990V6 is available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in laces and velcro
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 990V6 is available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in laces and velcro
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Stride Rite shoe style Elliot is available for toddlers
- Lace-up closure
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Stride Rite shoe style Emilia is available for toddlers
- Lace-up closure
- Fits toddlers with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- 100% leather made
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Timberland shoe style Tracks is available for toddlers
- Double velcro straps
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Water-friendly
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 574 is available for toddlers
- Available in velcro and laces
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 990V6 is available for toddlers, little, and big kids
- Available in velcro and laces
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Synthetic/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Memo shoe style Gabi is available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Genuine leather and breathable mesh
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Memo shoe style Gabi is available for toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Genuine leather and breathable mesh
- Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and stabilization
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Saucony shoe style Cohesion is available for toddlers
- Velcro closure
- Fits toddlers with medium or wide feet
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Timberland shoe style Bootie fits toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Padded collar for a comfortable fit around the ankle
- Water-friendly
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Memo shoe style Princessa fits toddlers and little kids
- Double velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
- Rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The Saucony shoe style Cohesion KDZ is available for little and big kids
- Velcro closure
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Compression molded EVA footbed for comfort
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Saucony shoe style Cohesion KDZ is available for little and big kids
- Velcro closure
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Synthetic and mesh upper
- Heel grid system for stable cushioning
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Fresh Foam 650 is available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper material features no-sew overlays for a sleek fit and feel
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Fresh Foam Arishi v4 is available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Mesh upper material features no-sew overlays for a sleek fit and feel
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 2002 is available for toddlers and little kids
- Available in laces
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 2002 is available for toddlers and little kids
- Available in laces
- Fits children with medium and wide feet
- Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Fresh Foam 650 is available for little and big kids
- Fits children with medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Synthetic and engineered mesh upper
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Memo shoe style Polo is available for little and big kids
- Triple velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an orthopedic shoe
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Memo shoe style Chicago is available for little and big kids
- Triple velcro straps
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- This is an orthopedic shoe
- Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Coco is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- NDurance rubber outsole technology provides superior durability in high-wear areas to help get more out of the shoes
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Adidas shoe style Own the Game 2.0 is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Supportive outsoles and firm heel counter
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Adidas shoe style Cross Em Up Select is available for little kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Non-marking outsole
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Saucony shoe style Kinvara LTT is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The Saucony shoe style Shadow 6000 is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Cushioned footbed
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 574 is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style 327 is available for little and big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Fresh Foam X 1080v13 is available for big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- The New Balance shoe style Fresh Foam X 1080v13 is available for big kids
- Lace-up closure
- Fits children with medium or wide feet
- Suede and mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
Consider that these shoes will help improve your child’s foot posture and improve walking gait. However, how long these shoes should be worn depends on the severity of the clubfoot for your child. Therefore, I can’t stress enough that you should always consult with your medical doctor or pediatric orthopedist.
Would You Rather Receive Specific Shoe Recommendations for Your Child?
Children’s shoe needs can vary depending on their age, activity level, and degree of their clubfoot. If you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact us via email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We are happy to help you find a different pair of shoes for your child so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Are You Unsure About Which Shoe Size to Order Online?
As I mentioned before, clubfoot can result in size differences between the affected foot and the unaffected foot. The extent of this size difference can vary from child to child and may depend on the severity of the clubfoot and the success of treatment. In some cases, the affected foot may be smaller or shorter than the unaffected foot, and there may be differences in the length and width of the feet.
This means that it will take a lot of trial and error to find out what final shoe size a child needs. For this reason, I created a free and effective resource that will help you retrieve your child’s foot shape and the exact shoe size you should order.
Should Your Child Wear Orthotics As Well?
Orthotics are devices that fit inside the shoes and are designed to support, align, or correct foot abnormalities.
It’s important to note that the goal of treatment for clubfoot is to achieve the best possible alignment and function. Whether your child can benefit from wearing an orthotic inside the shoes is something that your healthcare professional should be able to answer.
If you already have an orthotic in mind you can rest assured that the shoes above will accommodate it. Just make sure that you order the shoes in wide or extra wide widths to allow space for the orthotics.
Additional Resources for Children with Clubfoot
I have created many resources over the years that describe the best shoes for babies with clubfoot as well as seasonal footwear such as sandals.
Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions or please share any shoe recommendations that have worked well for your child’s clubfoot.
References:
“Clubfoot.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 28 June 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/clubfoot/symptoms-causes/syc-20350860.
“Clubfoot: Boston Children’s Hospital.” Boston Children’s Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/clubfoot.
