The Best Hiking Boots for Kids with Narrow Feet – Prevent Heel Slippage and Blisters!

Do you feel like all of the hiking boots that you buy for your child are too big and wide? Allowing your child to go on hiking adventures wearing shoes that are too wide might create all sorts of foot issues such as blisters. The best hiking boots for kids with narrow feet provide narrow heel counters and narrow platforms.

The Challenges of Finding Shoes for Children Who Have Narrow Feet

Families of children who have narrow feet complain about how hard it is to find shoes for their children with narrow feet. If you have a child with narrow feet, I understand your problems. Shoe shopping becomes stressful and time-consuming. If you provide your child with a pair of hiking boots that are too wide, you will notice how your child’s heels might slip and ride up, especially when hiking uphill.

Are Kids’ Hiking Boots Available in Narrow Widths?

There are no hiking boots available in narrow widths, but the good news is that there are certain styles that fit narrower than others. I have been fitting children’s shoes for many years, and I know which boots fit narrower than others from having fitted them before.

To prevent your child from hiking with soaking wet feet and blisters, you need to find a pair of hiking boots that are narrow-fitting and that are also waterproof. Whether you want your child to wear hiking boots for going hiking or for a short walk on rainy days, it’s important for the hiking boots to fit the shape of your child’s feet perfectly.

What Makes the Hiking Boots I Recommend Effective for Narrow Feet?

1️⃣ Narrower Platforms: The hiking boots that I recommend provide narrower platforms instead of rounder ones. This helps prevent your kids’ feet from moving too much inside the boots. When there is a lot of extra space in the front of the shoes, it allows for too much foot and toe movement, and that constant friction between the toes and the side of the boots usually leads to foot issues.

2️⃣ Narrower Heel Counters: This feature helps prevent your kids’ heels from moving up and down as they walk. This is one of the most common reasons why children experience blisters around the ankles. Let me show you the difference between a hiking boot that provides a narrow heel counter versus one that provides a rounder one:

3️⃣ Shoelaces versus Velcro closure: Most parents prefer to provide their children with a pair of velcro closure shoes over shoelaces, especially if the child doesn’t know how to tie the shoes yet. However, shoelaces can make a tremendous difference in the way the shoes fit. If tied properly, the shoelaces will push your kids’ heels back, securing them against the back of the boots.

In addition to fitting the shape of your child’s narrow feet, the boots also need to be waterproof, supportive, and provide good traction.

Find Out What Boot Size You Should Order Online

If you don’t know your child’s exact foot size, you won’t be able to provide your child with the correct pair of shoes. If you have a good-fitting children’s shoe store in your area, I recommend that you take your child there to be properly fitted for shoes. I created a resource of the United States where I describe the best-specialized children’s shoe stores by state. Still can’t seem to find a good store in your area? I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home.

Below you can find a selection of the best hiking boots for kids with narrow feet. 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.

Best Hiking Boots for Kids with Narrow Feet – Prevent Heel Slippage

Many of the boots featured below come in several color options, so if you want the boots to be made of a specific color, please make sure to click through and see if they are available in that specific color.

Make sure that your kids’ toes are not touching the front of the boots. Your kids’ feet might swell when hiking, especially during the summer, and if your kids’ toes rub against the front part of the boots, your child might end up with black toenails.

How to Tie Shoes for Kids with Narrow Feet? – The Most Effective Way!

There is a particular shoe-tying technique that I use for children with narrow feet:

1️⃣ Start by lacing up your kids’ hiking boots as you would normally do but leave the first top two holes (eyelets) of the shoes unlaced.

2️⃣ Loop the lace through the top hole first as shown in the image below.

3️⃣ Loop the lace through the hole that we left open and make sure you tie them properly

This method will push your kids’ feet back, securing the heels against the back of the boots, which will fill up any remaining gaps and prevent your child’s heel from slipping off the boots. Let’s take a look at how secure the heels are once we apply this shoe tying method:

If after trying any of the hiking boots that I recommend they are still too wide for your child’s feet, there are two things we can physically do to alter the fit of a shoe. I have tried these two methods before for children who had extremely narrow feet, and they have proven to be the most effective ones in making the shoes fit and feel better.

1^st Method: Tongue Pads for Shoes

Place a tongue pad inside the boots. Tongue pads are adhesive-backed pads that go in the tongue of the shoes and they work in all enclosed shoes. Tongue pads are extremely effective in helping the shoes fit better when a child has narrow feet.

I have spoken with several women with narrow feet who have requested shoe companies to manufacture shoes with extra padding on the tongue to fill out extra room in the boot. Tongue pads are really effective because it’s like having a shoe with a tongue with extra padding. Simply place the tongue pads in your kids’ hiking boots as shown in the image below:

2^nd Method: Place a Full-Length Insole Inside the Boots

This will fill up some of the extra space inside the shoe. This approach can be more expensive, and I have always found placing a tongue pad to be more effective.

Best Hiking Socks for Kids with Narrow Feet – Extra Cushion and Breathable!

Certain socks can help make the shoes of a child with narrow feet feel and fit better. Hiking socks tend to be breathable and cushiony since they help reduce the friction between the shoes and the feet. When we go for a hike, we tend to walk on uneven pavement and rocks, which makes our feet hit the ground differently. Certain hiking socks come with extra cushioning around targeted areas of the feet.

If you have gone hiking before, you should probably know by now that a good pair of hiking socks is a must-have on the trail. Your kids’ hiking socks must be highly breathable, which will prevent your children’s feet from sweating too much during the summer hikes. The socks I describe below provide underfoot padding for extra cushioning and comfort. The socks also provide extra padding around the heels and toes. 

What Are the Best Sneakers for Kids with Narrow Feet?

I created a different resource that describes the best sneakers for kids with narrow feet.

Are Any Other Narrow Shoe Choices Available?

Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a particular shoe style for your child’s narrow feet. I have fitted children with narrow feet in sports shoes, dress shoes, sandals, boots, etc.

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Are You Looking for a Pair of Narrow Hiking Boots for Yourself?

If you also have narrow feet and can’t seem to find a single pair of boots to accommodate your narrow feet I suggest that you visit a different website that describes the best narrow hiking boots for women.