The Best Kids Running Shoes in 2022 – Keep Your Kids’ Feet and Legs Healthy!

Have you been looking for a pair of supportive running shoes for your child? It’s important to provide children with running shoes that provide good shock absorption, as when children are running they are imposing an enormous amount of stress on their feet and legs. I have put together a list of the best kids running shoes in 2022 based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience.

Certain running shoes provide better support than others, but if they don’t fit the shape of your children’s feet perfectly, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer. The good news is that certain running shoes are available in different widths such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide.

I have fitted certain kids running shoes that provide targeted support and minimize the impact that the feet take when they come in contact with the ground.

I am sure you have heard of the shoe company named Asics before. This shoe company is mostly known for manufacturing excellent running shoes that provide infused gel for extra support. The image below shows you where the gel is located in the sole of the shoe and how there is an extra heel stabilizer for extra ankle and heel support. These features minimize the impact that the feet and legs take when they come in contact with the ground.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses on children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. We carry some of the most supportive children’s shoes and orthotics, and I am familiar with which shoe brands and which shoe styles are better than others.

If you are going to be buying your kids’ shoes online, you must know their exact foot size to begin with, or you will end up returning the shoes and wasting time and money. If you already know your child’s exact foot size, you can skip this part and read the shoe recommendations below. If you are not 100% sure of your child’s exact foot size I will provide you with the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home.

I always recommend parents to take their children to their local children’s shoe store that they trust, the issue is that most stores have been closing down and parents need to end up buying their kids’ shoes online. There is nothing wrong with this, but you must know your child’s exact foot size to know what shoe size to order.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

I created a resource that showcases the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state:

The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores In The United States – Where To Go For Proper Fittings

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to identify a shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article I created that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home:

How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width

In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.

The running shoes I will recommend shortly provide the following 4 important features.

Running Shoes for Kids – The 4 Most Important Features

Below is a list of the 4 most important features that the kids running shoes I recommend provide:

✅ Substantial Outsole: This is the part of the shoe that helps reduce the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground.

✅ Firm Heel Counter: This feature helps strengthen and straighten your kids’ ankles. If the running shoe that you provide for your child has a heel counter that is too flimsy or soft, your child might start experiencing heel pain. Please take a look at the picture below for clarification on where the heel counter of the shoe is located:

✅ Good Traction: This feature minimizes the likelihood of your child slipping and falling, especially when running on wet and slippery surfaces.

✅ Breathable: The running shoes must be breathable to allow your child’s feet to breathe properly and prevent the buildup of bacteria inside the shoe.

When it comes to kids running shoes, a higher-priced shoe doesn’t automatically translate into a better shoe. You can find reasonably priced shoes that will provide the same features as a shoe that is higher priced.

Your kids running shoes must be supportive, lightweight, flexible, and breathable. The shoe styles that I describe below are meant for running, but your children can wear them as their everyday pair of sneakers as well.

Now that you know what features the kids running shoes I recommend provide and how to figure out your child’s exact foot size from home, you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best kids running shoes in 2022. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

The Best Kids Running Shoes in 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Narrow – Medium Feet

The running shoes described below are capable of fitting children with narrow or medium feet only. 

The Best Kids Running Shoes in 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Medium – Wide – Extra Wide

The shoe styles described below will fit a child with medium (M), wide (W), or extra wide (XW) feet, as long as you choose the shoe width accordingly.

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

*A half a size bigger translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

*A whole size bigger translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

You probably noticed how all the running shoes that I recommended come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure. The main reason for this is that shoelaces provide better support and stability than velcro closure, as they hug the kids’ feet better and push the kid’s heels against the back of the shoes, securing, and supporting them against the back of the shoes.

What are parents saying about these shoe styles?

• “Great shoes! New Balance makes shoes for my child’s wide feet! They hold up and they are pretty much the only brand we buy for our kids! Highly recommend them”

• “The Asics style fits the shape of my boy with narrow feet perfectly.”

• “Excellent choice specially if your child needs a wide shoe. My boy has extra wide feet and we always go for New Balance shoes”

• “New Balance makes some of the most supportive shoes and we were even able to fit an orthotic inside the shoe. We chose the XW.”

• “My son loves these sneakers! He was always complaining about his shoes feeling too roomy and wide. He now says they feel light and comfy on his feet. The colors are a lot better in person than they were online too.”

• “My child always complained about his shoes feeling too wide until we decided to start providing him with Asics”. They are also durable by little guy standards, the tread holds up as an everyday shoe that is pounded on at the playground, gym and on the trails. Of course, it is not infinite and after 4 months to a semester, wear and tear appears but again as a shoe worn 7 days a week, we are so satisfied that we line up a new pair.”

The Best Running Socks – Keep Your Children’s Feet Healthy!

Before you leave, I wanted to emphasize that the socks that you choose to provide for your child play a key role in keeping your kids’ feet healthy. Socks act as a barrier between your kids’ feet and the shoes, and they prevent blisters and the buildup of bacteria inside the shoes.

Socks also provide an extra layer of protection between your kids’ feet and the shoes. Certain socks provide extra cushion to targeted areas of the feet, and these are the kind of socks I will describe below.

The issue is that there is a certain number of children who refuse to wear socks with their shoes. This might be because they feel every bump and lump. If your children are having a hard time wearing socks with their shoes, you should provide them with a pair of seamless socks. They have proven to be the most effective ones for children who have a hard time wearing socks. You can find a selection of the best running socks for children below:

Little/Big KidsLittle/Big KidsLittle/Big Kids

Now that you know which are the best kids running shoes in 2022, you are ready to make the most informed decision.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Is there a specific running shoe that has worked well for your child’s feet? Please let us know in the comment section below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.