The Best Kids’ Shoes for Intoeing – Let’s Improve your Child’s Walking Gait and Posture!

Have you noticed your child walking and running differently lately? If your child’s feet are turning inwards instead of straight when walking or running, then it’s highly likely that your child has a foot condition called intoeing. The good news is that certain shoes can help improve your child’s foot posture and walking gait. I have put together a selection of the best kids’ shoes for intoeing based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

Intoeing simply means that your child’s feet turn inwards instead of pointing straight. However, parents always have a hard time when they notice that their children are struggling with their gait. I have helped hundreds of children with this condition and it can be treated and corrected by wearing the correct type of shoes.

Main Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Leave Intoeing Untreated!

Most children who experience intoeing don’t experience foot and leg pain, but they do tend to stumble and lose balance more often. I strongly recommend that you don’t leave this condition untreated since it can lead to several complications in the future.

When children are growing, the normal development of the pelvis and the spine will suffer if there is a foot imbalance. In most cases, intoeing might correct itself as the child keeps growing. However, in some children, it doesn’t get better on its own and treatment is necessary to help treat and correct the condition. When children walk with their feet turned inwards, it’s important to protect the foot from damage due to compensation, since this can lead to short and long-term problems that involve:

• An unbalanced gait
• Reduced athletic ability
• Foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet
• General foot and leg pain

Even if your child is not complaining about foot or leg pain, I always recommend parents to be proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their children’s foot conditions. I get contacted by families from all over the world who are told by their pediatricians that their child will eventually outgrow the condition, but these families are still concerned since their child’s walking gait is clearly abnormal.

I am familiar with which are the best shoes for children who have intoeing from having fitted and tested before. Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time here is a list of the best kids’ shoes for intoeing.

What is Causing Your Child’s Intoeing? – Let’s Find Out!

Intoeing is believed to be hereditary, and as a parent, there is nothing that you could have done to prevent it.

The most common cause of intoeing is due to the thigh bone being turned in at the hip, which tends to throw the child’s body out of alignment.

Some physical or occupational therapists might recommend casts, orthopedic shoes, and even surgery to correct intoeing. These 3 approaches can be very effective, but providing your child with the correct type of shoes and in some cases, orthotics is a less invasive and more affordable alternative that will help treat and prevent your child’s intoeing.

Treating Your Child’s Intoeing – What a Difference These Shoes Can Make!

The correct type of supportive shoes will help your child walk and run straighter, as well as improve your child’s overall posture. I always recommend parents start by trying a pair of supportive shoes first and monitor whether the child’s walking gait and posture improve or not.  If it doesn’t, the next step would be to try an orthotic.

I have helped improve the walking gait and posture of hundreds of children who were intoeing by providing them with a pair of everyday supportive sneakers. I want to clarify that the shoes that I recommend are not orthopedic shoes, they are regular everyday sneakers that simply provide better structure and support.

Something so simple such as providing your child with the correct type of shoes can help correct your child walking gait and allow your child to walk and run straighter. Let me prove it to you!

Before and After Images of Children with Intoeing!

Let’s take a look at an image of a barefoot child who is experiencing intoeing issues. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards? The feet are shifting the child’s whole body out of alignment.

Now, let’s see what happens when we fit that same child in a pair of the supportive shoes that I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are a lot straighter? These shoes will allow the child to walk and run straighter, which will improve the child’s overall posture as well.

I also recorded one video of another child walking barefoot and a different video of the child wearing the shoes that I recommend. Let’s see if you can notice a difference.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Kids with Intoeing?

1️⃣ Supportive Outsoles

Shoes that provide substantial and supportive outsoles with arch support help prevent the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards, allowing your child to walk and run straighter. Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial outsole versus a shoe with a sole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

2️⃣ Rigid Heel Counters

The heel counter is the back part of the shoe that provides ankle and heel support, and the firmer it is, the better. Some children experience intoeing from having rolled ankles. Always make sure that the heel counter of your child’s shoes feels firm and not soft.

3️⃣ Straight Lasts

This feature helps prevent the forefoot from pushing out. You need to stay away from shoes that have an excessively curved last as they lack heel stability. Most Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour shoes come with a curved or semi-curved last. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes:

In addition to providing these 3 features, the shoes must also fit the shape of your child’s feet perfectly. Children can have narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet, and depending on your child’s foot shape the selection of shoes that your child can wear might be very large or very small.

The good news is that the shoe styles that I recommend are available in different widths such as medium, wide, and extra wide. This is also helpful if you need to fit an orthotic inside your kids’ shoes.

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

To figure out your child’s exact foot size and provide your child with the correct shoe size, I always recommend parents take their children to be properly fitted for shoes at their local children’s shoe store. If you are unsure whether you have a good-fitting children’s shoe store in your area, start by taking a look at a resource that I created that describes the best kids’ shoe stores by state.

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to find a store in your area, then take a look at another article I created that will help you identify how to figure out your child’s foot size from home.

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.

Now that you know how to figure out your child’s exact foot size, you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best kids’ shoes for intoeing. 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. This allows us to create free content and resources for many families around the world. 

The Best Kids’ Shoes for Intoeing

There is a very small selection of shoes that help improve your child’s walking gait, but the good news is that I know exactly which styles these are from having fitted them before. Below you can find a selection of the best kids’ shoes for intoeing that can fit children with narrow, medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) feet.

Families Testimonials – Get Inspired!

One method that used to be very effective in treating and preventing intoeing was the reverse-the-shoe wearing technique. In this method, parents fitted the child’s right shoe on the left foot, and the left shoe, on the right foot. While this method used to be effective in helping children walk and run straighter, it caused children to develop hallux valgus and other foot problems in later years.

Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions that you might have about your child’s feet or walking gait. If you are in doubt about whether your child might have intoeing or not, feel free to send me pictures/videos of your child’s feet and I will be able to evaluate your child’s feet:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com