The Best Narrow Running Shoes for Kids – Supportive, Lightweight, and Flexible!

Are you having a hard time finding a pair of narrow running shoes for your child? Do you feel like every single running shoe that you try on your child’s feet is too wide and gaps too much around the ankles? It is true that the selection of running shoes for children with narrow feet is extremely small, but the good news is that there are certain running shoes that will fit the shape of your kids’ feet perfectly, and I am here to help you find them. Let me show you the best narrow running shoes for kids.

If your children are somewhat serious about running, you must provide them with a pair of supportive running shoes that will fit the shape of their narrow feet perfectly. The issue is that finding a pair of narrow running shoes can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience if you don’t know what shoe brands or shoe styles to look for.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience!

I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for the last 10 years at a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses in helping children with “complicated” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best narrow running shoes for kids.

Parents seem to have one question in common: Why is it so hard to find narrow running shoes for children with narrow feet?

Quite simply because there isn’t enough demand for it. I believe there are a lot of children out there with narrow feet, but most parents are not aware that their kids have narrow feet. The cost of mass-produced shoes is kept low by producing only the most common styles (medium width). The fewer variations there are, the less the cost is for shoe companies. So, for kids with narrow feet like yours, it gets harder to find shoes that fit.

How to Check If Your Child Has Narrow Feet or Not?

Let’s start by making sure that your child has narrow feet. Two very simple steps will help you determine whether your child has narrow feet or not.

1️⃣ The first method is to check if there is too much extra shoe material in the front top part of your kids’ shoes. Have your child stand up straight and slide your finger and pinch to see if there is extra shoe material. Take a look at the picture below for clarification. Do you notice how there is a lot of extra shoe material in the front of the shoes?

2️⃣ The second method is to check if there is too much extra space around your kids’ ankles. You can check this by sliding your finger around your kids’ ankles and see if you can fit one or two more fingers in that area. Take a look at the picture below for clarification. There shouldn’t be all that extra space around your kids’ ankles.

Providing your children with a shoe style that is too wide for their feet can lead to all sorts of issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns. When a shoe is too wide, the foot moves too much inside the shoes and that constant friction and rubbing between the feet and the shoes usually leads to the issues mentioned above.

In addition, when children are running, they are stressing their feet and legs at a whole different level, and if the shoes are not fitting them properly, they can develop foot, leg, and back pain.

What Makes the Running Shoes I Recommend Effective for Narrow Feet?

One of the most common problems that children with narrow feet have is that their heels tend to slip out or move too much around the ankles. There are certain running shoes that come with heel counters that are narrow than others. Let me prove this to you!

Notice how in this first image the left shoe has a rounder heel counter than the shoe in the second image.

This third image shows another shoe style with a narrow heel counter looked at from a different angle:

Before I provide you with a selection of the best narrow running shoes for kids, let me first show you what features these shoes provide and how you can figure out your child’s exact foot size from home.

Running Shoes for Kids – The 5 Most Important Features!

In addition to fitting the shape of your kids’ narrow feet perfectly, the shoes must also provide the 5 following important features:

1️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature helps reduce the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground. When children are running, they are stressing out their feet and legs at a whole different level, so we need the shoes to be supportive. Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial sole versus a shoe with a sole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

2️⃣ Firmer Heel Counters: This feature protects and supports your kids’ ankles as well as strengthens and straightens them. If the shoe that you provide for your child has a heel counter that is too flimsy, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoe has to offer. Please take a look at the picture below to see the difference between a shoe with a firm heel counter versus a shoe with a softer one:

Always press on the heel counter of your kids’ shoes to make sure that it feels firm. The firmer it is, the better.

3️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible: This feature helps prevent your child’s feet and legs from easily getting tired. Your kids’ shoes should always bend at the ball of the foot but no further:

4️⃣ Breathable: The shoes must be breathable to prevent the buildup of bacteria inside the shoe.

5️⃣ Shoelaces vs Velcro Closure: I always recommend parents provide children with shoelaces instead of velcro closure, especially when it comes to running shoes. The main reason for this is that shoelaces provide better support and stability to your child’s feet. Shoelaces will also hug your kids’ feet better and fill any remaining gap around your kids’ ankles.

Are You 100% of Your Child’s Foot Size? – Let’s Find Out!

I am always emphasizing to parents that it doesn’t matter how many features a particular shoe style provides, if the shoes are not fitted properly, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer. What’s even worse, if you don’t provide your child with the correct shoe size, you might end up creating all sorts of issues with your child’s feet such as blisters, calluses, and corns.

This is the reason why I always recommend parents take their children to their local shoe store that they trust, so take a look at a resource I created where I describe the best-fitting children’s shoe stores by state:

The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where To Go for Proper Fittings

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

If you don’t happen to have a children’s shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article I wrote where I describe 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

Now that you know what features a running shoe must 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 narrow running shoes for kids.

Now that you know what features a running shoe must 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 narrow running shoes for kids. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

The Best Narrow Running Shoes for Kids ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

What Shoe Size Should You Order?

Take a look at the description below each shoe to find out what shoe size you should order to provide your child with the correct amount of growing room. This amount of space helps prevent your child’s longest toe from rubbing against the front part of the shoes.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

If none of these shoes are available in your child’s shoe size or if you need the shoes to be made of a specific color don’t hesitate to email me at:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Running Shoes with Shoelaces – Better Support and Stability!

As I mentioned before, shoelaces make a tremendous difference not just in the way the shoes fit, but also in the amount of support and stability that your child gets from the shoes.

There is a particular shoe lacing technique that I have found to be the most effective one when it comes to tying shoes for children with narrow feet.

This shoe tying method pushes your kids’ heels back, securing and protecting them against the back of the shoes.

1️⃣ First Step: Start by lacing the shoes as you would normally do, but when you get to the top leave the two eyelets (shoe holes) open as shown in the picture below.

2️⃣ Second Step: Lace the shoelaces through the top hole first.

3️⃣ Third Step: Go through the two holes that you left open.

Leather Tongue Pads for Shoes – Yet Another Alternative!

Tongue pads are extremely effective for children with narrow feet as they minimize any remaining gap inside your kids’ shoes. Tongue pads put more pressure in the instep of the foot, pushing and securing your kids’ heels against the back of the shoe, and filling up any remaining gap left inside the shoe.

Tongue pads are adhesive backed-pads that fit in the tongue of the shoes and they work in all enclosed shoes.

If I try a pair of narrow shoes for a child and use my shoe lacing technique, but the shoe is still too wide, that’s when I proceed to try a tongue pad. I describe how tongue pads work in more detail in another article. Please go to the link below:

Leather Shoe Tongue Pads – Stop Heel Slippage

Do you happen to need a pair of narrow running shoes for yourself? I actually wrote an article where I describe the best narrow-width running shoes for women. Go to the link below:

The Best Narrow Width Running Shoes for Women – Supportive, Lightweight, Flexible, and Comfortable!

Have you tried a particular running shoe style that has worked well for your child’s narrow feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.