The Best Orthotics for Kids – The Solution to Your Kids’ Foot and Leg Pain!

Has your child been complaining about foot or leg pain and your medical professional recommended orthotics but didn’t specify which ones to get? The most common reason why children experience foot and leg pain is from having flat feet, but other foot conditions also require extra support inside the shoes. Certain orthotics are more effective than others when it comes to reducing or fully eliminating your child’s foot and leg pain.

There are two specific orthotics that I recommend for children with foot or leg pain, and the one that you should choose for your child depends on the degree of your child’s foot condition (mild, moderate, strong). Parents should be proactive and don’t take the “wait and see approach” when it comes to treating their children’s foot conditions. Leaving your children’s foot conditions untreated can only lead to the condition getting worse.

The Best Orthotics for Kids — What a Difference These Orthotics Can Make!

Let’s start by taking a look at the picture of a flat-footed child standing barefoot. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?

Now notice how much straighter the child’s feet are when standing in a pair of the orthotics I recommend. The orthotics are preventing her feet from collapsing and turning inwards:

Do you notice what a positive impact orthotics can have? I have helped several children with flat feet who were overpronating walk and run much straighter, and I am confident I will be able to help your child as well.

What Makes the Orthotics that I Recommend the Best Choice for Kids?

1️⃣ Built-In Arch: This feature is going to prevent your child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards. The orthotic also provides shock absorption to minimize the impact that your kids’ feet take when they come in contact with the ground.

2️⃣ Built-In Heel Cup: This feature is going to help strengthen and straighten your child’s ankles.

The orthotics that I recommend provide excellent arch and heel support, and at the same time they are not as invasive as other orthotics. This means that they will allow the child’s foot and leg muscles to develop on their own while supporting them.

Does Your Child Have Mild, Moderate, or Strong Pronation?

The degree of each child’s pronation determines which type of orthotic might work best for their feet. You can find out the degree of your child’s pronation by visiting a different resource I created that will show you real-life examples.

The Best Orthotics for Kids with Mild Pronation

The first orthotic that I recommend works well for cases of children with a mild degree of pronation.

Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?

Yes, I suggest that you remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.

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The Best Orthotics for Kids with Moderate or Strong Pronation

The orthotic below works best for children with moderate or strong cases of pronation, and it can also help treat rolled ankles, low muscle tone, knock knees, and toe walking.

Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?

No, you won’t have to remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.

Take a look at the chart below to figure out what size to order based on your child’s shoe size:

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How effective these orthotics will be in re-aligning your child’s feet and improving your child’s walking gait and overall posture depends directly on the degree of your child’s foot condition.

Keep in mind that the orthotics and the shoes work together in trying to properly align your kids’ feet and legs. If you stand your child in the orthotics and you still notice that the feet are collapsing, wait until you fit the orthotics inside the shoe and watch them walk.

What Shoes Work Best with Orthotics?

Here you can access a selection of the best kids’ shoes for orthotics that are supportive and provide extra depth.

How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics? – The Most Effective Method!

It is always better to provide your child with a pair of shoes that come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure. Shoelaces allow the shoe to “hug” your kids’ feet in a more effective way than velcro sneakers. There is actually a shoe tying method that has proven to be the most effective one for children who wear orthotics.

How to Tell If a Child Needs to Wear Orthotics? – Let’s Find Out!

If your child has been complaining about foot and leg pain and you notice a change in your child’s walking gait, I recommend taking your child to a pediatrician or physical/occupational therapist.

Keep in mind that we all have a certain degree of pronation or supination. However, when pronation or supination becomes excessive, children might start complaining about their feet and legs hurting.  How can you tell if your child is pronating excessively?

There are two ways parents can check from home if their child can be a candidate for orthotics.

1️⃣ First Method: Take a look at your child’s feet while standing barefoot and check whether you notice an arch below your kids’ feet:

2️⃣ Second Method: Take a look at the shoes that your child has been wearing, and you will be able to notice if the shoes are caving in or not. For this method to work your child should have worn the shoes for 2 to 3 months.

Every time your children overpronate they develop an abnormal walking and running pattern. If you don’t take care of this issue from an early stage, this overpronation may cause severe foot and leg pain in the short term and will result in other painful conditions as your child grows such as Sever’s Disease (heel pain), knee pain, and aching legs.

Is there another type of orthotic that has worked well for your kids’ feet? Please share your thoughts and findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.