The Best Orthotics for Pronation – STOP Your Kids’ Foot and Leg Pain!

January 9, 2023 Orthotics/Insoles Juan Pablo Valenzuela 23 - Comments

Has your child been experiencing foot and leg pain and been diagnosed with pronation? All children have a certain degree of pronation, but the problem arises when it’s excessive and leads to foot and leg pain. This is usually referred to as overpronation. I will shortly show you a selection of the best orthotics for pronation that will help improve your child’s walking gait, overall posture, and prevent foot and leg pain.

Has Your Child Been Diagnosed with a Foot Problem?

Most children who deal with pronation are flat-footed or have rolled ankles. In certain cases, children only need a pair of supportive shoes to treat their pronation and significantly reduce or fully eliminate their foot and leg pain. However, if you tried a pair of supportive shoes and your child’s walking gait doesn’t improve and the pain persists, then the next step is to try a pair of orthotics.

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. Leaving your children’s foot conditions untreated can only lead to the condition getting worse.

What Is the Main Purpose of Wearing Orthotics?

An orthotic is a shoe insert that is specifically designed to provide cushioning, support, and stability, and to relieve pressure areas of the foot.

There are two specific orthotics that I have fitted before that have proven to be the most effective ones when it comes to improving the way a child walks.

The main reason why I recommend this orthotic is that it provides excellent arch and heel support, and at the same time is not as invasive as other orthotics. This means that this orthotic allows the child’s foot and leg muscles to develop on their own while supporting them.

Best Orthotics for Pronation — What a Difference These Orthotics Can Make!

Let’s take a look at a picture of a flat-footed child standing barefoot. When children are flat-footed, their feet collapse and turn inwards, which leads them to put pressure on parts of their body where they are not supposed to, and this normally leads to foot and leg pain.

Before Image: Child Standing Barefoot

Now let’s have that same child stand on a pair of the orthotics I recommend. Do you notice how straighter the feet are?

After Image: Supportive Orthotic

supportive-insoles-for-kids-with-flat-feet

The orthotic is preventing the child’s feet from collapsing, which is helping align the child’s feet and legs. This is going to improve the child’s overall posture.

Choosing the correct type of orthotic for your child is not an easy thing to do, as there are all different types of orthotics such as soft, semi-rigid, or rigid.

Image of the Same Child Standing on a Pair of Unsupportive Orthotics

For example, let’s see what happens when we fit that same child in a pair of unsupportive orthotics:

child-with-flat-feet-standing-on-unsupportive-insoles

The good news is that I know exactly which orthotics are more effective in treating a child’s pronation.

The Consequences of Not Dealing with Your Child’s Pronation 

Once your child is diagnosed with pronation, it’s important that you act fast. The first step is to provide your child with a pair of good supportive shoes and orthotics, otherwise, pronation will lead to the following foot issues:

  • Calluses
  • Foot Rigidity
  • Hammer Toes
  • Ankle Sprain and Foot Instability
  • Hammer Toes and Claw Toes
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Back and Hip Pain

The most simple way to prevent all of those issues is to provide your child with the correct type of shoes and the correct type of orthotics.

One of the biggest issues with pronation is that kids who pronate might be more inclined to sit rather than run and play due to the extra stress their feet and legs take. This means that when your kids are walking or running long distances they will experience foot and leg fatigue and they might refuse to participate in certain activities or sports.

This fatigue happens because your children’s muscles are working harder due to the body’s poor positioning.

I only write reviews of shoes and orthotics that I have fitted before, so I can personally assess how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how well they fit. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best orthotics for pronation.

The Best Orthotics for Mild Cases of Pronation

Fits Toddler Shoe Size 5 up to Big Kid Shoe Size 3

  • Fits a toddler shoe size 5 up to a big kid shoe size 3
  • Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion and support
  • Deep heel cup with strong arch support
  • Made from lightweight yet supportive cushioning material with shock-absorbing heel and forefoot padding
  • They can be trimmed to size with scissors if needed

Fits Big Kid Shoe Size 3 1/2 and Above

  • Fits a big kid shoe size 3.5 up to a big kid shoe size 7 (available in adult sizes so you need to convert to kids’ shoe sizes)
  • Built-in metatarsal raise
  • Deep heel cup
  • Developed by Australian podiatrists
  • They can be trimmed to size with scissors if needed

If you try these orthotics and fit them properly in the correct type of shoes, they will help align your kids’ feet and legs by helping your child walk and run straighter.

How effective these orthotics will be in re-aligning your child’s feet and improving your child’s walking gait depends specifically on the degree of your child’s pronation.

Do You Need to Remove the Original Shoe Insoles Before Fitting this Orthotic?

Yes, you will have to remove the original insoles of the shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.

The Best Orthotics for Moderate or Strong Cases of Pronation

1️⃣ Deep heel cup that helps control the alignment of the heel and lower leg.

2️⃣ Medial and lateral flanges to help keep the foot aligned over the orthotic.

Check Price

You Must Enter a Referral Code to Order this Orthotic

To place an order for littleSTEPS® Orthotics, you must submit a Referral Code in the Discount Window during the ordering process: JVFCS100121

Do You Need to Remove the Original Shoe Insoles Before Fitting this Orthotic?

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:

size-orthotics

Do not hesitate to contact me if you are unsure about which orthotic will work best for your child’s degree of pronation:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com 

Do You Have the Right Shoes to Wear with the Orthotics? – Let’s Find Out!

There are certain features that a shoe must provide to work well with an orthotic. For example, the shoes must provide extra depth and a supportive outsole, but the shoes need to be lightweight and flexible at the same time. It’s also important that the shoes provide a firm heel counter and excellent arch and ankle support.

To fit an orthotic inside your kids’ shoes, the shoes must come with removable insoles, otherwise, you will be raising your children’s feet, giving them the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoes.

It’s important to understand that your children won’t get the full benefits of the orthotic if you don’t provide them with the correct type of shoes. The shoes and the orthotics work together in trying to align your kids’ feet and legs.

What Are the Best Shoes for Kids Who Wear Orthotics?

I created a different resource that describes deep and supportive shoes for orthotics.

Keep in mind that we all have a certain degree of pronation, but when it’s visible and excessive that’s when the problems arise. Your children’s bodies are always growing and constantly changing. If you notice that there is a slight roll in your kids’ ankles, it doesn’t mean that you need to rush off to see a pediatrician or physical therapist.  However, please be alert and watch out for pain, fatigue, clumsiness, and developmental delays. Those are all symptoms of overpronation.

If you notice that your children have any of these symptoms, start by taking them to your pediatrician or physical therapist. They will be able to lead you on to the next steps to take, which could be physical therapy, be fitted for an orthotic, or both.

Have you tried a particular orthotic that has worked well for your child’s pronation? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.