The Best Shoe Brands for Kids with Wide Feet – The 3 Deepest and Widest Shoe Brands!

Are you having a hard time finding shoes for your child’s wide feet? Do you feel like you try several different shoe brands and styles but all shoes end up being too narrow for your child’s feet? I have found 3 shoe brands that have proven to be the most effective ones when it comes to fit the shape of a wide foot. I have been fitting children’s shoes for over 10 years, and based on my many years of shoe fitting experience I am going to show you a list of the best shoe brands for kids with wide feet.

Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time, you can go straight to the selection of the best shoe brands for kids with wide feet.

Does Your Child Have a High Instep in Addition to Wide Feet?

Some children have high insteps in addition to having wide feet, which makes the whole process of finding shoes that fit a lot more complicated. Do you know what the instep of the foot is? The instep is the top part of the foot and when children have high insteps, there is a lot of extra foot volume that needs to be fitted inside the shoes:

I have fitted several different shoe brands for children with wide feet, but 3 particular ones have proven to be the most consistent ones when it comes to manufacturing shoes for children with wide feet.

What Are the Best Shoe Brands for Children with Wide Feet?

The best shoe brands for children with wide feet are:

1️⃣ New Balance

2️⃣ Saucony

3️⃣ Stride Rite

Among these 3 shoe brands, certain shoes fit deeper and wider than others, and those are the styles I will recommend shortly.

Most Common Errors Made by Parents

Most parents make the common mistake of assuming that a shoe that is labeled as wide (W) or extra wide (XW) will automatically fit the shape of their child’s wide feet. In addition to fitting the shape of your child’s wide feet, the shoes need to also be able to accommodate the shape of your child’s instep. Children with high insteps require shoes that provide extra depth, to prevent the instep of their feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Kids with Wide Feet?

For children with wide feet, there are 2 key features that the shoes must provide to fit the shape of their feet perfectly:

1️⃣ Extra Depth: Shoes that provide extra depth allow the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, and prevent the top part of the child’s feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature also helps prevent the top part of the child’s toes from rubbing against the top front part of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t:

2️⃣ Round Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent your kids’ toes from overlapping and rubbing against one another or the side of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides a rounder toe-box versus one that doesn’t:

How Do You Find Shoes with Extra Depth and Rounder Toe-Boxes?

Parents are often confused about how they are supposed to find shoes that provide extra depth and rounder toe-boxes if shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep” or with “rounder toe-boxes”.

I know exactly which shoes provide these 2 features as I have fitted them before. At the shoe store that I work for we fit a lot of children with wide feet and high insteps. We also fit a lot of children with foot issues who need to wear orthotics inside their shoes. Orthotics take a lot of extra space inside the shoes, so I have become familiar with which shoes are deeper and wider to accommodate an orthotic.

Stride Rite: The Best First Walking Shoes for Babies with Wide Feet

I have noticed that most babies who are learning how to walk have wide or extra wide feet. This doesn’t mean that their feet  are always going to be wide or extra wide, as they might be carrying a little extra baby fat that might go away as they keep growing. However, some children’s feet stay wide for the rest of their lives.

Stride Rite makes shoes in wide and extra wide widths that come with a round toe-box and that provide extra depth. I have fitted some of the widest babies’ feet in Stride Rite shoes, and those are the styles I will describe below.

Another awesome feature that Stride Rite shoes provide unrelated to the width of the shoes is how the shoes come with sensory pods in the bottom of the sole of the shoes, which allows your baby’s feet to get a better feeling of the ground and feel more confident and stable when taking those first steps.

The Best Stride Rite Shoes for Wide Feet 

Below you can find a selection of the best wide Stride Rite shoes for babies and toddlers. All of these shoe styles come with sensory pods in the soles to help your baby balance better. 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.

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Saucony: The Best Shoes for Kids with Wide Feet

If you have a toddler at home with wide feet who is already walking and needs a pair of shoes, Saucony makes some of the best styles that cater to these needs.

Saucony makes certain shoes that are specifically targeted to toddlers who are already walking or still in the learning walking stage, since their shoes are lightweight, flexible, breathable, and durable.

These shoes also come with a more substantial and supportive outsole, since toddlers who are already waking place more pressure on their feet and legs. Saucony makes some of the best shoes for toddlers at an affordable price.

The Best Wide Saucony Shoes for Children

Below you can find a selection of the best wide Saucony shoes for toddlers. Please choose the wide width option (W).

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New Balance: The Best Shoes for Kids with Foot Issues and Orthotics

New Balance is my go-to shoe brand for older children with wide feet or children of any age who have a foot condition and need a pair of orthotics to be fitted inside the shoes.

New Balance makes the deepest shoes with the roundest toe-boxes. This shoe brand is ideal for any child who has extra wide feet and high insteps.

In addition to fitting a child with wide or extra wide feet and a high instep, New Balance shoes are supportive, lightweight, and flexible.

The Best Wide New Balance Shoes for Children 

Below you can find a selection of the best wide New Balance shoes for children. Please choose the wide width option (W).

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How to Order the Correct Shoe Size Online?

Follow the instructions in this article to retrieve your child’s exact foot size, including length and shape.

I presented you with the best shoe brands for kids with wide feet. Please keep in mind that while there might be some other children’s shoe brands available in wide and extra wide widths, none of them compare to the quality and support that Stride Rite, Saucony, and New Balance shoes provide.

You have probably heard of other shoe brands such as Pediped, See Kai Run or Sperry (just to name a few), but the 3 shoe brands that I recommend provide several important features in addition to fitting children with wide feet.

The Best Shoe Brand for Your Child Depends On His/Her Walking Stage

Which of the 3 shoe brands that I recommended will work best for your child depends on your child’s walking stage and foot condition.

➡️ Stride Rite provides the best shoes for babies and toddlers who are still learning how to walk.

➡️ Saucony makes some of the most affordable, yet supportive and lightweight shoes for toddlers who are already walking.

➡️ New Balance is the best choice for older children who have a foot condition that requires them to wear more supportive and substantial shoes. This shoe brand is also the most effective one when it comes to fitting children with high insteps.

Please do not hesitate to contact me through the comments section or via email if you can’t seem to find a particular shoe for your child with wide feet. I am always explaining to parents how it doesn’t matter how wide their kids’ feet are, there is always at least one particular shoe style out there that will fit the shape of their kids’ feet perfectly, and I will help you find it:

Do you agree with my selection of the best shoe brands for kids with wide feet? Is there any other shoe brand that has worked well for your child’s wide feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.