The Best Shoe Brands for Toddlers – The 3 Most Durable and Affordable Brands!

Are you looking for a pair of well-made, comfortable, durable, and affordable pair of shoes for your toddler’s feet? If you don’t have a specialized children’s shoe store in your area then it can be hard to determine what shoe brands and styles will work best for your toddler’s feet. I am going to show you a list of the best shoe brands for toddlers based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

There are several shoe brands for toddlers out there for you to choose from and some that have gained more popularity lately are See Kai Run, Pediped, and Livie & Luca. I have fitted all those shoe brands before, but I believe there are other shoe brands that your toddler will benefit from wearing as they are more consistent in the quality of their shoes and they are available in different widths such as medium, wide, and extra wide.

I have spoken with several parents who complained that their toddler’s shoes fell apart before they outgrew them, and these frustrated parents all seem to have one question in common: What are the best shoe brands for toddlers?

If you’re pressed for time, you can jump directly to the selection of the best shoe brands for toddlers.

The Best Shoe Brands for Toddlers

I have fitted most children’s shoe brands and I can tell you that the best shoe brands for toddlers are the ones that make durable, supportive and affordable footwear for them, but the shoes need to also be available in a variety of widths such as wide, and extra wide widths. I noticed throughout the years how most toddlers tend to have wide or extra wide feet.

If you provide your toddler with wide or extra wide feet with a pair of shoes that are too narrow, you might end up creating all sorts of foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.

There are 3 shoe brands that are consistent in the type of shoes that they manufacture. They all make supportive, lightweight, flexible, and high-quality shoes for toddlers, but depending on your toddlers’ foot shape some of these brands will fit the shape of their feet better than others:

➡️ Stride Rite

➡️ Saucony

➡️ New Balance

With that said, among these shoe brands, there are certain styles that work a lot better than others, and I will show you those specific models shortly.

I will make sure that the shoes that you choose are beneficial for your toddler, and that they will support their natural movement and normal foot growth. It’s important to provide your toddlers with a pair of shoes with good grip to prevent them from slipping and falling.

How to Retrieve Your Toddler’s Shoe Size

I will show you a selection of the best shoe brands for toddlers shortly, but if you are going to be buying your toddlers’ shoes online, you need to be absolutely sure that you know your toddler’s exact foot size. Start by reading an article I created where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your toddler’s foot size from home.

In that article I help parents determine their toddler’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 toddler has a high instep or not.

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 toddler will not get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

Below you can find a detailed description of the best shoe brands for toddlers. 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. 

Number 1: Stride Rite

I am sure that you already have heard of this shoe company. Stride Rite makes the best shoe styles for toddlers who are learning how to walk and also for toddlers who are already waking.

Stride Rite makes lightweight, flexible, breathable, and comfortable shoes that are made to last.

This shoe company is the first choice for many parents since the company designs and engineers footwear specifically to meet the needs of growing children. They are my go-to shoes for toddlers who are still learning how to walk, as they manufacture shoes that are specifically engineered to help your toddlers balance and learn how to walk while they are wearing the shoes.

Their shoes come with the latest technology such as sensory pods that allows toddlers to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip.

What I love the most about this shoe brand is how they offer shoes that are engineered specifically for toddlers who are learning how to walk, and the shoes are available in different widths such as medium, wide, and extra wide. From a fitting perspective, the shoes need to be available in different widths.

Whether your child is walking, running, or jumping, this brand of shoes can handle it all. Stride Rite makes shoes that are durable yet lightweight, and has been creating quality footwear designed specifically for kids since 1919.

The Best Stride Rite Shoes for Toddlers 

Among this shoe brand certain shoes are better than others. That is the reason why I have put together a selection of the best Stride Rite shoes for toddlers who are still learning how to walk.

These shoes can fit toddlers with medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) feet. 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.

Number 2: Saucony

Saucony is a great shoe brand for toddlers, as they produce shoes that are supportive, lightweight, flexible and affordable. I recommend this shoe brand for toddlers who are already walking.

This shoe brand offers shoes in medium, wide, and extra wide widths. I have fitted several different Saucony shoe styles and I am pretty confident that your toddlers will outgrow their shoes before wearing them down. If you are making a trip to the playground with your toddler, Saucony’s high-quality materials such as leather and mesh uppers, rubber outsoles and flex grooves, will keep your toddler’s feet comfortable and carefree.

Saucony makes certain shoe styles that are breathable, lightweight, flexible, and supportive at the same time. What parents love the most about this shoe brand is how it makes affordable but high-quality shoes at the same time.

I recommend this shoe brand for toddlers with narrow, medium, and wide feet. Even though Saucony offers shoes in extra wide widths I believe other shoe brands will fit a toddler with extra wide feet better, such as New Balance.

The Best Saucony Shoes for Toddlers

Below you can find a selection of the best Saucony shoe style for toddlers. These shoes can fit toddlers with medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) feet.

Number 3: New Balance

New Balance is my go-to shoe brand for toddlers who have extra wide feet , high insteps, or need orthotics to be fitted inside their shoes. When toddlers have a high instep, I always try the New Balance shoe styles as they tend to be the deepest shoes. Deep shoes allow the toddler’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, and prevent the top part of their feet (instep), to rub against the top part of the shoes.

New Balance makes some of the widest shoes as the shoes provide extra depth and come with rounder toe-boxes. For example, if you compare a Nike shoe and a New Balance shoe that are the same size in length, you will notice how different their toe-boxes are. New Balance tends to make shoes with rounder toe-boxes than most shoe brands.

The image below will help you visualize the difference between a Nike and a New Balance shoe that are the same size. Notice the difference in the toe-boxes of the shoes. Do you notice how the New Balance shoe style has a rounder (wider) toe-box?

The fact that this shoe company makes some of the widest shoes is a life-saver for those toddlers who have extra wide feet.

When I have to help a toddler with extra wide feet and a high instep, I immediately start by trying a pair of New Balance shoes

Parents also love how durable this shoe brand is. You won’t have to worry about your toddler’s shoes falling apart, as they will most likely outgrow their shoe before they are ready to be replaced.

New Balance shoes are partially manufactured in the United States. The company makes domestic manufacturing a top priority, producing and assembling over 4 million pairs of athletic shoes per year in the United States. But not all New Balance shoes are American made. If you prefer to purchase American-made shoes, then you need to check the label located inside the particular shoe (inside the tongue of the shoe) to determine where the shoe was made.

The Best New Balancer Shoes for Toddlers

Below you can find a selection of the best New Balance shoe styles for toddlers. These shoes can fit a toddler with medium (M), wide (W), or extra wide (XW) feet. Please keep in mind that these shoes won’t fit a child with narrow feet.

Now that you know which are the best shoe brands for toddlers you are ready to make the most informed decision. Socks play a key role in keeping your toddler’s feet healthy, and it’s important that you provide your toddler with the correct sock style and the correct sock size if you want to keep their feet healthy. It’s important that the socks that you provide for your toddlers don’t constrict toe movement, as toddlers move their toes as a way of exercising their feet.

There are certain types of socks that are seamless and allow toddlers to freely move their toes even when they are wearing their socks.

The Best Socks for Toddlers 

I always explain to parents how socks play a key role in keeping their toddler’s feet healthy as they act as a barrier between the toddler’s feet and the shoes. Socks prevent the build-up of bacteria inside your toddler’s shoes and also prevent the formation of blisters by cushioning your toddler’s feet.

This is why I always recommend parents have their toddlers wear socks with their shoes. If your toddlers are always fussing and refusing to wear socks with their shoes, then you should try a pair of seamless socks.

Seamless socks are also great for toddlers who feel every bump and lump when wearing socks.  It’s important for the socks to be also breathable, to prevent your toddlers’ feet from sweating too much. Below you can find a selection of the best seamless socks for toddlers:

Are your toddlers’ shoes showing early signs of wear and tear? One of parent’s biggest frustrations is when their toddlers destroy their shoes before they are ready to be replaced. Most toddlers outgrow their shoes between 3 to 5 months, and since toddlers tend to grow so fast, they should always outgrow their shoes before they wear them down or destroy them.

Most toddlers are extremely active and impose an enormous amount of stress on their shoes, and this can lead to the shoes wearing down faster. Certain shoe styles are supportive, durable, and affordable. In my experience, certain shoe brands consistently offer shoes of the highest quality construction and durability.

What is your favorite shoe brand for toddlers? Is there a different shoe brand that you have tried that I didn’t mention? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my email if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child.