The Best Shoes for Hallux Valgus – Prevent Your Child from Developing Bunions!

Has your child developed bunions? Did you know that the most effective way to prevent and treat a bunion is to provide your children with the correct type of shoes? Good fitting shoes play a key role in preventing and treating your child from developing blisters, calluses, bunions and corns, as well as foot and leg pain. I am going to show you a list of the best shoes for Hallux Valgus based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

What Makes the Shoes that I Recommend Ideal for Kids with Bunions?

If you noticed your child has developed bunions you need to look for shoes that provide the two following features:

1️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature allows the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes and prevents the bunion from rubbing against the top part or side of the shoes. Let’s visualize the difference between a shoe that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t.

2️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent your children’s toes from being pressed against one another or the side of the shoes. If your child’s toes are squeezed together or against the side part of the shoes it can aggravate your child’s foot condition. Let’s visualize the difference between a shoe that provides a round toe-box versus one that doesn’t.

Some parents are confused as to how they can find shoes that provide these two features if children’s shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep” or with “round toe-boxes”? I will provide you with a selection of shoes that provide these two features shortly.

I work for a children’s shoe store that helps children with “complicated” foot shapes and foot condition. This is one common question parents ask me: Can children develop bunions? The answer is yes, they can.

Hallux Valgus or what is commonly known as bunions is a foot deformity that affects the big toe. In the case of Hallux Valgus, there is a deviation in the bones that join at the big toe. It is scientifically referred to as the medial deviation of the metatarsal and lateral deviation of the big toe.

Bunions can cause a great deal of discomfort and pain. It can also create difficulty in walking and promote an abnormal walking gait, especially when wearing shoes that are too short or too narrow.

Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time here is a list of the best shoes for bunions.

Don’t Leave Your Child’s Bunions Untreated!

If you leave this condition untreated, your child will have to deal with foot pain and have the hardest time finding shoes that fit. Having a bunion affects the walking gait, which can lead to your child developing other foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.

If you don’t treat your kids’ bunions from an early stage, the condition will worsen and will actually start affecting other toes. Let’s take a look at a picture of a woman who developed a bunion from wearing ill-fitting shoes as a child and has been dealing with blisters and corns on her other toes:

What Are the Causes of Hallux Valgus? – Keep an Eye on Your Kids’ Shoes!

There have been many debates about the main cause of Hallux Valgus or bunions, and to date, no specific reason for the formation of Hallux Valgus has been agreed on scientifically.

There has also been disagreement that bunions are caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes, while others believe it’s genetic. In all this debate, one common ground they all agreed on is that the type of footwear you choose to provide for your child will surely improve or worsen the condition.

Most Common Mistakes Parents Make!

The most common mistake parents make when purchasing their kids’ shoes is to provide their children with shoes that are too large to take the pressure away from the bunion. This will make the condition worse and you will actually end up compromising your child’s stability, making them more prone to falling.

If you provide your child with shoes that are too short or too narrow you will be squeezing your kids’ toes and they will start rubbing against each other or the side of the shoe. This in time will force the bone to cave in at the joint and create the condition we know as Hallux Valgus.

This condition can begin to form in the earlier stages in kids when the bone tissues are still soft. I have seen many cases of Hallux Valgus in kids due to ill-fitted shoes, especially in girls. It is common for parents to buy their girls’ high heel shoes that are pointed at the top and tight fitted at the edges. This will tend to push the toes inward as the joint in the toe deviate to form bunions.

When children are wearing the wrong shoe size they are more likely to develop this condition. Although the cause of Hallux Valgus seems to be vague, taking care of your kids’ feet will greatly reduce or fully eliminate the pain created by Hallux Valgus.

Now that we know the causes of Hallux Valgus and the importance of wearing the correct type of shoes, let’s take a look at which are the best shoes to improve and prevent this condition from happening.

The shoe styles that I will describe below offer good arch and ankle support, are lightweight and flexible, and they provide great breathability and traction. These are the most recommended styles for children that suffer from bunions.

Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for Hallux Valgus. 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.

The Best Shoes for Hallux Valgus

The shoes below will fit a child that has medium (M), wide (W), or extra wide (XW) feet (choose the width accordingly). 

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

Parents need to understand that if they don’t provide their kids with the correct shoe size, the child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

Remember that wearing shoes in the wrong size is a direct cause of foot and leg pain, and they can lead to several foot issues such as blisters, calluses, corns.

I always recommend parents to take their children to their local children’s shoe store, where a shoe fitter can properly measure their feet and find shoes that fit properly. However, several parents have contacted me asking where they can get their kids’ shoes online since they don’t have a local shoe store that they trust. If you must get your kids’ shoes online, start by reading an article I wrote where I explain the simplest, yet most effective method to figure out your kids’ shoe size from home.

Kids with Bunions – Is Surgery the Best Solution?

Wearing the correct type of shoes will prevent bunions from forming, and at the same time reduce or fully eliminate the pain that your child might be experiencing. This simple, non-surgical method will treat the symptoms. However, when nothing else works, surgery can be a good option.

Please be aware that the foot isn’t fully mature until about 15 to 16 years of age, so please don’t make the mistake of performing surgery too early.

Something so simple such as providing your child with the correct shoe style and the correct shoe size will keep your kids’ feet healthy. Even if your child has developed a bunion, the correct type of shoe will reduce the pressure and allow him or her to live a healthy lifestyle.

Get in Touch With Us for a Personalized Suggestion

Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Did you know that children can develop bunions? Have you found a particular shoe style that has worked well in treating this condition? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.