The Best Shoes with Ankle Support – Support Your Kids’ Ankles!

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on April 2022 and reflects an up-to-date selection of the best shoes with ankle support.

Do you have a child that is experiencing ankle pain? Did you know that the correct pair of supportive shoes with a firm heel counter can significantly reduce or fully eliminate the pain?

Ankle pain normally occurs due to the overuse and inflammation around the growth plate located in the heel bone. Most physical or occupational therapists recommend that children wear shoes with ankle support to help reduce or fully eliminate the pain.

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years where we specialize in children with foot and leg problems, but provide regular shoe fittings as well. I have helped hundreds of children who were experiencing ankle pain find the correct pair of shoes.

Ankle pain in children is more common than you think. The good news is that certain shoes can significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s ankle pain, and I know which ones they are from having fitted them before.

I have noticed how ankle pain occurs particularly in very active children and in those who participate in organized sports. When a child comes to our shoe store experiencing ankle pain, I start by checking the shoes that the child is wearing to make sure that they are providing the correct amount of ankle support.

This means that before you take your child to be evaluated by your doctor, check the shoes that your child is wearing and press on the heel counter of the shoes to make sure it feels firm. The heel counter is the part of the shoes that provides ankle support, and the firmer it is, the better.

Once you grab your child’s shoes please press on the heel counter and check whether it feels soft or firm. Let me show you the difference between a shoe with a soft heel counter versus a shoe with a firm heel counter:

I also want you to inspect the outsole of your child’s shoes and make sure the shoes come with a substantial outsole. The outsole of the shoe is the part that provides arch support and shock absorption. These feature helps reduce the impact that your child’s feet take every time they become in contact with the ground. Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial outsole versus a shoe with an outsole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

It’s important to always provide your child with shoes that provide the correct amount of support to keep your child’s feet healthy. The shoes I describe in this article provide ankle and arch support, and they will reduce your child’s ankle pain.

Before I show you a selection of the best shoes with ankle support, let’s make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size.

I always recommend parents to take their children to their local kids’ shoe store, where a shoe fitter can measure their feet and find shoes that fit.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

The issue is that most parents don’t have a local children’s shoe store that they trust, and they have to end up buying their children’s shoes online. If you identify with this, start by reading an article I wrote where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s shoe size from home:

How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width

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

Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best shoes with ankle support. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

The Best Shoes with Ankle Support ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The shoes below are available in medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW) widths, so please choose your child’s foot width accordingly.

Toddler Shoe Sizes (0 to 10)

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• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide feet

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles

• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide feet

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole

• 100% leather made

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Available in medium, wide, or extra wide feet

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole

• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide feet

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole

• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• Constructed with a breathable textile lining and an OrthoLite® comfort foam insoles provide moisture transport, antimicrobial function, and long-term cushioning

• Water-friendly

• Double hook-and-loop closure for easy on and off 

• Order this boot half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Velcro closure

• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance

• Removable insoles

• Extra deep

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• Double velcro straps

• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe

• Adjustable double hook and loop closure

• Built-in multi-dimensional orthotic support

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• Double velcro straps

• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe

• Extra depth and width for orthotics

• Rigid heel counter

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

Little and Big Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 7)

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• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Velcro closure

• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance

• Removable insoles

• Extra deep

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• Lace-up closure

• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance

• Durable leather upper

• Stability Web outsole technology provides added arch support

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole

• Supportive outsoles and firm heel counter

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• NDurance rubber outsole technology provides superior durability in high-wear areas to help get more out of the shoes

• Lace-Up closure

• Non-marking outsole

• Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Triple velcro straps

• Thermoplastic rigid heel counter

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Triple velcro straps

• Thermoplastic rigid heel counter

• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• Lace-up closure

• Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

---

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Lace-up closure

• Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles

• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, and wide feet

• EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability

• Cushioned footbed

• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits narrow and medium feet

• Breathable mesh and synthetic upper

• Heel grid system for stable cushioning in the heel

• EVA midsole provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning and lasting durability

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability

• Cushioned footbed

• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet

• Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability

• Reinforced toe cap for durability

• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Available in medium and wide widths

• ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support

• Leather and suede upper

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium feet

• The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

The shoes I recommend provide these additional features:

✅ Lightweight and flexible: The shoes are lightweight and flexible to prevent your children’s feet from easily getting tired.

✅ Breathable: This feature allows your child’s feet to breathe and prevent the formation and build-up of bacteria inside the shoes.

✅ Shoelaces instead of Velcro closure: When the child is experiencing any sort of foot pain, I always recommend parents to provide their children with shoelaces instead of velcro closure  —as shoelaces provide better support and stability. Shoelaces play a key role in securing the heel area and providing maximum heel support.

What Makes the Shoes I Recommend Effective for Ankle or Heel Pain?

The shoes provide targeted support to the heel. Let me show you the difference between one of the kids’ shoes I recommend and a different pair. Do you notice how the shoe on the right has more padding below the heel area? This will help reduce the impact on your kids’ heels every time they impact the ground.

If you tried a pair of supportive shoes already and your child’s ankle pain persists, the next step is to try a heel cup inside your kids’ shoes as they work wonders in reducing or completely eliminating ankle pain. Heel cups are going to be the most cost-effective alternative, but I will expand on this shortly.

Heel Cups for Kids – Targeted Support to Your Child’s Ankles!

The children’s shoe store that I work for is one of the few retailers in the country authorized to fit prescription orthotics. Moreover, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that good shoes and orthotics have in keeping feet and legs healthy. However, instead of fitting an orthotic in your kids’ shoes to help treat and prevent ankle pain, I recommend that you try a heel cup instead. This is going to be a more efficient and cost-effective alternative.

I have experience in fitting several heel cups not just for children, but for women and men as well. Heel cups are extremely effective in reducing and eliminating heel pain. They are very easy to fit inside shoes – they fit in most shoes – and they are more affordable than an orthotic.

There is a particular heel cup that I have fitted before and I know it’s the most effective one as it provides maximum shock-absorbing protection to support your child’s heels. I have seen how this heel cup has significantly reduced or fully eliminated the pain that children were experiencing.

The Best Heel Cups for Kids ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Ideal to treat and prevent general heel pain, plantar fasciitis, Sever’s disease, excessive pronation, Achilles tendonitis

• Innovative multi-cell, multi-layer waffle pattern design, helps to absorb impact pressure (shock) and return impact energy back to the feet

• The extra cushion this heel cup includes reduces and prevents sore heels and shin splints

• Allow your child to become familiar with the feel of the heel cups

• Allow your child to become familiar with the feel of the heel cups

Check Price

Small Size – Fits from a little kid shoe size 10.5 to a big kid shoe size 6.

Regular Size – Fits big kid shoe size 6 and above.

Heel cups only fit in shoes that provide extra depth, otherwise, the heel cup won’t fit deep enough inside the shoes and will raise your kids’ feet, giving your child the impression that his/her feet are coming out of the shoes. All of the shoes I recommend above provide extra depth, so you will be able to fit a heel cup inside of them.

If you want to learn more about how this heel cup works, I created an article along with a video that explains all the benefits that this heel cup provides and how to fit them inside the shoes. That article also describes the best sport shoes for children with ankle pain:

Heel Cups for Shoes – How to Stop Heel Pain!

Now that you know which are the best shoes with ankle support and what are the best heel cups in case the shoes don’t reduce or eliminate the pain, you are ready to make a better and more informed decision.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

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

Have you tried any of the shoe styles that I recommend in this article? Is there a particular shoe style that has worked well for your children’s ankle pain? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.