The Best Shoes for Children (4th-13th Year) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have been helping parents find their correct pair of shoes for their children for the last 10 years, working at a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses in children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well.
I only review shoes that I have fitted before, since that’s the only way for me to tell how the shoes fit and how well-made they are. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
New Balance
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Available in medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
- Leather/mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- 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
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot fresh foam
- Firm heel counter
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- 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
- Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
- Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
Saucony
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Removable insoles
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Velcro closure
- Water-repellent upper for protection from the elements
- Lightweight EVA midsole for cushioning
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet
- Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
- 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
- Fits narrow and medium feet
- Lace-up closure
- Padded collar and tongue for added comfort
- Removable insoles
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
If you need any other type of shoes such for your child as everyday, summer, winter, or sport shoes, you can find them all in a tool I created which lets you filter by the type of shoes you need.
This tool is extremely valuable since it will show you shoes in different widths such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide. It will also tell you exactly how each shoe style fits (short, long, narrow, or wide) and will let you filter by the instep of your child’s foot. You can even find shoes that will accommodate an orthotic! You can find that tool here:
Find The Best Shoe Style For Your Child’s Unique Feet
If there is a particular style that you would like me to review, please leave me a comment below and I will be more than happy to feature a review in the upcoming future. If you need an immediate response feel free to leave a message or email me and I will get back at you as soon as possible.
I am looking for a good pair of shoes for my 6 year old son. He is flat footed and the doctor said to get a good pair of shoes for him that will help his arches develop. He mentioned New Balance. However, after reading your article I am not sure if these would be good because his feet are not wide. My son currently does not have orthotics and we are hoping to avoid them by getting him into a good pair of shoes. Do you have any suggestions for shoes that can help with under developed arches?
Thanks
Tanya.
As far as I am concerned children might develop an arch up to age five. The shoes I mention in my post come in medium, wide, and extra wide width. If your son does not have wide feet, all he need is the medium width. If you are willing to provide him with a pair of shoe with laces, that will provide him with more support and stability. The New Balance KJ990 will be perfect for him. After wearing them for five months you should check if the shoes are caving in and if they are, I will recommend that you have your son evaluated for orthotics. Is there a shoe store in your area that you can take him? I will strongly recommend you have him fitted.
This is a great selection that you have given to choose from. One of the challenges that children in this age group give me is the speed of growth. In about 6 months time they have outgrown the shoes. For this reason I tend to go with the cheapest option in the better class of shoes. Once their feet stop growing then I will look at buying the higher-priced options.
Lesley,
Some children between this age group might even outgrow the shoes in 5 months, keep in mind that every child grows at a different speed. The price of the shoes is not a reflection of the fit. You do not have to spend a lot of money to get a good pair of shoes (take a look at the Saucony baby ride for example). You might spend a lot of money on a shoe, but if this one does not fit properly, you will be throwing your money away. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Juan I just finished looking at your site and I have to say there is a lot of useful information. Especially now that my 11 month old will start walking soon. I didn’t think getting your childs feet fitted was important but after reading your post I will for sure get that done for my children. Thank you for sharing Juan. Happy Holiday’s!
Jaime,
I am sure everyone in the family is excited to see those first steps. One of the many purposes of the website is to make parents aware about the importance of getting your child’s feet fitted. Happy Holiday’s!
Hi Juan,
A useful article for parents looking for some good shoes for their children. I remember getting our two boys to try more than a couple of pairs was hard work. An article like this would have been helpful, knowing some good brands with recommendations would have saved some time. We always needed a wide fit so the New Balance or Saucony Baby Ride would have been excellent choices.
Peter,
As far as the fit goes the New Balance 990 and Saucony Baby Ride are the way to go, they are both excellent choices.These are the two best fitting shoes I have fitted for the last 5 years. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Juan,
I found your review very helpful, The fact that your post is full of imagery contributed to the easy reading of the post.
I have one question for you. I see some of the shoes are available in velcro or laces, but which one will you suggest. My opinion is that the velcro is quick and easy, especially for kids but then they will not learn how to tie their shoe laces?
Thank you for the help.
Regards,
CJ
CJ,
I always emphasize the importance of wearing laces (they provide more support and stability) but it depends if the child is ready and willing to lace them. Take a look at my post: The Easiest Way to Teach Kids Tie the Shoes – It Takes Less Than 30 Seconds!
Hey there, I just want to say that this is such a great idea for a site! There’s a lot of information here that is actually useful to people, in this case, parents. If I was ever stuck in buying shoes for my children, I know the first place I’d start looking… here!
Davby,
There is a lot of misinformation about children’s shoes out there and my goal is to clarify this information to the parents. I am glad you found the website helpful!
Hello Juan,
After viewing your website, I see you have a nice selection of children shoes. I have a 9 year old daughter with special needs and I looking for a good pair of shoes to help with her undeveloped arch in her feet. Do you offer special made shoes? Can you suggest a good pair of shoes and insoles to buy?
I do not offer any special made shoes. It is hard for me to suggest you a good pair of shoes without knowing the length or width of your daughter. All the shoes describe under this post, come in medium, wide, and extra wide. If you are looking to help her with flat feet, you might want to look into an orthotic, which will help her walk and run straighter. Come back to me with a more specific question and I will be able to help you better. Feel free to contact me via email or throught the comments section.
Do you have any reccomendations for a slip on cassual show for a wide foot with a high arch for a child who wears size 5-5.5? She hates sneakers so a lot of choices are out. we live in Reno so boots only work for part of the year.
Hello Jen,
Is your child a small shoe size 5.5 or a big girl shoe size 5.5? The problem with slip-ons is that they don’t provide a lot of support and stability for your child. Here is a post where I describe one of the best slip on shoes for kids’: Merrell Shoes For Kids – The Most Versatile Shoe For The Child And The Parent
Another good choice will be native shoes: Native Shoes – The Must Have Shoe For The Summer
Dear Juan,
I really like your webpage, it is super useful. My son needs orthotics and would like to buy New Balance KJ990. It´s not possible to buy it in Europe, I checked it on amazon. Can we order it from your shop? I would need 7M US BigKid (boys colour, not pink). Thanks
Hello Judith,
Since I am not the owner of the shop, I can’t make those type of decisions. The main reason why you can’t find the KJ900 is because New Balance doesn’t make it anymore. Now you need to look for th shoe style KJ888, that is the style that replaced the KJ990.
You can find that shoe style here: The Best Shoes for Orthotics
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks for your quick answer. Today I went to a sport shop with my son of 11y and couldn’t find any of the shoes on your list. I also realized that he needs size of 7 1/2, not kids’ size anymore.They suggested me New Balance M880 TB6, what do you think of it?My son is having flat feet and one orthotic is 8mm higher than the other. Many thanks for your help.
Judith,
I am glad you were able to find shoes for your child! I believe the main reason why you couldn’t find any of the styles I recommend is because he is into men’s shoe sizes! I am sure they checked the shoes in the store, just make sure his feet are not coming out of the shoe when he walks or runs, and it’s important to make the shoelaces nice and tight!
Hi there! Thank you for sharing all the information and wisdom! My daughter has very narrow feet and very flat feet. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of shoe brands that would help me address both issues. She is 9yo and wears a size 3, almost 4 right now. Thanks for your help!
Hello Cosette,
Finding shoes for a child that has narrow feet it’s extremely hard. However, I wrote a post where I describe the best sneakers for a child that has narrow feet and it really covers everything you need to know. You can find that post here: Asics Shoes For Kids – The Best Shoes For Kids With Narrow Feet!
I hope you find it helpful!
Hello Juan, my 10 year old son has severely flat feet that have caused him bad hip and knee pain we went to the orthopedic and he said we needed special insoles that we got I was just wondering what is the best shoe for special insoles he has a narrow foot and he is in a size 5 big kid.
Thank you
DeShea Bravo
Dear Deseah,
If you can provide me with a picture of the orthotic that was recommended that will be very helpful. Your son has narrow feet but if the orthotic takes a lot of space then he might require a wider shoe. For now, take a look at this post I wrote where I describe the best narrow shoes for kids that are also very supportive. All these shoes come with a removable insole so you can fit an orthotic inside the shoe. You can find that post here: Asics Shoes For Kids – The Best Shoes For Kids With Narrow Feet!
You can choose any of the ones in the second row (they have shoelaces and will provide more support and stability for your boy). Also take a look at another article I wrote which describes the best way to tie your shoes if you wear orthotics: How To Tie Shoes With Orthotics – Stop Heel Slippage
Thank you you very much I will send a picture as soon as I can get one up loaded
Hi there…I feel like I am CONSTANTLY searching for extra wide shoes for my son. He also has a high instep which makes it difficult to size him. He is autistic which makes it extremely stressful trying to even get him in a shoe store without major meltdown! We have found that Tsukihoshi shoes fit great but he is at a size that they no longer carry (Size 6-6.5) so we’re really frustrated. His last shoes that fit great were the Tsukihoshi Storm. Have tried countless Saucony, New Balance and others that are labelled “wide” but we can’t even get his foot in them! Would you recommend that New Balance KJ990 or KR680V3 for him? He also doesn’t like the feel of back rubbing on his heel and will push back down so he’s walking around like sandals…ruins his shoes and risk of tripping/safety as well. High-tops have been recommended by his teacher but can’t find any that fit. Please help us!
Hello Bev,
If your child has extra wide feet and a high instep you should’t be looking for Saucony or New Balance shoes labeled “wide”, you need to look for the ones that are labeled “extra wide”. Tsukihoshi is a great shoe brand, they fit wide and they are nice and lightweight. The 990 is actually deeper, so it might accommodate his high instep better.Please make sure you order the extra wide width one.
I hope this helps!
What would you consider to be a good shoe for a 8 year old that has problems with rolling her ankle all the time?
Kevin,
In order to help you better I need you to tell me your child’s shoe size and your child’s shoe width. I also would like to know if you are willing to provide your child with a pair of shoelaces instead of velcro closure since shoelaces will secure his ankles and provide more stability and support.
hello,
my son now wears strider rite grey color Made to play on a 9.5 w. He has orthotics which was recommended by his PT however the Orthopedist said he did not think he needed them. He has worn the same sneaker for years he is now $ and this was the first time he took the wide. I would love a pair with an arch support. I have been looking at the Tsukihoshi kids speed toddler. thoughts? I really dont like how the big N looks in the New Balance sneakers.
Hello Shari,
Tsukihosi shoes are great because they provide good support, they are lightweight and flexible, and they are machine washable! They also fit a medium to a wide foot, but keep in mind that they “run long” which means that you probably want to provide your child with the same size that he measures at the shoe measuring scale. I hope this helps!
I’ve been told by people with narrow feet that Nike shoes run narrow. I cannot wear Nike’s because my feet are wider, but my 4 1/2YO daughter has long, narrow feet. I’m having the toughest time finding shoes for her. She’s already wearing a 12.5 to 13! She’ll need sneakers, sandals (I love Keen and it’s one you recommended), casual/rubber-soled shoes for Kindergarten in the fall and boots (we live in Buffalo, NY!). I have two requests if you would be so kind:
1. Two recommendations for each shoe type
2. Would you consider starting a kid’s shoe line for narrow feet!?
Thank you so much for this great website!!
Hello Lisa,
You are right, most Nike shoe styles run narrow. I feel like Asics or Saucony shoes run narrower than Nike shoes though, and if your daughter doesn’t have a preference I will strongly recommend Saucony or Asics over Nike shoes. I am assuming she knows how to tie her shoes, but if she doesn’t let me know and we will find her other options. The issue is that until your daughter gets to a shoe size 1 there are not that many Asics shoe options.
Everyday sneakers:
1st Option: Saucony Girls Shoes for Narrow Feet
2nd Option: Saucony Girl Shoes for Narrow Feet
Sandals:
1st Option: Sandals for Girls with Narrow Feet
2nd Option: Sandals for Girls with Narrow Feet
Winter boots:
1st Option: Narrow Boots for Girl
2nd Option: Narrow Boots for Girl
I don’t know why shoe companies don’t make more footwear for kids available in narrow widths. I would love to start a kids shoe line available in narrow widths but is not a plan right now.
I hope this helps!
That’s good to know on the Nike shoes, thank you.
I apologize on asking for recommendations. Since she is a 12 – 12.5 (I went to a local store to have her feet measured today!) she’s still a few sizes away from a 1. What I was looking for on recommendations is specific brand/type combos, for example, when you said that only certain Keen styles run narrow- which styles? Naturino, Primigi are others that you mention, so are there certain styles that run narrow, or are they all pretty narrow in those brands? I’m sorry for asking for specifics, but we have so many pairs of inexpensive shoes that never fit her, and a pair of expensive Pedipeds, that even with the insert, still are way too wide for her. With all of the shoes out there for kids, I’m shocked that no one sells narrow widths. It just seems like a potentially large, untapped market.
Thanks for all of your advice! I appreciate so much that you are so forthcoming and helpful- it’s an enormous help to have such a knowledgeable and responsive resource!!
Lisa,
That’s great, I always recommend parents to take their children to be properly fitted for shoes at their local kids’ shoe store. Sorry I misunderstood your question.
When it comes to Nike, Asics, and Saucony most shoe styles run narrow. The same applies to Naturino and Primigi and yes even within the brand certain styles will run narrower than others, so please free to ask me if you find a certain shoe style and you are not sure how it fits.When it comes to Keen sandals the ” Moxie” style is the one that runs the narrowest.
I think shoe companies don’t make more kids shoes in narrow widths simply because they feel like there is not enough demand, but this is the parents fault for not knowing their kids’ actual shoe size/width since I alone have fitted hundreds of children’s with narrow shoes.
I hope this clarifies and if you ever have doubts about how a particular shoe style runs please don’t hesitate to ask me.
I am looking for a summer shoe (non-sneaker) for my son to wear with his orthotic insert. It’s suddenly gotten VERY hot here (I think we skipped spring this year!) and he is dying in his LLBean low hikers, although those fit him VERY well and he really loves them. Can you recommend any sandals/water shoes that could work?
Hello Sherry,
Unfortunately you will not be able to fit an orthotic inside a summer sandal. There is no such sandal that provides the support or has the heel counter to hold the orthotic in place. However, you can provide him with a supportive summer sandal that provides arch support. At the children’s shoe store that I work for Keen sandals are our to go summer sandal for children who wear orthotics.
You can learn more about them in an article I wrote called: Keen Sandals For Boys – The Most Supportive And Durable Summer Sandal For Your Boy!
They will keep your boys’ feet healthy but he will still have to alternate with his sneakers.
I hope this helps!
I have left a reply but did not appear. I need to contact to anyone to help me purchase an orthotics shoes for my little daughter.
Hello Mohammad,
Where are you located?
What are the issues your daughter is experiencing? Please refer to my articles:
Toddler’s Orthotics – The Best Orthotics For Your Child!
The Best Orthotics For Kids – The Solution To Your Kids Foot And Leg Pain!
Those articles might have the answer that you are looking for, but if they don’t, you can always email me at fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
What is best shoe for flat feet. 11 years old. Sporting shoes, all around daily sneaker type. Merely? Keen? Nike?
Hello Ms. Harris,
There is another article that I wrote that describes the best shoes for children with flat feet. Go to the link below:
The Best Shoes For Kids With Flat Feet – STOP Your Kids Foot Pain!
Please let me know if after reading that article you have any further questions.