There are so many choices of orthotics in the market that it makes it hard for parents to decide which ones are best for their kids, so I put together the top 3 orthotics for kids based on their specific foot conditions.
Orthotics are one of the most effective ways to treat and prevent foot and leg pain. If you choose the correct type of orthotic and you fit it in the correct type of shoes, you will help realign your kids’ feet and legs, improving their overall posture!
Is Your Child Dealing with Any of the Following Foot Conditions?
Has your child been complaining about foot and leg pain? Is your child dealing with any of the following foot conditions?
- Flat Feet
- Overpronation
- Rolled Ankles
- Low Muscle Tone
- Knock Knees
- Toe-Walking
Do you know what all of these foot conditions have in common? They all can be treated by wearing the correct type of shoes and orthotics.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes and Orthotics
I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for the last 10 years at a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses in helping children with foot and leg problems such as flat feet, rolled ankles, low muscle tone, hypermobility, toe walking, etc.
Several physical and occupational therapists refer children to the shoe store to be fitted for the correct type of shoes and orthotics.
What Is An Orthotic?
An orthotic is a shoe insert that is specifically designed to provide cushioning, support, and stability, and to relieve pressure areas of the foot. However, not all orthotics provide the same level of effectiveness in treating your child’s foot conditions. There are certain types of orthotics that provide better cushion, support, and stability to your child’s feet, and those are the ones I will describe in this article.
The correct type of orthotics can help strengthen and straighten your kids’ feet and legs, improving your child’s overall posture.
I have fitted 3 different types of orthotics that have proven to be the most effective ones when it comes to treating and preventing your children’s foot conditions. These orthotics provide a built-in arch support that helps prevent your child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards. Let me prove it to you.
What a Difference These Orthotics Can Make!
Let’s take a look at the picture below. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards? Since this child is flat-footed, there is no arch to prevent the feet from collapsing and turning inwards.
Now let’s have that same child stand up in a pair of orthotics and let’s notice what a difference the correct pair of orthotics can make:
Do you notice how the orthotics are preventing the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards? The arch support of the orthotics are preventing the child’s feet from collapsing.
It’s important to understand that an orthotic will not mold an arch for your child. However, orthotics can definitely help straighten and strengthen your kids’ ankles. Some children suffer from overpronation from having rolled ankles.
Before I show you the top 3 orthotics for kids, I want to first explain the features that these orthotics provide and which are the best kids’ shoes to fit orthotics.
Orthotics for Kids – The 3 Most Important Features!
These are the 3 main features that the orthotics I recommend provide to your child’s feet and legs:
1️⃣ Arch Support: The built-in arch support helps minimize the impact that your kids’ feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground. The arch support also helps prevent your child’s feet from collapsing, by aligning your kids’ feet and legs at the same time.
2️⃣ Ankle Support: The orthotics also come with a heel cup that helps strengthen and straighten your kids’ ankles. This feature helps minimize the impact that your kids’ heels take every time they come in contact with the ground.
3️⃣ Molds to Your Child’s Unique Foot Shape: These orthotics are designed to mold over time to fit each child’s unique foot, since they are made of premium medical grade PU foam.
The orthotics I describe below will fit in your kids’ everyday sneakers, Mary Jane shoes, boots, and sport shoes such as cleats.
The Top 3 Orthotics for Kids
#1 Footlogics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This company manufactures performance enhancing and posture correcting insoles. The orthotic is specifically designed for children with posture and foot development issues such as flat feet, overpronation, or weak and rolled ankles.
The main reason why I recommend this orthotic is that it provides excellent arch and heel support, and at the same time is not as invasive as other orthotics. This means that this orthotic allows the child’s foot and leg muscles to develop on their own while supporting them.
- Fits a toddler shoe size 5 up to a big kid shoe size 3
- Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion and support
- Deep heel cup with strong arch support
- Made from lightweight yet supportive cushioning material with shock-absorbing heel padding
- Forefoot padding to increase comfort
- They can be trimmed to size with scissors if needed
- Fits a toddler shoe size 5 up to a big kid shoe size 3
- 3/4 length makes it ideal to fit in most shoes
- Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion and support
- Deep heel cup with strong arch support
- Made from lightweight yet supportive cushioning material with shock-absorbing heel
Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?
Yes, you will have to remove your child’s original shoe insoles before placing the orthotic inside the shoes.
What I love the most about this shoe company is how they manufacture orthotics for everyday wear but they also manufacture orthotics specifically designed to work with your kids’ sport shoes. The company’s mission is to help children with foot issues feel more comfortable in their shoes.
#2 littleSTEPS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This orthotic mechanically supports the pieces of the foot that causes the foot to be flat such as the heels.
I recommend this orthotic for children with flat feet, rolled ankles, overpronation, low muscle tone, hypermobility, toe walking, and knock knees.
1️⃣ Deep heel cup that helps control the alignment of the heel and lower leg.
2️⃣ Medial and lateral flanges to help keep the foot aligned over the orthotic.
You Must Enter a Referral Code to Order this Orthotic
To place an order for littleSTEPS® Orthotics, you must submit a Referral Code during the ordering process. Enter the referral code JVFCS100121 in the Discount Window and you will get 10% off your order.
Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?
No, you won’t have to remove the original insoles of your child’s shoes before placing this orthotic inside the shoes.
#3 Superfeet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superfeet insoles have proven to be some of the most effective ones for children that are flat-footed and are experiencing foot or leg pain. If fitted in the correct type of shoes, these insoles will significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s arch and ankle pain.
Superfeet insoles are affordable — as children’s feet are constantly growing— and offer professional-grade orthotic support, performance and comfort.
These insoles are for older children since they fit from a shoe size 13.5 up to a teenage shoe size 7. Below you can find the best Superfeet insoles for kids:
- Deep heel cups help position the heel to naturally absorb and soften impact from the ground
- Stabilizer cap acts as the base of the insole that supports the rearfoot
- They can be trimmed to fit your kids’ shoes
- Deep heel cup helps stabilize and reduce stress on feet, ankles and back
- Stabilizer cap acts as the base of the insole that supports the rearfoot
- Coating to help with odors
- They can be trimmed to fit your kids’ shoes
Do You Need to Remove the Original Insoles of the Shoes?
Yes, you will have to remove your child’s original shoe insoles before placing the orthotic inside the shoes.
These are the 3 best orthotics for children that I have fitted before in terms of support, comfort, and durability.
If your children are involved in sports and need an orthotic to be fitted inside their sport shoes for extra support, you should take a look at another article I wrote where I describe the best kids’ orthotics for sport shoes. Go to the link below:
Orthotic for Sport Shoes – The Proven Method to Reduce Your Child’s Foot and Leg Pain!
I am always explaining to parents that for their kids to get the full benefits that the orthotics have to offer, they need to fit them in the correct pair of shoes. If you fit a pair of good supportive orthotics in a pair of shoes that are too flimsy or unsupportive, your child won’t get any of the benefits that the orthotics have to offer and vice versa.
The Best Shoes for Orthotics – Deep and Supportive
Don’t forget that the orthotics and the shoes work hand in hand in helping treat and prevent your kids’ foot condition.
Most orthotics take a lot of extra space inside the shoes, so it’s important for the shoes to provide extra depth and to be available in wide (W) and extra wide (XW)for the orthotics to be fitted inside the shoes. I actually wrote an article where you can find a selection of the best shoes for orthotics. Go to the link below:
The Best Kids’ Shoes for Orthotics – Supportive and Comfortable Shoes
Do not hesitate to contact me if you are unsure which orthotic will work best based on your child’s specific foot condition:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Is there another orthotic style that you have tried that has worked well for your child’s feet? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
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