Toddler Sandals with Arch Support – Supportive Footbeds, Lightweight and Flexible!

Is your toddler dealing with a foot condition and your medical professional advised you to provide your toddler with supportive shoes? Have you been looking for a pair of sandals that provide good arch support? Finding a pair of toddler sandals with arch support can be a time-consuming experience, as most toddler sandals don’t have built-in-arches.

Is It Normal for Toddlers to Have Flat Feet?

Babies are born with flat feet, and this is healthy and normal! Most toddlers start developing an arch between the age of 2 and 3. However, I have seen that some children don’t develop their arches until they reach the age of 5.

With that said, not all kids’ feet develop “normally”. For example, while it’s normal for toddlers to have flat feet, the degree of the flat feet and the toddler’s foot posture will determine whether that toddler might benefit from wearing shoes that provide arch support.

Some parents are confused as to why toddlers need to wear shoes with arch support as it’s completely normal for toddlers to be flat-footed. Your medical professional might have found something wrong with your toddler’s feet and that’s why he/she recommended wearing shoes with good arch support.

It is rare that a toddler’s flat foot can cause pain. Some of the most common reasons why toddlers need to wear shoes that provide good arch support are deficiency in balance, coordination, posture, and strength.

My Experience Helping Toddlers with Flat Feet Find the Correct Shoes

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. Over the years I became familiar with the best toddler sandals with arch support.

Several physical and occupational therapists refer families to the shoe store to be fitted for supportive shoes, and depending on the degree of the child’s foot condition, orthotics as well.

What Makes the Sandals that I Recommend Effective for Flat Feet?

1️⃣ Supportive Footbed: The sandals that I recommend provide a footbed with an internal support mechanism that is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support and cradle the natural contours of the foot. Take a look at the image below to visualize the difference in support between one of the sandals that I recommend and a different style:

2️⃣ Targeted Heel Support: The sandals that I recommend provide extra padding and support right below the heels. When a child has flat feet, you don’t only support the arch, you mechanically support all of the pieces that make the feet flat, such as the heels.

What are the Benefits of Providing Your Flat-Footed Toddler with Supportive Sandals?

The sandals that I recommend might help improve your toddler’s feet and overall posture by distributing weight and pressure on your toddler’s feet. The supportive outsole of the sandal will also provide a stable base of support that might help improve your toddler’s balance.

Keep in mind that your toddler’s sandals need to be supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time. Toddlers tend to use a lot of energy walking, so it’s really important that the sandals are lightweight and flexible at the same time.

How to Provide Your Toddler with the Correct Shoe Size

You can provide your toddler with the most supportive pair of shoes, but if the shoes are not fitted correctly (proper length and width), your toddler won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

I suggest that you start by taking a look at a resource I created where I showcase the best children’s shoe stores by state:

The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where to go for Proper Fittings

How to Retrieve Your Toddler’s Exact Foot Length and Width

If after looking at that resource you don’t find a specialized children’s shoe store close in your area, I suggest that you take a look at the article below. In the article below I help parents determine their children’s exact foot length and shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide, high instep):

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

Now that you know what features your toddler’s sandals must provide and how to retrieve your toddler’s exact foot length and shape, let’s take a look at the best toddler sandals with arch support. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Toddler Sandals with Arch Support

Take a look at the description below each sandal to check whether that specific style can accommodate your toddler’s foot shape (medium, wide, extra wide). Make sure that you read the last bullet point of each sandal as I describe what shoe size you need to order to allow for the correct amount of growing room.

Many of the sandals featured above come in several color options, so if you want the sandals to be made of a specific color, please make sure to click through and see if they are available in that specific color.

Make sure that you pull the velcro straps comfortably tight, that way your toddler can get the full support and stability that the sandals have to offer.

Additional features of these sandals:

• Traction: This feature helps minimize the likelihood of your toddler slipping and falling, especially when walking on wet, slippery surfaces.

• Easy On & Off: The elastic cord lace and adjustable hook and loop strap allow toddlers to put them on and take them off by themselves.

• Fast Drying: These sandals come with a quick-drying webbing that is perfect when kids are in and out of the water and everywhere else.

What Sandal Size You Should Order?

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

Are Any Other Sandal Choices Available?

Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having a hard time finding a different pair of shoes to help treat your toddler’s flat feet:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

What Toddler Sneakers Provide Good Arch Support?

You can find a list of the best everyday sneakers for toddlers with flat feet in the article below:

Toddler Shoes with Arch Support – The Best Shoes to Keep Your Kids’ Feet Healthy!

Let me know in the comment section below if you have found a specific pair of sandals that worked well for your toddler’s flat feet.