I review children’s shoes based on my vast experience from fitting children’s shoes for the last 10 years. I currently work for a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses on children with foot and leg problems.
Parents need to understand that not all children can wear all type of shoes, since they are limited to their particular foot shape —narrow, medium, wide, extra wide— and instep height also plays a key role. The sneakers described in this article are all capable of accommodating the shape of a child with wide feet. You can also check in the shoe description whether the shoe is capable of accommodating high insteps.
Take a look at the description that describes how each particular shoe style fits (short, long) in order to increase the chances that you order the correct shoe size.
Find Out Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Width
If you are unsure of what your child’s foot size is start by taking a look at an article I created where I describe how to figure out your child’s foot size from home:
How to Measure Your Kids Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
All of the sneakers styles described below are supportive, lightweight, flexible, and breathable. Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best sneakers for kids with wide feet.
Brand: New Balance
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cheapest Place to Buy: New Balance Store
Fits the Following Foot Shapes: Medium – Wide — Extra Wide — High Insteps
Medium – Wide – Extra WideCheck PriceMedium – Wide – Extra WideCheck PriceMedium – Wide – Extra WideCheck PriceMedium – Wide – Extra WideCheck Price
To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.
✅ Leather/Mesh Upper.
✅ ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance.
✅ Supportive yet lightweight and flexible.
✅ Extra depth and rounder toe-box.
Brand: New Balance
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cheapest Place to Buy: New Balance Store
Fits the Following Foot Shapes: Medium – Wide — Extra Wide — High Insteps
Additional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck Price
To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.
✅ Wide opening makes shoes easy for kids and parents to get on.
✅ IMEVA midsole offers superior cushioning for everyday underfoot comfort paired with a rubber outsole for durable all-day wear.
✅ Supportive yet lightweight and flexible.
✅ No Sew Overlays.
Brand: Saucony
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon
Fits the Following Foot Shapes: Medium – Wide
Additional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck PriceAdditional Colors AvailableCheck Price
To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.
✅ FORM2U memory foam technology in the footbed.
✅ Lightweight and flexible.
✅ Durable.
✅ Breathable.
Brand: New Balance
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cheapest Place to Buy: New Balance Store
Fits the Following Foot Shapes: Medium – Wide — Extra Wide — High Insteps
ShoelacesCheck PriceShoelacesCheck PriceVelcroCheck PriceShoelacesCheck PriceVelcroCheck PriceShoelacesCheck Price
To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes half a size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.
✅ Extra cushioning and stability.
✅ Lightweight and flexible.
✅ Durable.
✅ Breathable.
Is your child dealing with a particular foot condition such as low muscle tone, flat feet, or rolled ankles? Contact me directly and I will recommend a specific shoe style: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
If you need any other type of shoes such as dress shoes, summer sandals, winter boots, 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 effective since it will show you shoes in different widths such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide. I 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. Go to the link below:
just want to say thank you and love this page. Buying shoes for my young kid seems to be mysterious for me and keep buying an oversize shoes that would make her comfortable. the suggestions you had in the page, with combination of another page about narrow feet have saved my lots of time doing research and buying the wrong brand/shoes. Thanks 🙂
Hello Teresa,
I am happy to hear that! I will be here to answer any questions that might come up!
Do you have any shoe recommendations for kids wearing SMOs for toe walking? Thank you!
Hello Cindy.
Yes, take a look at the article below:
Shoes for SMOs – Extra Deep, Supportive, Flexible, and with Wider Openings!
If you want specific shoe recommendations based on your child’s foot shape feel free to reach out to me directly: fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com