Are you having a hard time finding a pair of winter boots for your toddler girl with wide feet? Do you often find yourself buying several pairs of boots to end up returning them because they are too hard to get on and off? Finding a pair of good winter boots for toddler girls with wide feet can be challenging, but I have fitted certain boots that work wonders for toddlers with wide feet.
How to Tell If Your Toddler’s Boots Are Too Narrow?
One of the most common signs that your toddler’s boots are too narrow is when you have a hard time getting the boots on and off. If you notice imprints on the top part of your toddler’s feet (instep), that’s another sign that the boots might be too narrow.
Do Most Toddlers Have Wide Feet?
Yes, most toddlers tend to have wide or extra wide feet. I have been fitting children’s shoes for many years (over 10 years of shoe fitting experience), and the shoe store that I work for specializes in helping children with “complicated” foot shapes (wide, extra wide, high instep), as well as foot problems (flat feet, rolled ankles, low muscle tone).
Most families who come to the shoe store with their toddlers need a pair of wide fitting shoes. Over the years I became familiar with the best winter boots for toddler girls with wide feet.
Why Am I Having Such a Hard Time Getting the Boots On and Off?
This might be a sign that your toddler has a high instep as well. Do you know what the instep of the foot is? The instep is the top part of the foot, and when it’s high, it makes it a lot more challenging to get the shoes on and off. Take a look at the image below to visualize where the instep of the foot is located:
The good news is that the winter boots that I recommend can accommodate the shape of a wide foot and high instep as well, as they provide one key feature: extra depth. The deeper the boots are, the easier they will be to get on and off.
Are My Toddler’s Feet Always Going to Be Wide?
A lot of families bring their children to be fitted for their first pair of walking shoes, so I have seen these children grow and some of their feet remain wide, while some others narrow down as they grow.
Keep in mind that some toddlers might still be carrying some baby fat that might soon disappear and make their feet narrower.
What Makes the Winter Boots that I Recommend Ideal for Toddlers with Wide Feet?
The boots that I recommend provide 3 key features that makes them ideal for toddlers with wide feet:
- Round Toe-Boxes: The boots that I recommend provide rounded toe-boxes instead of pointier ones, which makes them ideal for toddlers with wide feet. The boots below are the same size in length, but do you notice how the boot on the right has a rounded toe-box compared to the boot on the left? I will show you where you can buy this exact same boot shortly.
- Extra Depth: This feature is important if your toddler has a high instep. Boots with extra depth will allow your toddler’s feet to sit deeply inside of the boots, preventing the instep from rubbing against the top part of the boots. Let’s take a look at an image of two boots that are the same length but provide different levels of depth. Do you notice how the boot on the right is a lot deeper compared to the boot on the left?
- Available in Wide Widths: You will notice that most of the boots that I recommend are available in wide (W) or extra wide (XW) widths. If you notice that the boot is not available in wide widths is because that specific style fits really wide to begin with.
What Are the Best Shoe Brands for Toddlers with Wide Feet?
My go-to shoe brands that manufacture boots for toddlers with wide feet are:
- Stride Rite
- Tsukihoshi
- See Kai Run
- Pediped
Should You Shop for Your Toddler’s Shoes Online or at Your Local Shoe Store?
To get your toddler’s feet properly sized and the shoes properly fitted, I strongly suggest that you take her to your local shoe store. The issue is that most independent and specialized children’s shoe stores have been closing down (even before the pandemic), so families don’t know where to have their toddler’s shoes properly fitted.
I created a map to keep track of the best specialized children’s shoe stores by state, so you might want to take a look at it:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores in the United States – Where to go for Proper Fittings
If you don’t have a local shoe store, I suggest that you look at a different resource I created where I help families retrieve their children’s exact foot length and shape from home:
How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width
Where Can You Find the Winter Boots that I Recommend?
I am going to leave you some links in case you prefer to shop for your toddler’s shoes online. You can always ask your local shoe store if they carry these same styles, that way you can have your toddler’s shoes properly fitted and you will be supporting local businesses at the same time.
Best Winter Boots for Toddler Girls with Wide Feet
Take a look at the description below each boot to check whether that specific style is available in wide widths (W) or not. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
Available in Wide Widths
Fits WideFits WideFits WideFits Wide
- Alternative closure with fixed laces for easy on/off and adjustability
- Waterproof technology keeps water and debris out
- Wide toe box and outsole with rounded edges allow for proper foot development
- Lightweight and flexible to prevent your toddler’s feet from easily getting tired
- Good traction to help prevent your toddler from slipping and falling
One of the features that parents love the most about these boots is how they open up nice and wide for easy on and off. If you feel like you always struggle to get your toddler’s boots on and off choose the ones with double velcro straps as they will open up a lot wider and make it easier for you to get the boots on and off.
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
The boots that I recommend fit “short”, which means that you need to order a whole shoe size bigger (3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters) to allow your toddler with the correct amount of growing room.
Can These Boots Fit Toddlers with Extra Wide Feet?
Whether these boots will be capable of fitting toddlers with extra wide feet depends on how wide your toddlers’ feet are. The boots that I recommended are the widest styles available in the market right now, so if these boots are not capable of fitting your toddler’s feet, it’s highly likely that other boots won’t work as well.
Are Any Other Boot Choices Available?
If none of these boots are available in your toddler’s foot size feel free to leave me a comment in the section below or you can email me at:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Why Is It So Hard to Find Shoes for Toddlers with Wide Feet?
I believe that there are a lot of children out there who have wide feet, but most parents are not aware that they do, so they end up buying bigger shoes to compensate for the width.
Another reason is that shoe companies can save money by manufacturing shoes in the most common width (medium). The cost of mass-produced shoes is kept low, as the fewer variations there are, the less the cost is for shoe companies. So, for kids with wide feet like yours, it gets harder to find shoes that fit.
The Final Fitting!
I understand that finding a pair of shoes for a toddler who has wide feet can be frustrating and time-consuming. You might also end up wasting money by having to constantly return the shoes back and forth.
Providing your toddler with a pair of winter boots that are too narrow can lead to your toddler refusing to want to wear the boots, and it can also create foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.
Most families end up buying longer boots to accommodate their toddler’s wide feet. This can lead to several issues such as compromising your toddler’s stability and also creating foot issues as when the feet have too much extra space inside of the shoes, that constant movement and friction between the toes and the shoes can lead to blisters.
Let me know if you have found a specific pair of winter boots that worked well for your toddler’s wide feet as I am sure other families will benefit from your findings.
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