Wide Shoes for Baby- how to find a pair that fits!
By Brooke Tseng
Does your baby or toddler have wide feet? Are you having trouble finding shoes to fit that don’t resemble “Frankenstein feet?” Join the club! Our guy’s first pair of walking shoes were a pair of cute Champion 4 Wides, after we couldn’t seem to cram any “normal” pair onto his thick little feet. His next pair of shoes were more difficult to find. We combed every store that sold children’s shoes and also did some online research before finding an adorable, and well-fitting pair of 5 ½ Extra Wide Stride Rites. Our weekend of driving and hair-pulling is your gain if you’re searching for baby and toddler wide shoes. Read On!
Fitting your Baby or Toddler in Shoes:
To begin with, a pre-walking baby is best-off barefoot or in soft shoes with no support. Once your child begins walking, though, it is often necessary to protect their feet. Proper fitting shoes are very important for your little one’s foot development. Baby's bones are still growing and shoes that are too tight or elsewhere ill-fitting can cause damage.
Follow these tips to ensure a good fit:
- Look for flexibility. Bend the heel of the shoe and the ball of the shoe towards each other. If it bends in the center of the shoe, it’s good. If it bends directly behind the toes (the ball), it is too stiff for little feet.
- Avoid “arch-support”. Your baby or toddler does not need this and it is only detrimental for most children at this age. You can check this by feeling inside of the sole for any added elevation changes. If there are rises or dips, the shoe might have arch support features in it.
- Check for proper length. Once your child has the shoe on, press your thumb down on the toe and make sure there is at least one adult thumb width or three-fourths of one inch of space between the end of toe and the end of the shoe. You should also be able to put a pencil or your pinky finger in between the heel of the shoe and the baby's foot.
- Check for proper width. Feel alongside both sides of the ball of the foot (at the same time) to make sure there is free space between the sides of the foot and the sides of the shoe. Note that widths vary between different brands of shoe- your child may need a wide in one brand and an extra wide in another. Going wider is usually better than the shoes being too tight.
- Watch your child walk or stand in it. You should be able to tell from watching them bear weight on the shoe, whether or not it feels comfortable and is a good fit. Check your child’s feet for blisters, redness, etc.. Shoes should never need to be “broken in.”
Buying Wide Shoes for Baby:
So you know your baby has wide feet, but you may be having troubles finding shoes that both fit and are attractive. Below is a list of best-bets for finding the wide toddler shoe you want. Hope his helps someone!
- Robeez
- Good news is that the best shoes for baby- soft leather shoes- can usually fit wide feet. Our son wore Robeez for his first 12 months. They were soft, comfortable, and protected his little feet. We even had an indoor and an outdoor pair. We didn’t realize he had “wide feet” at this time as they fit him just fine.
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Jumping Jacks
- Jumping Jacks features age-appropriate footwear made especially for children to accommodate a variety of shapes, sizes and widths. They feature a Basically Barefoot line, perfect for little feet.
- Stride Rite
- Stride Rite makes shoes designed specially for little growing feet. They have a huge selection of styles, sizes and widths. They also feature a Baby Stages line that helps you pick the right shoe at your babies specific stage of development. My son currently has a pair of Stride Rites and we love them.
- Keds
- Cute, kid-tested sneakers available in wides.
Below are brands that also make wide shoes for babies and toddlers, although finding your child’s specific size in the style you want can be hit or miss:
- New Balance
- Champion
- Our son’s first pair of walking shoes were Champions. They were very cute and reasonably priced.
- Reebok
Good Luck!
Share your own wide toddler shoe advice.