Shoes for Kids with Wide Feet
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Where to buy wide shoes for 5yo
Oct 2012
My 5yo son would only wear Crocks which fit loosely. He needs footwear to be wide, even though his feet are standard width (size 12). For the life of me, I can't find anything he'd agree to wear besides the crocks. His preschool is asking for closed shoes for safety on the playground. Where should we go shoe shopping? Surely there's some footwear out there for kids with wide feet? Mom of Bigfoot.
zappos.com you can select any type of shoe have it shipped back and forth at no cost and last not least: have junior try them on in the 'comfort of your home' - meaning when it's a good time for him/her to try on shoes after shoes after shoes. Let the kid run around the house with the shoes for a while. Always order one size up and one size down from what you think. That's the beauty of zappos.com zappos mom
Myself, my husband, and our daughter have wide feet and I have found that Zappos.com offers the best selection of wide shoes. You can search by size and width, plus a number of other factors. And the beauty of Zappos is that shipping is free both ways. You can literally order 12 pairs of shoes and return 11 pairs or all of them if they don't work (I've actually done that when I needed shoes for a wedding). Their phone customer service is amazing as well. I know it's not local, but for my whole life shoe shopping has been a frustrating and painful experience, Zappos.com has changed that for me and my wide feet. Wide Feet
Try Tsukihoshi tennis shoes. I know they sell some at Nordstroms, but once I found them, I always bought the new larger ones on the internet. They run wide, and about 1/2 size bigger than most shoes, and most have Velcro closures. They are machine washable, air-dry, with footbeds removed (wash those by hand and air dry.) My 4th grader is still wearing them but she will soon size-out. Liz
I saw all of the posts directing you to Zappos so wanted to put in a plug for Happy Feet in Alameda, a locally-owned kids shoe store. We've bought all of our daughter's shoes there, in part because she has hard to fit feet. They measure her feet ever time and then point us to the shoe styles that will fit her narrow feet (and direct us away from the shoes that are not a good fit - the wide ones that would work for your kid). They have a wide selection of brands and styles and prices (I think prices are usually comparable to Zappos); and they really know their stock so can tell you which shoes will be best for your kid's feet. They also have a frequent buyer program where you get a discount after purchasing a certain number of pairs (I think 5 pairs). And they have balloons.
Happy Feet Children's Shoes, 1354 Park St (between Alameda Ave & Marti Rae Ct), Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-0524 Shop Local
Wide shoes for 2 year old
Dec 2011
My 2 y/o son has wide feet so we've been getting him shoes from Stride Rite, but at ~$60/pair, it just doesn't make economic sense given how fast he outgrows them! What other brands out there have a good selection of wide shoes? anon
My 22-month-old son has wide feet, and See Kai Run shoes, which are very well made, fit him. They're about $45 a pair, but you can often get them on sale for half price on their website. Anon
Shoes for kids' wide feet
Nov 2010
My 4 years old daughter's feet grow like weeds and I have a hard time finding her the right pair of shoes. She has very wide feet. Can anyone recommend a good place (Walnut Creek area, but will travel to Berkeley) to shop for wide shoes and/or a type of brand? Would prefer affordable (less than $20 a pair), comfortable and girly shoes (she is very into sparkly). Thanks. Katherine
Your best bet might be online. We often found stores had to special order shoes anyway, which was more of a pain than just ordering online and it was difficult for my daughter to go to the store and see so many pretty shoes and be told none of them came in wides (or extra wides). We found a few brands that worked-- Stride Rite, New Balance, and some kinds of sandals, but none were under $20. Lands' End has one line (maybe more?) that comes in wides and in lots of colors and they are often cheap, especially since they are constantly having sales and promotions. (FYI they run on the big side) We've been very happy with the quality for the price, and even though they aren't sparkly, or as cute as some, they do have lots of colors and can count as 'fancy' while still being suitable for running around. When we've bought my daughter shoes not in wides, she only wears them once because they hurt (even though in the store her enthusiasm for them made her say they were fine). Boots have been an exception-- not sure why. It's a bummer, but she's just had to have fewer shoes than otherwise because they are expensive and there's less selection. But online at shoes.com, shoebuy.com, zappos.com, or the like, probably has the most options in wides. -No Emeldas here
Try shoebuy.com. You can search by size and width (they offer wide and extra wide). Shoebuy.com offers free shipping to your home as well as free shipping on all returns. In addition, you don't have to pay sales tax. Also, if you search for coupons online, you usually can find one w/10-20% off. Once you purchase from their site, you will receive coupons 1-2 x per month and I have found that as a returning customer, I have rec'd an additional 10% off. Not sure if they are still doing that as I haven't had to purchase shoes in awhile. Hope this helps. anon
My daughter who is three, also has wide feet. Unfortunately, all the girly styles she likes do not come in wide sizes. I found the only shoes that really fit her and has girly styles is Stride Rite. They are expensive so I buy them at Nordstrom during their sales events. I've bought the 'Natalia' Light-Up Mary Jane shoe now twice - it's a sneaker style mary jane that's pink, has glitter, and lights up (it's subtle, not too flashy) with each step and is currently under $20 on sale. I've found that they have more styles online than in the store, but if you go in to the store and order it, they will ship it to you for free. Nordstrom has a sale going on right now so hurry! Tiffany
I have the same challenge with my daughter, who is now 7. Several brands market wide, and sometimes even XW shoes, namely Striderite and Jumping Jacks. They are both expensive at full retail, but there is a Striderite outlet store in the outlet mall on HWY101 in Petaluma. Its hit or miss there, though. Another company Tsukihoshi, market great tennis shoes, machine washable with velcro and removable liner, also expensive at full retail, but often available on the web at lower cost. The run very wide, but aren't labeled 'wide'. They also run about 1/2 size large. The strategy that has mostly worked for me is to find a shoe that fits from one or all of these companies, and then keep buying it in the next size, different colors, as my kids' feet grow. I use eBay often, buying new and some used shoes. The shoe store I used to go to on College Ave closed, any my experience has been that wide shoes in a conventional retail store are pricey..$50 and up, unless you hit a sale. Liz
The only place I know of where you might regularly find wide kids' shoes for under $20 per pair is Payless Shoe Source. The quality matches the price -- they're a pretty good value and the shoes can be quite comfortable (especially the 'Smart Fit' line) but don't expect them to last a long time or hold up to playground abuse as well as more expensive brands would.
My other suggestion is Lands End -- which you can buy at Sears stores as well as online. Their basic kids' shoes tend to be about $25 or $30 so they are just a bit over your budget, but if you shop online you may find end-of- season deals or discontinued colors for under $20. Free shipping codes are easy to get if you sign up for the catalog and/or e-mails. The shoes are pretty good quality, their girls' styles are cute but practical, and they do offer wide sizes in many styles. Holly
Aug 2008
My 16 month old has very wide feet. The only shoe I can seem to get on him are Crocs. Anyone have any recommendations for a good toddler shoe for kids with very wide feet? Thanks! heather
I'd recommend going to Shoebuy.com or Zapatos.com and searching by size (you can search by size and width). After the smallest sizes, there are only limited options in extra-wide. Or, stores will often special order extra wide shoes for you, which takes longer but does provide some added confidence about fit. We had some sad scenes in stores when my toddler realized that almost none of the really flashy, fun shoes came in her size, so we switched to ordering online. Most online options have free returns. Striderite and New Balance carry extra wide shoes and we have been very happy with the quality of both brands. Caroline
My son also has a very wide foot and the only shoe that fits him are the slip on Merrils (REI) or See Kai Run (you can order them online directly from them). Good luck. kim
Have you tried Keens? They are very wide and very sturdy, and come in closed shoes as well as sandals. You can get them at REI and Zappos.com. I've bought them at Cotton and Company in Rockridge too. I always had good luck with Stride Rite for my wide-footed boy - I think Cotton and Company carries them. There are more suggestions on the BPN website here: http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/where2buy/shoes.html Ginger
We have a 21 month old toddler who has wide feet. So far we've gotten by with some pedipeds, but I see that they are starting to be pretty narrow on her. We recently got some Teva sandals which were great for wide feet, but perhaps not good for every day shoes. Last week, I got a Lands End catalog with their children's line and noticed that most of their shoes were available in wide. Perhaps it is worth trying them since they have such a good return policy. I've been very happy buying toddler shoes from Zappos and you can search for their shoes by narrowing on wide (E) or extra wide (EE). Good luck! Steve
I have been buying my son extra wide Stride Rite shoes at Cotton and Company. They are very well made and last a long time. If you need sizes 6.5-7.5, I have shoes if you don't want to pay full price. Jane
Stride Rite has shoes that are wide, double wide, and extra wide, at least for that age. They are about $50 if you get them at a retail shop and $30 if you go to the outlets in Vacaville. Believe it or not, I've had significant better and more knowledgable service at the outlets, though they are on our way to my parents' house, so not out of the way for us. My kids have wide feet too
Oct 2007
My daughter (age four, size 12.5 feet) has very wide feet (also very big for her age). We have a really hard time finding shoes that fit. Pretty much all shoes from Target are way too skinny. Even ''wide'' sandals like Keens have not been comfortable for her. We've had some luck with wide widths by Stride Rite and New Balance, but are looking for comfortable some non-sneakers (we'd love to find some mary janes, for example -- sporty or dressy). We'll take any recommendations we can get -- brands or stores. Thanks so much! Jen
We've got the same problem! I have found that our best choice has been to buy online through Zapatos.com or shoebuy.com because stores don't stock extra-wides. We have also special ordered shoes in wider sizes through shoe stores, but our daughter sometimes gets upset if we shop in stores because she can see all the pretty shoes that don't come in her size, and last time we ended up being pressured into buying shoes for her at Stride Rite that she won't wear because they are too tight. You can search by size and width online. Stride Rite and New Balance have been the only ones we've had luck with, except for velcro sandals that have a lot of flexibility and Crocs. We've had several failures trying to buy dress shoes and have never actually gotten a pair she'd wear since she outgrew the toddler sizes. Shoe-challenged as well
My son has wide feet and we've never had a problem when we've gone to shoe stores that specialize in children's shoes. I don't buy shoes at Target, though...I mostly buy from Carlins in Alameda or Howards in Walnut Creek. Nordstrom (but not the rack) has a great selection as does any actual Stride Rite store. Momma loves expensive shoes
Lands End is now offering many styles of kids' shoes in Wide -- including casual and sporty mary janes! Prices are reasonable, and returns can be made at a Sears store (saves on shipping costs). You can also try the ''search by size'' function at major online shoe merchants, like zappos.com, shoes.com and shoebuy.com. Prices are generally higher but shipping is often free -- even for returns. Holly
Go to Howards Shoes in Walnut Creek... in Broadway Plaza. They carry many brands of shoes and have many styles and colors. The staff is always pleasant... even when it is crowded. They measure BOTH feet! If the right shoe isn't in stock, they will order it for you... sometimes from one of their other stores, otherwise straight from the manufacturer. I had to order my son's tap shoes from them (no one stocks boy's tap shoes) and they placed the order, fit the taps, and then shipped them to my home for no additional charge. I've always been very pleased with their service... though the prices are a little higher, it is definitely worth it when you have special needs. Rose
Wide Shoes
Nils 9/99
We need help finding good wide shoes for our 5 year-old son. He needs square-toed, flexible-soled shoes, for his wide, square-toed feet. We have had no luck at Carlin's or McPhees. Does anyone have a recommendation either for a shoe store, or a mail-order outfit that carries wide shoes for kids?
John
With regard to the wide shoes for the 5-year old, we have had success with Nordstrom's which carries the Elephanten line of shoes. These shoes are a bit pricey but have all of the recommended features such as flexibility in the sole and a firm part around the ankle (I forget what this is called). Generally, the salespeople in the kid's shoes are very used to dealing with kids and can work with you on getting the right fit.
ludewig
I also have two boys with wide feet. The only brands of shoes that I have found for them are Elephanten(German) and Stride Rite. THere is a Stride Rite shoe store in the Hilltop Mall and you can purchase Elephanten in Villager Shoes on COllege Ave., & Nordstrom in Walnut Creek and Corte Madera - Walnut Creek has a better selection and nicer sales people. You can also find ELephanten on the internet www.kidsnshoes.com.
I'm not sure how wide your kid's feet are. Our kid has wide feet and we have been using Crocs and Native almost exclusively. Crocs make these mary jane style shoes with stretchy fabric that accomodates wide feet while looking more dressy than the rubbery "crocs".
Goldenbug children's shoes in Rockridge! They are amazing and fit my child's wide feet to the perfect shoes in under 15 min. Highly recommend!