Toddler Shoes - Houston,TX

My son also has long, flat, wide feet & I was under the impression from our pediatrician and ECI therapists (for other issues) that my son's & daughter's arches would develop over time.

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-dictionary/Flat_feet/

They've all recommended Stride Rite shoes for both my children even though they have very different feet. DD has long but narrow feet & ankles. They've also said that it's important to make sure that as their feet are developing to put them in flexible-soled, well-fitting shoes.

I do buy Stride Rite - I hit the sales and lately, have been buying on ebay. Have bid & won for less than $10 on XW, EUC shoes for DS.

I agree with the previous poster that toddlers do have flat feet. Their arches don't really form for another year or two, so I would ask your pediatrician if you have concerns, but I would think that as long as you can find the right fit in width, he should be fine. I know Payless sells some wide width shoes for kids and Stride Rite is just about the best brand I know of for wide width. Good luck!

Our daughter is also flat-footed - apparently runs in our family (my dad is also flat footed).

The best advice is to not force his foot into a shoe with an arch. We wore a lot of sandals, and inexpensive shoes from Target / WalMart. Chuck Taylor type tennis shoes work the best.

There is really nothing that can be done about flat feet other than an insert into his shoes that help form an arch but if your feet are naturally flat, it hurts to wear them. I suggest that you take him to an orthapedic person who can advise you better. I am 49 and have had flat wide feet all my life.

Try looking for shoes on Zappos.com or Endless.com. They carry a ton of children's shoes in different widths and fits. There may be options for your children. I have ordered at least 2 pairs for my toddler from Zappos and loved the shoes and service. THey allow you to return the shoes for free and provide the postage paid mailer as well. Just make sure you don't actually wear the shoes out. I have bought several pairs for myself from them and never had problems with returns or the products.

Good luck.

Has he been diagnosed with actual flat feet? It was my understanding that children's arches don't begin to really form until 3 or 4. I can understand that wide feet can be a huge issue to fit for young children, but a well-fitted shoe is all you need and the arches aren't so much of a concern.

Google 'wide toddler shoes' and you'll come up with quite a few resources.