Best Shoes For Hypermobile Feet

Hypermobile feet are common among athletes, especially those who play sports that require a lot of lateral movement. Like most people with hypermobile feet, you may have had your condition diagnosed at some point in your life. But if you haven’t had any issues with your hypermobile feet, you might not be aware that they’re even different from other people’s feet. You may also be wondering what exactly makes your feet “hypermobile,” and how that can affect your life. The good news is that there are plenty of shoes out there designed specifically with the needs of hypermobile feet in mind—and this article will help you find them!

Best Shoes For Hypermobile Feet

Best Shoes to Help Treat Hypermobility – Good Arch and Heel Support!

  Has your child been diagnosed with hypermobility (HJS)? This condition is also referred to as “loose joints” and can cause foot, leg, and lower back pain as well as discomfort after exercising or having an active day. This condition tends to run in families, and its exact cause remains unknown. Hypermobility is more common than you think since it’s estimated that 10 to 15% of children have it. One interesting fact is that girls are usually more hypermobile than boys. The feet are the most significantly affected area for hypermobile children, due to their complex mixture of bones and soft tissues. This condition only becomes a problem when it’s symptomatic. Hypermobile children usually have the following symptoms:

• Pain or stiffness in their joints and muscles.
• Flat feet.
• Poor balance and coordination.
• Frequent strains and sprains.

Children with hypermobility tend to avoid being active due to pain and discomfort. They also tend to get tired easily and might need more time to rest during the school day and their participation in PE might be affected by pain and joint instability. This puts children at risk for obesity and I have also seen several cases of children who drop out of sports. Once children’s participation in daily activities starts being affected by their hypermobility it’s time to start treating the condition. It all starts by improving your child’s posture, protecting and strengthening the muscles around their joints, and involving your child in physical therapy.

Should Hypermobile Children Walk Barefoot?

Allowing your child to go barefoot is not recommended. Children with hypermobility that have flat feet have a harder time balancing, and when they go barefoot their over-used muscle groups are further over-used. This leads to your child feeling exhausted and might also lead to foot, leg, and lower back pain. If your child is attending a school that requires removing the shoes in the classroom, please request special accommodation due to your child’s foot condition. Removing the shoes might lead to your child’s physical capabilities being impaired. Would you ask a child who wears glasses to take them off while performing a physical task?

How to Treat Hypermobility? – Supportive Shoes!

Hypermobile children require extra support around the arch and ankle area. The two most effective treatment techniques involve physical therapy and supportive shoes that provide good arch and ankle support. Depending on the degree of your child’s hypermobility your child might need to wear orthotics as well. Maintaining a good posture while standing is extremely important. However, this is very hard to accomplish if your child has flat feet, weak ankles, or impaired joint position sense. When children have flat feet, their whole body is thrown out of alignment, which usually leads to poor posture habits.

What a Difference the Correct Pair of Shoes Can Make!

The good news is that wearing a pair of supportive shoes can help improve your child’s overall posture, but don’t take my word for it, let me prove it to you. Let’s take a look at an image of a hypermobile child with flat feet. Do you notice how the child’s feet are collapsing and turn inwards when standing?

Before Image

Now let’s take a look at an image of the same child wearing a pair of supportive shoes I recommend. Do you notice how the child’s feet are a lot straighter?

After Image

The substantial outsole of the shoes is preventing the child’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards. This will allow the child to walk and run straighter, which will improve the child’s overall posture. There is only a small selection of shoes that help improve children’s posture. I know exactly which shoes these are from having fitted them before. I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now. This experience has afforded me many insights into children’s shoes and the way they fit. Our store specializes in shoes for children with foot and leg problems, but we provide regular shoe fittings as well. From my experience fitting thousands of kids, I have become familiar with the best shoe styles for children with hypermobility. The correct type of shoes is not only going to help improve your child’s posture, but they will also help decrease your child’s fatigue.

What Makes the Shoes that I Recommend Effective for Hypermobile Children? 

✅ Solid Heel Counter: This is the back part of the shoes that provides heel and ankle support. The firmer the heel counter is, the better support that it provides. The heel counter is located in the back part of the shoe. Take a look at the image below to see the difference between a shoe that provides a firm heel counter versus one that doesn’t:

✅ Substantial Outsole: This feature helps prevent your child’s feet from collapsing and turn inwards/outwards, helping improve your child’s overall posture. Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial sole versus a shoe with a sole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

✅ Lightweight/Flexible: The shoes need to be supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time. Your child’s shoes should bend at the ball of the foot but no further. This will allow the shoe to follow your child’s foot natural movements.

The shoes that I recommend below provide all of these 3 important features. In addition, the shoes must fit the shape of your child’s feet perfectly. I have noticed how a lot of children have wide or extra wide feet, which makes it harder to find shoes that fit properly. The shoes I recommend are available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), and extra wide (XW), so please make sure that you choose your child’s shoe width accordingly. I only review shoes that I have fitted before, and these shoes provide targeted support in the arch and ankle area, which will help strengthen and straighten your child’s feet. Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

The Best Shoes for Hypermobile Kids

Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for hypermobile kids. Please remember to choose your child’s foot width accordingly.

Toddler Shoe Sizes (0 to 10)

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and cushioned midsoles
• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, or extra wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
• Suede/mesh upper provides durability and breathability
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
• 100% leather made
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
• Adjustable double hook and loop closure
• Built-in multi-dimensional orthotic support
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
• Extra depth and width for orthotics
• Rigid heel counter
• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size

Little and Big Kid Shoe Sizes (10.5 to 7)

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Strong rubber outsole and a cushioned midsole
• Supportive outsoles and firm heel counter
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your toddler’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
• Triple velcro straps
• Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• This is an ORTHOPEDIC shoe
• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications
• Triple velcro straps
• Thermoplastic rigid heel counter
• Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
• Leather/mesh upper
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
• Leather/mesh upper
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot fresh foam
• Firm heel counter
• Supportive heel for active kids
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability
• Reinforced toe cap for durability
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

• Fits medium and wide feet
• ENCAP midsole cushioning provides good arch and heel support
• Leather and suede upper
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• Dual-layer midsole construction featuring top-bed foam cushioning and underfoot Fresh Foam X
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Fresh Foam midsole cushioning
• TPU heel clip for stability
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Supportive leather and mesh upper for breathability and durability
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium feet
• The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium, wide, and extra wide feet
• ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
• Leather/mesh upper
• Order this shoe half a size larger than your child’s current foot size

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• Fits medium and wide feet
• Supportive outsoles with extra cushion
• Firm heel counter
• Order this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

Keep in mind that while I always recommend parents to allow a certain amount of growing room inside their kids’ shoes, a child with hypermobile joints doesn’t need as much growing room. In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room. All of these shoes come with shoelaces instead of velcro closure. The main reason for this is that shoelaces provide better support and stability to your child’s feet. The goal of these shoes is to significantly reduce or fully eliminate your child’s foot pain, prevent injuries, and stabilize joint function.

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