A child with wide feet needs a cleat that is wide and leaves a little growing room, without jumping a full size up. Nike Phantom 6 juniors run consistently wider, New Balance 442 has a wide option and Mizuno Monarcida Neo III Select is sold as wide fit. Measure often, in the evening, in soccer socks.
Selected with the same logic as the cleat advisor, from the cleats we rated.
The widest Nike last, with extra height in the toe box and a roomy heel. The knit upper stretches.
Official wide version
Mizuno describes this version as wide fit, with soft synthetic leather and a light build.
Wide throughout the cleat with a high toe box. The last is roomy in the forefoot and also suits a flat midfoot.
Official wide version
Fairly wide with a roomy heel and a separate tongue, meant for wider or flat feet. New Balance offers the 2E width.
Leather forefoot, U-shaped throat and deep lacing: a roomy and adjustable fit.
Wide kids soccer cleats should be wide through the forefoot and leave roughly a third to half an inch (8 to 12 millimeters) of growing room for the longest toe. Buying a size too big does not solve a narrow fit: it only adds length, which means tripping and less control of the ball. The youth models mentioned most often for wide feet are the Nike Phantom 6, the New Balance 442 in a wide width and the Mizuno Monarcida Neo III Select.
Below you will read how to spot a cleat that is too small or too narrow, how to measure, which youth cleats tend to work for wide feet and which to skip. The list at the top of this page shows our current picks for kids. Because we have no lab, our judgments come from manufacturer information, fit notes from retailers and the experiences of players and parents.
Kids rarely complain, so you have to look. Red marks on the toes or heel, a child who keeps pulling the cleats off, stumbling or suddenly not wanting to run are all signals. A foot that spills over the edge of the soleplate also points to a cleat that is too narrow.
Here is a simple check you can do at home:
A child with a wide foot often feels pressure on the little toe and the ball of the foot. Pressure on top of the foot usually means a high instep is part of the picture. For that combination, read our page on soccer cleats for a high instep.
Plan for 8 to 12 millimeters, a third to half an inch, between the longest toe and the front of the cleat. Opinions differ on the exact margin, with some sources allowing up to about half an inch (1.5 centimeters), so treat this as a range. For soccer cleats we stay at the lower end: too much length gives the foot room to slide, which costs control and makes tripping more likely.
That is why buying a cleat your child will grow into over two seasons is a poor idea. An oversized cleat lets the foot shift, causes blisters and makes a young player hesitant. A better plan is to pick a model that fits well now and measure again more often.
Feet grow fast. From about age three, children typically gain one to two shoe sizes a year, and a growth spurt can add another half size on top of that. On average, spurts come around age 12 for girls and around 13 to 14 for boys, and feet are usually fully grown somewhere between 15 and 17.
As a rule of thumb derived from those growth figures:
These are guidelines, not hard rules. If you are unsure about foot posture, the way your child walks, pain or frequent stumbling, see a pediatrician or a podiatrist. This is fit advice, not medical advice.
Measure in a way that matches how your child plays.
For a full walkthrough, see our guide to measuring foot width. If you already have a length, the size converter helps you compare US youth sizes with other systems.
Soccer socks are thick. Nike suggests that kids may need an extra half size for that, plus a little for growth. That is not a license for a full size extra: the 8 to 12 millimeter growing room remains the target. Girls with wide feet will also find tips on our page about wide soccer cleats for women.
These judgments rest on manufacturer information and independent fit tests. Each model comes with a reason.
The narrow speed lines are not suitable. The Mercurial junior is the narrowest Nike, and youth versions of the F50 and Ultra are narrow as well. For a child with wide feet, skip them.
Look at the tongue and the laces for every cleat you consider. A separate tongue and deep lacing give the most adjustment. Laceless cleats are not recommended for kids with wide feet or a high instep.
The material decides how much the cleat gives. Leather stretches and shapes itself to the foot, synthetic leather hardly stretches at all. Knit wraps around the foot and stretches under force, but springs back. For a child with wide feet, leather or a soft knit is more comfortable than a stiff synthetic upper such as the sock-style construction of many budget cleats.
Do not expect a tight synthetic cleat to loosen up. If it is too narrow in the store, it will still be too narrow after two games. Choose another model rather than a bigger size. For more on this, read leather versus synthetic for wide feet.
Run through these points before ordering:
A good moment is at the start of the season and after a winter break. Measure again and try the cleats on. If they still fit, there is no reason to replace them.
If the toes reach the edge, the foot hangs over the side or your child complains, it is time. During a growth spurt that can come sooner, so check in between. Our guide on choosing your child’s cleat size goes deeper into sizes.
The soleplate decides where your child can use the cleat, and youth versions do not exist in every soleplate. Youth versions of lower tiers such as Academy often come only as MG, TF or IN. On turf you choose an AG, MG or TF sole.
An FG sole is made for natural grass. When you shop, filter on surface and size, not just on model. Our guide to which soleplate fits which field explains the codes.
If your child combines wide feet with a high instep, you want a cleat with volume and a separate tongue. The Phantom comes closest, because the junior version runs wider and the knit tongue gives with the foot. Parents of kids with this foot shape often struggle to find a cleat that fits. Once you find a model that works, stay with it and buy the next size in the same line.
For the youngest players the same rules apply, but feet grow faster. Measure more often, keep the growing room at the low end of the range and choose a cleat that is not heavy. There are fewer specific models for the smallest sizes, so look for a wide, flexible cleat that does not pinch and that you can adjust easily with the laces.
The fit of a child’s foot does not change with the league, so the advice is the same whether your child plays in a rec league, a travel club or at school. What does change is the surface. Many youth fields are turf, so check the soleplate rules of your league and the field before you buy. If you want a personal top three, use our cleat advisor.
Plan for roughly a third to half an inch (8 to 12 millimeters) between the longest toe and the front of the cleat. More than that costs control and makes tripping more likely.
No. A cleat that is too long lets the foot slide and does not fix a narrow fit. Pick a wide model in the right length and measure again before the next season.
Red marks on the little toe or ball of the foot, a foot that hangs over the edge of the soleplate, constant tugging at the cleats or a child who does not want to run are the usual signs.
For young players every two to four months is a sensible rule of thumb, and about every three months during a growth spurt. Always check at the start of the season and after a winter break.
A few. New Balance offers its 442 in a wide width and Mizuno sells the Monarcida Neo III Select as wide fit. Availability changes by size, so check the exact size and width before you order.
Yes. Natural grass calls for FG, while turf fields are better served by AG, MG or TF soles. Many youth versions of lower tiers only come as MG, TF or IN, so filter by surface and size.