The Best School Shoes For Orthotics

We know that buying school shoes for orthotics isn’t always easy. You’re not just looking for a shoe that’s wide, lightweight, comfortable and has space for the AFO – you also need it to be plain black too. So where do you start? That’s where we can help!

We’re two mums and we started Friendly Shoes to help you find footwear that fits. We’ve had an orthotic friendly school shoe as part of our core range since the beginning which has received rave reviews from parents, kids, teachers and clinicians and we’ve just added a new all black kids’ shoe to the mix.

Introducing the Excursion All Black, available in sizes K10 – K5. Read on to find out more about our black shoes for AFOs.

Why is the Excursion All Black the best school shoe for kids?

1. Easy to put on shoes: Our USP is we make zipper shoes which open up wide, making it so much easier to slide them on and off. The Excursion All Black has a discreet back zip and lots of our happy customers wear AFOs successfully with them (check out @SuperSofiasStory wearing her Excursion Pink Sherbet here!). We only use hard-wearing YKK zips, and there’s a long pull tag with toggle to help with grip, so it encourages independent dressing where possible.
   
2. Shoes with removable insoles: Our insoles easily pop out to make room for orthotics. You can fit a heel raise of up to 2.5cm in the shoe if you need to, and our soles can even be split by an orthotist. That’s why we’re the best shoes for orthotic inserts.
   
3. Wide fit school shoes: We know that shoes need to be wider to accommodate AFOs, so that’s what we make. Our Excursion is our widest and deepest kids’ shoe.
   
4. Laceless shoes: Our Excursion range has laces but they aren’t designed to be used every wear. On the first wear, undo the laces all the way down, put the foot and AFO in and then do the laces back up to the preferred tension. Tie them and then forget about them, just use the zip to get them on and off! We also make a range of completely lace free shoes (the Force) if you don’t want laces at all.
   
5. Anti-slip rocker sole: Our shoes provide stability and help aid propulsion when walking.  
   
6. Lightweight school shoes: We know you want lightweight shoes to counter-balance the AFO. Our largest kids’ shoe (size 5) weighs under 300g per shoe.

Did you know we also sell smooth, knee high socks for under AFOs?
Available in black, white, navy and grey, pick a pair or two up for school now!

Buying shoes for orthotics

We know getting the right orthotic friendly shoes can be difficult, so we want to make it as easy as possible for you.

If you want to try the Excursion All Black but aren’t sure what size to buy, then look at our size guide. Take the measurements and you can always ask us if you have more questions.

By the way, we send exchange pairs for free and offer returns within 28 days (the shoes must be unworn, with tags on and in the shoe box).

We don’t just make black school shoes, we also have cool kids trainers! From metallic leopard print to neon, there’s something for every taste.

And if you’re looking for larger sizes, our adult range of easy footwear runs from a women’s size 3 to a men’s size 13 and they are all eligible for VAT exemption. Just tick the box at checkout, fill in your details and the tax is automatically removed.