Best Sandals for AFOs – The Only Sandal Styles that Will Accommodate Your Child’s AFOs!

Whether your child should wear sandals with the AFOs or not depends on how severe your child’s foot condition is, so you should ask the doctor who recommended the AFOs whether it’s absolutely necessary that your child wears AFOs with sandals or can go without them. Either way, I am going to show you a list of sandals that can be worn with or without AFOs, as they provide supportive features such as a stable base of support and firm heel counters.

Most physical therapists recommend that children wear their braces in the water with a supportive and non-skid water shoe over them for safety and support. I also agree with this since certain children who wear AFOs don’t have sensation on their feet and they might get abrasions, but again, this depends on each child’s foot condition.

Most Common Mistakes Parents Make When Buying Shoes for AFOs

I have noticed that most parents make the common mistake of ordering their kids’ sandals a whole size and a half longer to two whole sizes longer than their kids’ foot size to be able to fit them AFO. From a fitting perspective that is just unacceptable, as you will compromise your children’s stability and make them more prone to fall and hurt themselves.

Our goal is to actually try to fit the sandals as close to your child’s foot size as possible. For the particular sandal styles that I recommend shortly, you don’t have to go longer to accommodate the AFO since they provide extra depth and some of them come with a unique 3 velcro strap design to open up the sandal widely.

Should Children Who Wear AFOs Walk Around in Crocs?

Some of the summer shoes that you want to stay away from if your child wears AFOs are Crocs. Your child will have difficulty walking in them as they don’t provide any support or stability whatsoever, and they will come off your child’s feet constantly.

Children who wear AFOs usually experience loss of balance, reflexes, and coordination, impaired muscle tone, irregular posture, and gait disturbance, that is the reason why it’s so important for them to wear sandals that provide good support and stability.

Key Features of Sandals for AFOs

Some of the sandals that I recommend are designed by European doctors of medicine, and they are specially built for children with foot conditions who need to wear AFOs.

1️⃣ Stable Base of Support: This feature helps support your kids’ feet and keep the brace in place.

2️⃣ Extra Depth: Water shoes with extra depth allow your child’s feet to fit deeply inside the shoes.

3️⃣ Oversized Openings: This feature helps prevent you from having to struggle every time you have to put on your kids’ water shoes. These sandals come with a unique triple hook-and-loop closure for you to be able to adjust the strap length to the different AFO width.

4️⃣ Firm Heel Counter: Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support

Can My Child Wear Regular Sandals Without the AFOs?

The amount of time that your child usually spends at the beach and the swimming pool usually determines what type of water shoe your child needs. If you decide to allow your child to not wear the AFOs during the summer, you will need to find a pair of substantial and supportive sandals.

If your children are going to be playing in the water without their AFOs, they will need a sturdy and supportive sandal that provides as much support and stability as possible. The sandal needs to also provide excellent traction to prevent your child from slipping and falling.

The sandals below are perfect for children who wear AFO, KAGO, DAFO and SMO braces. If you feel like your child can benefit from wearing an AFO inside these sandals then you can definitely fit the AFO inside them. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Sandals for AFOS – Supportive Sandals to Wear With or Without AFOs

The sandals I describe below are the most recommended ones by physical/occupational therapists for children with foot conditions such as flat feet, rolled ankles, low muscle tone, overpronation, among other foot conditions.

Regular Supportive Sandals

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• Order the shoe style Wander by Kamik on Zappos

• Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)

• Triple velcro straps for easy on and off

• Quick drying moisture wicking lining

• Vegan-friendly

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Wander by Kamik on Zappos

• Fits medium and wide feet (fits high insteps)

• Triple velcro straps for easy on and off

• Quick drying moisture wicking lining

• Vegan-friendly

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Adventurous Light-Weight by Dream Pairs on Amazon

• Fits AFOS and medium, wide, and extra wide feet

• Triple hook-and-loop closure system for easy on and off

• Excellent grip

• Lightweight MD footbed is cushioned for all-day comfort 

• I suggest that you get this sandal a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Adventurous Light-Weight by Dream Pairs on Amazon

• Fits AFOS and medium, wide, and extra wide feet

• Triple hook-and-loop closure system for easy on and off

• Excellent grip

• Lightweight MD footbed is cushioned for all-day comfort 

• I suggest that you get this sandal a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

Orthopedic Sandals

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• Order the shoe style Agnes Corrective Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• 100% leather made

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Michael Corrective Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• 100% leather made

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Betti Corrective Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• This is an orthopedic sandal

• Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support 

• Genuine leather lining

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Pedro Corrective Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Thermoplastic asymmetric stiff heel counter for proper feet protection and support 

• This is an orthopedic sandal

• Genuine leather lining

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Mammal Collection Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• 100% leather made

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

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• Order the shoe style Mammal Collection Orthopedic by Memo on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• 100% leather made

• Extra depth to accommodate orthotics, AFOS, and internal modifications

• Ability to adjust the Hook and Loop strap length to the different feet width

• I suggest that you get this sandal a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate

It’s important to note that there are different types of AFOS that affect shoe fit, and how effective the sandals will work with your child’s AFOs depends on your child’s specific AFO. Please make sure that you pull the straps of the sandals tightly, since this will prevent your child’s feet from moving too much inside the sandals.

I recommend parents use their old pair of AFOs if their children are going to get in the water with them, and then make sure that you dry them out thoroughly so the metal pieces don’t rust.

Are Any Other Sandals Choices Available?

If none of these sandals are available in your child’s shoe size or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child’s AFOs don’t hesitate to email me at:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Are You Unsure About What Sandal Size You Should Order?

Don’t forget that it’s important to provide your children with the correct shoe size for them to get the full benefits that the sandals have to offer. Sandals don’t come in half sizes, they are available in whole sizes only, which means that if your child is in “between sizes” you always need to round up. You can use a free virtual fitting service to retrieve what shoe size you should order to accommodate your child’s AFOs.

What Are the Best Sneakers and Dress Shoes for Children Who Wear AFOs?

If you are looking for a different type of shoe such as sneakers or dress shoes that your child can wear with his or her AFOs I suggest that you refer to other resources I created.

Most off-the-shelf sandals are not designed for children who need to wear AFOs. Have you found another sandal style that has worked well with your child’s AFOs? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.