Billy Shoes for Kids Who Wear AFOs – These Are the Deepest and Widest Styles!
With over a decade of experience fitting shoes for children who wear AFOs, I’ve developed a keen understanding of what works best. One standout brand I frequently recommend is Billy Shoes. Known for their thoughtful design, exceptional support, and easy-to-use features, Billy Shoes are a favorite among both kids and parents. Families consistently provide positive feedback, reinforcing their effectiveness. Additionally, certain Billy shoes offer extra depth and width, ensuring a perfect fit for children with specific foot requirements.
My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes and AFOs
As a shoe fitter with over a decade of experience, I was thrilled to discover Billy Shoes, which perfectly blend fashion and function. Physical and occupational therapists often refer families to our store, where we specialize in helping children with AFOs find the right shoes for comfort and support.
What Makes Billy Shoes Ideal for AFOs? – 5 Awesome Features
One of the standout features parents rave about with Billy Shoes is the convenient zipper that runs along the outside and around the toe, allowing the shoe to open wide for easy on and off. This design promotes independence, making it simpler for children to put their shoes on and take them off themselves.
1. Easy On and Off: Billy shoes are designed with a unique zipper that goes along the side and around the toe, allowing the shoes to open wide. This feature makes it incredibly easy for children to slide their feet in and out, even with the added bulk of AFOs.
2. Removable insoles: One of the standout features of Billy shoes is their removable insoles. This feature provides additional space for AFOs, allowing for a more customized fit.
3. Stable Base of Support: Billy shoes provide substantial outsoles to hold the AFO in place and support your child’s feet at the same time.
4. Flexible and Lightweight: Billy shoes are the perfect blend of support, lightness, and flexibility, keeping your child’s feet and legs comfortable and energized all day long.
5. Firm Heel Counters: This feature provides additional heel and ankle support as well as heel stabilization. Always make sure that the heel counter of the shoe feels firm instead of soft.
Watch My Video on: Getting Billy Shoes On!
I created a video, where I demonstrate step-by-step how to get these shoes on comfortably and securely. This visual guide is a helpful resource for parents navigating the process for the first time.
Keep in mind that depending on your child’s AFOs you will likely have to unlace the shoes to get your child’s feet and AFOs inside the shoes.
Best Billy Shoes for Kids Who Wear AFOs – Easy Access, Deep, and Wide
As we look ahead to 2025, Billy shoes continue to innovate and deliver styles that cater to the needs of children with AFOs. Here are my top recommendations and some of the styles below are even available in wide (W) and extra wide widths (X-Wide).
Classic DR by Billy
These Billy shoes for AFOs have become a favorite among families. This model is available in extra wide widths.
Key Features
- Available for little and big kids
- Order the shoe style Classic DR High II by Billy on Zappos or Amazon
- Available in extra wide widths
- Leather upper
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than the end of the AFO footplate
DR Short Wrap by Billy
These Billy shoes for kids with AFOs are also available in extra wide widths and provide a more classic look.
- Order the shoe style DR Short Wrap by Billy on Amazon or Zappos
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- Two removable insoles
- Upper opens completely so you can check how the shoes fit
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than the end of the AFO footplate
While Billy Shoes weren’t specifically designed for AFO use, they offer a unique and accessible entry solution, making them a popular choice for kids who need extra help with footwear. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links, and we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase.
Contact Me for a Personalized Suggestion
If you’re uncertain about which Billy shoes to choose for your child, I can provide you with personalized shoe recommendations. By considering your child’s foot shape and specific needs, I can suggest the best options to ensure comfort and support. Feel free to reach out to me for tailored advice.
My goal is to help you navigate the many choices available and find the perfect pair that meets both your child’s functional requirements and personal style. For an even wider selection of adaptive shoes for AFOs, be sure to check my comprehensive guide on adaptive shoes for AFOs. If durability is a top priority for you, I highly recommend exploring the New Balance and Stride Rite options featured in that article, as they’re known for their long-lasting quality and support.
How to Order the Correct Size for Your Child’s AFOs?
One of the most common mistakes that I see parents make is to buy bigger shoes to accommodate their child’s AFOs. Shoes that are too big cannot support your child’s gait or weight transition and will compromise your child’s stability.
I came up with a system to help those families who are unsure about what shoe size they need to order for their child’s AFOs. All you need to follow my method is a measuring tape to measure your child’s AFOs. I will then input those measurements in the Brannock Device (you can do this yourself if you have one at home), and this will retrieve the shoe size that you need to order.
One of the most common reasons why children need to wear AFOs is to improve their stability. However, if you provide your child with shoes that are way too big, you’re stealing that stability right back. When it comes to ordering the correct shoe size every quarter-inch of improvement is worth fighting for.
How to Check if Billy Shoes are Fitting Correctly
Billy’s shoes are designed to open fully on the side and front, giving you a clear view of the space between the AFO footplate and the shoe’s end. A small gap is completely normal (see right image), but if you spot a large excess of space (see left image), the shoes may be too big for your child’s feet.
Are Billy Shoes Durable for Everyday Wear?
Some families reported that the shoes fell apart too quickly, while some others had no issues with them. In my experience, Billy shoes will hold up just fine as long as you get them in the correct size. However, if you buy shoes too big or too small it’s highly likely that the AFO will end up wearing the shoe down.
For example, if the shoes are fitted too big this will allow the AFO to move excessively inside the shoes, and that constant friction between the AFO and the shoe might end up destroying the shoes. On the other hand, if the shoes are fitted too small the AFO might end up poking a hole inside the shoe.
The wrong shoes can hinder the effectiveness of AFOs, leading to discomfort and potential setbacks in the child’s progress. Thus, the search for suitable footwear becomes an integral part of the child’s care plan. I have fitted several children who wear AFOs in Billy Shoes, and I can tell you that they are super easy to get on and off, and the shoes provide good support.
Children who wear AFOs want to be able to wear the same shoes as their peers. Because of how much space the AFO takes, most of the time this is simply not possible. I know that parents feel heartbroken as they notice the disappointment on their kids’ faces when not a single pair of the fashionable and cute shoes that they want to wear can fit over their AFO braces. I hope that these Billy shoes are fashionable enough to put a smile on your child’s face!
