How to Get the Correct Shoe Size for Your Child’s AFOs: 3 Simple Steps

August 14, 2026 AFOs Juan Valenzuela 12 - Comments

An ill-fitting shoe can cause pressure points, blisters, and even undermine the corrective function your child’s AFOs are designed to provide. A proper fit enhances your child’s walking experience, giving them the support and stability the AFO is meant to offer — and it also extends the life of both the shoe and the AFO itself, since a bad fit causes unnecessary wear on both.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes and AFOs

My passion for fitting children’s shoes comes from a simple belief: proper footwear can be genuinely life-changing, especially during these formative years. Every child presents different challenges, which makes this work both rewarding and constantly educational. A properly fitted shoe can meaningfully affect a child’s confidence and their willingness to engage in everyday activities.

How to Get the Correct Shoe Size for Your Child’s AFOs

Follow these three steps, and I’ll be able to tell you exactly what shoe size to order.

Step 1: Measure Your Child’s AFO Footplate

Measure from the back of the heel to the longest point at the front of the brace, as shown below. Note the measurement, or send a photo of it to avoid any confusion.

This video walks through the process visually if that’s easier to follow.

If your child’s AFO doesn’t have a footplate that extends over the toes, skip ahead to Step 2 — this measurement becomes irrelevant in that case, and I’ll base the size on your child’s actual foot length instead.

Step 2: Measure Your Child’s Foot Length

With your child standing straight, measure both feet — one is often slightly larger than the other. Measure to the tip of the longest toe, which isn’t always the big toe; it can be the second or third. Note the measurements, or send a photo.

Comparing the foot measurement against the footplate measurement is how I determine the right shoe size.

Step 3: Send a Short Video to Determine Foot Width

A brief video of your child’s foot from a few angles helps me confirm whether they have narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. Here’s an example of what that video should look like:

What to Include in Your Email

Send me your child’s foot and AFO measurements, along with the foot-shape video, to fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com. I respond within 24 hours with the exact shoe size to order.

The Most Common Mistake Parents Make

The mistake I see most often: buying a shoe more than two full sizes larger than the child’s actual foot size just to accommodate the AFO. With correctly chosen shoes, you should never need to go beyond two full sizes larger. AFOs generally add more width than length — with the right shoe, you won’t need to size up in length nearly as much as you might think.

What If My Child’s Measurements Are in Centimeters, or Use a Different Sizing System?

This comes up often, especially for families outside the US or using brands with their own internal size codes. Send me whatever measurements and labels you have — centimeters, brand-specific letter codes, or a mix — along with a note about which brand’s chart they came from. Different manufacturers convert measurements to shoe sizes differently, so having the source helps me translate it accurately rather than guess.

Prefer an In-Person Fitting?

If you’d rather have your child’s AFOs and shoes fitted in person, see my directory of children’s shoe stores across the United States that offer proper fittings.

Additional Resource: Best Sneakers for AFOs

Choosing the right sneakers for AFOs can feel overwhelming with so many options out there. See my full list of recommended shoes for kids with AFOs for specific brands and styles that consistently deliver on comfort, support, and design.

Support This Resource

If you’d like to support the free fitting service and resources on this site, you can make a donation here. Contributions help ensure families everywhere can continue finding the right shoes for their children, regardless of foot shape or condition.

Watch: Shoe Sizing for AFOs Made Easy

In this video, I walk through the entire process of finding the right shoe size for your child’s AFOs, step by step.

You’re already investing real time and money in your child’s AFOs — it’s worth getting the full benefit from them. Ordering the correct size also matters for the shoe itself: when an AFO doesn’t fit properly inside a shoe, it tends to wear the shoe out faster than it otherwise would.