Mary Jane Shoes for Older Girls Who Wear AFOs
Are you having a hard time finding a pair of Mary Jane shoes that are capable of accommodating your daughter’s AFOs? Have you already found a pair of sneakers but your daughter needs something dressier or simply wants to wear a different shoe that is not a sneaker? Your daughter will be able to wear most of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommend in this article as long as she wears a kids’ shoe size 3 or above.
Unfortunately, most children’s Mary Jane shoes are not deep or wide enough to accommodate the extra space that AFOs take inside the shoes. The good news is that there are certain women’s Mary Jane shoes that provide extra depth, and rounded toe-boxes, come with removable insoles, and are available in extra wide widths.
My Experience Fitting Shoes for Children Who Wear AFOs
My name is Juan Valenzuela and I workfor a specialized children’s shoe store, but we also carry a small selection of women’s shoes as we get many older children who are already wearing women’s or men’s shoe sizes.
Most of the women’s shoe brands and styles that we carry are capable of accommodating different foot shapes (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide, high instep), as well as orthotic devices (3/4 and full length orthotics as well as AFOs/SMOs). My mission now is to help families from all over the world find the perfect pair of shoes for their children online.
Mary Jane Shoes for Older Girls Who Wear AFOs
If your girl wears a children’s shoe size 3 or above she will be able to wear all of the Mary Jane styles that I recommend below. You will notice that the Mary Jane shoes that I recommend are available in a women’s shoe size 5, which translates to a kids’ shoe size 3. Take a look at the chart below to understand how this shoe size conversion works:
What Makes the Mary Jane shoes I Recommend Ideal for Accommodating AFOs?
1️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature will allow your child’s AFO to fit deeply inside the shoes and prevent the top part of your daughter’s feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. It’s always better to go deeper and wider than to go longer.
The Mary Jane shoes below are the same size in length and width. However, do you notice how the Mary Jane shoe on the right is a lot deeper compared to the Mary Jane shoe on the left?
2️⃣ Round Toe Boxes: Mary Jane shoes with round toe boxes help prevent the front part of the AFO footplate from poking a hole in the front part of the shoes.
The Mary Jane shoes below are also the same size in length and width. However, do you notice how the Mary Jane shoe on the right has a rounded toe-box compared to the Mary Jane shoe on the left?
3️⃣ Oversized Openings: This feature helps prevent your daughter from shoving her feet in the shoes every time she has to put the shoes on. Wearing footwear with AFOs requires a shoe that has a wider opening to easily slide the foot in with the brace on. You will notice that all of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommend open up nice and wide.
4️⃣ Supportive Outsoles: Some parents assume that since the AFOs are supportive they don’t need to worry about the shoes being supportive. Your child’s Mary Jane shoes should provide a stable base of support to hold the AFO in place and support your child’s feet at the same time.
5️⃣ Removable Insoles: All of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommend come with removable insoles, and some models even come with two removable insoles to allow extra space for the AFOs.
Most of the Mary Jane shoes below are women’s shoes that start at a shoe size 5, meaning that they can fit children who wear a shoe size 3 or above. 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 Mary Jane Shoes for Older Girls Who Wear AFOs
Take a look at the description below ofeach of the Mary Jane shoe styles that I recommend to find out what features each shoe provides, whether it’s a children’s or a women’s shoe, and the size you should order to accommodate the AFOs.
- Order the shoe style Yara by Propet on Zappos
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Supportive outsole
- Insole provides extra cushion and padding
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Springfield by Orthofeet on Amazon
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Extra deep
- Removable insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Cinderella by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- This is a children’s shoe. Your daughter might be able to wear it without the AFOs as the shoe provides multiple layers of support (consult with your medical professional)
- Rigid heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Clare by SAS on Zappos
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- The footbed is designed to comfort all three pressure points: the inside ball, outside ball and heel for all-day support
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Celina by Orthofeet on Amazon
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Extra deep
- Removable insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Drew Rose on Amazon
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Extra deep
- Two removable footbeds for added and double depth
- Firm heel counter and tempered steel shank
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Princessa by Memo on Amazon
- Fits medium, wide, or extra wide feet
- This is a children’s shoe. Your daughter might be able to wear it without the AFOs as the shoe provides multiple layers of support (consult with your medical professional)
- Extra depth and width for orthotics
- Rigid heel counter
- I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style by Drew Rose on Amazon
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Breathable construction and light padding
- Two removable insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style Springfield by Orthofeet on Amazon
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Extra deep
- Removable insoles
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
- Order the shoe style by Drew Shoe on Amazon
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- This is a woman’s shoe that can fit children who wear a kids’ shoe size 3 or above
- 100% leather
- Extra deep
- Two removable footbeds for added and double depth
- Firm heel counter and tempered steel shank
- I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than the end of your child’s AFO footplate
Remove the Original Insoles of the Mary Jane Shoes Before Fitting the AFOs
Don’t forget to remove the original insoles of your daughter’s Mary Jane shoes before trying the AFOs. Some of the Mary Jane shoes that I recommended above come with double or triple-removable insoles.
Are You Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order to Fit the AFOs?
I created a virtual resource to help families from all over the world figure out what shoe size they should order for their children’s AFOs. I know how frustrating it is to order several shoes online in multiple sizes just to end up empty-handed.
Are You Having a Hard Time Finding a Specific Shoe for Your Child’s AFOs?
If there is a different shoe that you need for your daughter’s AFOs you can ask your question in the comments section below or contact me via email:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
In the meantime, you can take a look at this great resource I created that describes the best everyday sneakers for children who wear AFOs.
I hope you find this resource helpful and please let me know in the comments section below if you have a favorite shoe style or shoe brand that has worked well for your daughter’s AFOs.
