Rain Boots for Kids with AFOs – Wider Opening and Extra Deep for Easy On and Off!

Have you been looking for a pair of rain boots that are wide enough to fit your child’s AFOs? Have you tried several different boots in different sizes but none of them seem to be deep and wide enough for the orthotics? After having fitted and tested many different rain boots for kids with AFOs, I have found two specific ones that are deep and wide enough (and also open up widely).

Finding rain boots for children who wear AFOs can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience, and most parents seem to run into the following situations:

• When they find a rain boot that fits their child’s shoe size the boots are usually too small to fit over the AFOs.

• When they find a rain boot that fits over the AFOs there is too much extra space between the end of the child’s toes and the end of the boots.

Your first step should be to ask your medical professional if your child must absolutely wear AFOs with rain boots. Since rain boots are meant to be worn for very short periods of time, it might not be absolutely necessary that your child wears AFOs with them. In some cases, the child’s medical professional might recommend wearing supportive boots without the AFOs. Rain boots don’t qualify as supportive boots since they don’t provide any support whatsoever, you will be looking into a waterproof hiking boot.

Stop Buying Shoes That Are Too Big for the AFOs

One common mistake that I see parents make is to buy bigger shoes to accommodate their child’s AFOs, which defeats the whole purpose of wearing AFOs. Allow me to elaborate. When children wear shoes that are too big, the child’s feet move excessively inside the shoes, hence the AFO no longer supports the foot. Allowing your child to walk and run in shoes that are too big can defeat one of the main purposes of wearing AFOS, which is to improve stability.  

Fitting Rain Boots for Kids with AFOs

When it comes to rain boots for AFOs you don’t have to worry about how much support they provide, as rain boots are meant to be worn occasionally and for very short periods of time.

Your main goal should be to find a pair of rain boots that are not too big for your child’s feet, as you don’t want to compromise your child’s stability. Most children have a hard time maneuvering when wearing rain boots, so don’t make this process harder by fitting your child’s rain boots too big.

What Makes the Rain Boots I Recommend Ideal for AFOs?

The rain boots I recommend provide two features that make them ideal for children who wear AFOs:

• Oversized Openings: The rain boots need to open widely to allow for easy on and off:

• Extra Depth:  This feature allows the AFOs to fit deeply inside the boots :

Keep in mind that how effective the rain boots will be for your child’s AFOs directly depends on how big your child’s AFOs are. 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.

Rain Boots for Kids with AFOs – Wider Opening and Extra Deep for Easy On and Off!

The boots below are also intended to be worn over shoes. However, you can try them with your child’s current shoes or without them. These boots are waterproof and feature a hook-and-loop closure and accordion-style entry for easy on and off.

Are Any Alternatives to Rain Boots?

Please note that sometimes rain boots might not be wide or deep enough to accommodate your child’s AFOs. In this case, I suggest trying a pair of shoe covers. This is how a shoe cover looks like over a child with AFOs:

Shoe Covers

The silicone shoe covers provide good elasticity and you can choose a larger size to provide better protection to shoes.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

Here is a resource that will help you determine what boot size you should order to accommodate your child’s AFOs.

What Are the Best Sneakers for Kids Who Wear AFOs?

I created a different resource that has a list of everyday supportive sneakers for children who wear AFOs.

Let me know in the comment section below if these rain boots or shoe covers work well for your child’s AFOs. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have.