School Shoes that Fit Orthotics – Supportive, Extra Deep, and with a Firm Heel Counter!

January 5, 2023 Back to School Shoes Juan Valenzuela 0 - Comments

Have you been looking for a pair of school shoes that can accommodate your child’s orthotics? Do you feel like you try a whole bunch of different school shoes but none of them are deep enough to fit your child’s orthotics comfortably? There is a small selection of school shoes that fit orthotics but the good news is that I will help you find them.

Supportive and Dress Code Compliant

It’s frustrating for parents to find school shoes that accommodate orthotics as in addition to the shoes being supportive and providing extra depth, the shoes need to meet your school specific dress code requirements. Most parents find themselves staring at a wall of kids’ shoes that look identical and very different at the same time.

Most Common Mistakes Parents Make when Buying Shoes for Orthotics

One of the most common mistakes that I see parents make is to assume that once they find a school shoe that is labeled as wide (W) or extra wide (XW), that shoe will automatically be able to fit the orthotics. In addition to finding a shoe labeled as wide or extra wide, you need to find shoes that provide extra depth.

Another common mistake that parents make is to buy longer shoes to allow for extra room for the orthotic to fit inside the shoes. If you provide your child with a pair of shoes that are too long, your child’s feet will move too much inside the shoes and that constant rubbing can lead to blisters, calluses, and corns. Furthermore, shoes that are too long might compromise your child’s stability, making your children more prone to falling and hurting themselves.

What Makes the School Shoes I Recommend Effective for Fitting Orthotics?

1️⃣ Extra Depth: This feature allows the orthotic to fit deeply inside the shoes and prevent your children’s feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. Shoes that provide extra depth also prevent giving children the impression that their feet are coming out of the shoes as they walk. Let me show you the difference between a shoe that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t:

Let me show what a difference a shoe with extra depth can make when fitting an orthotic inside the shoe. Let’s take a look at the image below. For clarification purposes, the orthotic that you see below is fitted inside both shoes. Do you notice how the orthotic is fitting a lot deeper inside the shoe on the right? The deeper the orthotic fits inside the shoes, the more comfortable your child is going to feel when running around.

2️⃣ Substantial Outsoles: This feature helps minimize the impact that your kids’ feet take when they come in contact with the ground. Some of the most common reasons why children wear orthotics are from having flat feet, overpronation, or rolled ankles, and what all of those 3 conditions have in common is that they require supportive shoes to minimize the impact that the feet take when they come in contact with the ground. A shoe with a substantial sole will also help keep the orthotic in place.

Below you can see the difference between a shoe with a substantial sole versus a shoe with a sole that is too thin and doesn’t provide the correct amount of support:

supportive-shoes-for-children-with-flat-feet

3️⃣ Removable Insoles: You always need to remove the original insole of your kids’ shoes before placing the orthotic. If you leave the original insole inside the shoes, your will be raising your kids’ feet, giving your children the impression that their heels are coming out of the shoes. Not removing the original insole will also make the top part of your child’s feet rub against the top part of the shoes. The shoes I describe below all come with a removable insole.

4️⃣ Firmer Heel Counters: The heel counter is the back part of the shoes, and the firmer it is, the better ankle and heel support that it provides. Always press on the heel counter of your child’s shoes to make sure that it feels firm. Take a look at the images below to see the difference between a shoe with a firm heel counter versus one with a soft and flimsy heel counter:

children's-shoes-with-heel-support

5️⃣ Lightweight and Flexible: In addition to being supportive, your kids’ school shoes need to be lightweight and flexible to prevent your kids’ feet and legs from easily getting tired. There is a certain amount of flexibility that your kids’ shoes must provide, but keep in mind that shoes that are too flexible will not provide the correct amount of support. Your kids’ shoes must bend at the ball of the foot but not any further. The image below shows the difference between a shoe with the correct amount of flexibility versus a shoe that is too flexible:

children's-shoes-with-the-correct-amount-of-flexibility

Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best school shoes for orthotics. 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.

The Best School Shoes that Fit Orthotics

The shoes below come with shoelaces and velcro closure as well, but please keep in mind that shoelaces always provide better support and stability, and make the shoes fit better with the orthotics. Most schools might require your child to wear shoes that are made from a particular color — usually black or brown.

  • Order the shoe style Jace by Hush Puppies on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • Double velcro straps
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Memory Foam foot bed for all-day comfort and support 
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Claire by Stride Rite on Zappos
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • 100% leather
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Memory foam insole for enhanced comfort
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Lanyard by Sperry on Amazon
  • Fits medium and wide feet
  • 100% leather
  • Cushioned insoles with additional padding at the heel
  • Lace up closure for secure fit
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Jungle Moccasin by Merrell on Amazon
  • Fits medium and wide feet
  • 100% leather
  • Outsole has excellent grip
  • Air Cushion midsole allows long-wearing comfort
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Lace-up closure
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Prodigy 5100 by School Issue on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • 100% leather
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Lace-up closure
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Sr Murphy by Stride Rite on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • Lace-up closure
  • Premium leather with a padded heel collar
  • Memory-foam insole provides enhanced comfort 
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Dirty Buck by Polo on Amazon
  • Fits medium or wide feet
  • 100% leather
  • Lace-up closure
  • Full welt stitching
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Velcro closure
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Padded collar for comfort
  • Velcro closure
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Jace by Hush Puppies on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • 100% leather
  • Easy on-and-off with an oversized opening hook and loop closure
  • Lace up closure for secure fit
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Hp-Reese Mary Jane by Hush Puppies on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • 100% leather
  • Outsole has excellent grip
  • Supportive outsole
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • The ABZORB midsole absorbs impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance
  • Synthetic and engineered mesh upper
  • Lace-up closure
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size
  • Order the shoe style Jungle Moc Moccasin by Merrell on Amazon
  • Available in medium and wide widths
  • 100% leather
  • Outsole has excellent grip
  • Air Cushion midsole allows long-wearing comfort
  • I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your child’s current foot size

Keep in mind that some orthotics can take up a lot of extra space inside the shoes, which means that even if your child doesn’t have wide feet, you might need a wider width shoe.

Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes, I indicate whether you need to order a half size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

Since you will be fitting an orthotic inside the shoes, you might need to provide your child with a whole size longer (3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters) instead of half a size longer.

The school shoes that I recommended are the deepest ones and the most appropriate ones for fitting orthotics. There are no deeper school shoes out there than the ones I just recommended.

How to Order the Correct Shoe Size Online

I always recommend parents take their children to be properly fitted for shoes at their local children’s shoe store, where they can have their feet properly measured. This is the main reason why I created a list of the US where I describe the best specialized children’s shoe stores by state.

If after looking at that resource you still don’t find a shoe store in your area, you should take advantage of a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home. In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot length and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.

If you are unsure about how much extra space your child’s orthotics might take, please send me a picture of your child’s orthotics and I will be able to let you know. My e-mail is fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Have you found a particular school shoe that has worked well with your child’s orthotics? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.