5 Cute Shoes to Wear with an Ankle Foot Orthotic (AFO)

An anke-foot orthotic (AFO) is the kind of brace I wear to help me walk after my spinal cord injury. I recently upgraded to a carbon fiber brace and I love it. From the top, it hits just under my knee, covers the front of my shin, goes into my shoe on the outside of my foot and covers the bottom of my foot completely. It stabilizes my ankle and helps keep my toes from dragging on the ground, causing me to trip. It’s not a perfect solution, but it works.

The Problem

Unfortunately, wearing an AFO takes up space in a shoe. AFO’s require wearing shoes 1-2 sizes bigger than your foot and often require the removal of the insole. On top of that, a person wearing an AFO should wear a shoe with ample support for the whole foot, a backstrap or heel cup so the shoe stays on, and a sole that makes firm contact with the ground but without too much tread (which could be a tripping hazard).

Those limits reduce the number of shoe options significantly.

I’m not a shoe hoarder, but I like options for my footwear. I like wearing flats with jeans, pink little kicks with denim shorts, and tall boots with tights on a cool fall day. I used to have these cute little black patent leather pumps that went with skirts, jeans, and tights… so versatile. And ankle boots! I still have two pair that I haven’t been able to part with yet, even though I can’t wear them. {Sigh} My limited shoe options has been difficult to accept. Call me vain (I do), but shoes, and my lack of cute options, has brought me to tears.

I’ve tried to find cute options that still allow me to walk (unsteady as that may be), but it’s hard. Google "shoes with orthotics" and you’ll likely find a few websites showing the same shoes—bulky black things that close with a zipper or velcro. Keep searching, I tell myself. There has to be a better option.

After two years of searching, I have found a few options worth noting. For my fellow shoe-lovers with limits, I’ve listed 5 options that meet my requirements for shoes I can wear with an AFO. But the fact that there are only a few highlights the need for innovation in this area. Hey shoemakers, are you listening?

The Solution: 5 Cute Shoes to Wear with AFO

New Balance WW877
Converse One Star Pro Suede
Cariuma OCA Low
Keen Rose Sandal
Adidas Bravada 2.0 Platform

1. NEw Balance

I’ve bought a few NB shoes, and my favorite is the WW877. This shoe has a leather upper in a neutral tan color, removable insole, and smooth tread on the sole.

New Balance is committed to making shoes that work with orthotics, meaning they always have the option for a Wide or Extra Wide. They are also one of the only companies that will sell just one shoe, meaning you could order one shoe in the correct size and one shoe in the size that fits your orthotic. (You can search Zappos for other “one shoe only” options.)

2. Converse

The Converse One Star Pro Suede is classic and comes in a few fun colors. The uppers are a soft leather. The insoles are removable. But these don’t come in Wide, so size up a half or whole size to fit a wide orthotic.

3. Cariuma

If buying sustainably is important to you, you’ll be happy to know that Cariuma carries cute kicks made of organic cotton canvas and recycled plastics. Inside the OCA Low, you’ll find 100% vegan insoles that are removable. These shoes come in several colors and patterns which means you have lots of options. The toe box is a little small, so size up.

Cariuma plants 2 trees for every 1 pair of shoes sold.

4. Keen

I don’t wear my AFO in the water, but when I’m at the pool or the lake, I still need to wear shoes to protect my feet. Here’s where my Keens come in handy. I can strap my foot in the sandals so they won’t fall off (or drag along the ground), and I can keep them on in and out of the water.

The velcro strap of the Rose Sandal makes it easier to get on and off, but I have found success with my old pair of Whispers too.

5. Patent Leather Pumps

Wait! No, I haven’t found a pair of patent leather shoes that fit my AFO. {Cue tears.}

But I can wear Tom’s Sicily sandals without my AFO as long as I don’t need to walk far and I have assistance. When would you need to wear these? At a wedding, silly! Wearing these with a sundress at an event where you can sit most of time beats wearing sneakers. This is called "being creative."

The Sicily is out of stock now, but the Sloane is a similar model.

Update 3/30/24

6. Adidas

I recently found this pair of Adidas Bravada 2.0 Platform shoes with a removable insole. The insole has some sticky stuff near the heal, almost like the stickiness of a Post-it Note. Not a problem.

These platform shoes require a bit of practice to walk in as the extra height requires a tiny bit more lift of the leg to clear your swing. Again, not a problem. Just take a few practice steps before heading out the door. I plan to wear these with a sundress at an upcoming event. Win!

Your Turn

What shoes have you found that are cute and fit your orthotic? Share a link below.

I love sending my subscribers special goodies and encouragement straight to their inbox. One of those goodies is a list of 12 Verses to Help You Endure. I’d love to send it to you.