How to Choose a Comfortable Orthotic Friendly Shoe

Has shopping for orthotic friendly shoes made you frustrated? It’s hard to get a good fit, especially if you’re shopping online – as most of us are these days – and can’t try on shoes in person.

Getting your orthotics to fit inside your shoes can be problematic, but unfortunately, it’s an essential part of orthotic use.

If your orthotics aren’t seated well inside your shoes, it can negate their many benefits and cause further problems as they rub or put pressure on your sensitive feet.

Many shoes from malls or big-box retailers also have insoles that you cannot remove, making it impossible to fit your custom orthotic securely. Even if you can get them inside, laying two insoles on top of each other can make the shoe’s interior too small.

While there are some things you can do to fit your custom orthotic into an existing pair of shoes, the best thing you can do is buy a new pair of orthotic friendly shoes. By getting orthotic friendly shoes, you can ensure that the investment you made in your custom orthotics won’t go to waste.

Shopping for Orthotic Friendly Shoes

At Orthotics Direct, we take the guesswork out of buying orthotic friendly shoes by stocking only the best brands known for their comfort and support. Then, we offer all our customers the opportunity to buy their orthotics and shoes as a package. By doing this, we ensure that the shoe you pick will fit your new orthotic perfectly.

Once we make your orthotic to your measurements, we carefully cut it to match your new pair of shoes’ interior. Then, we match them together so we can evaluate the fit before they leave our facility. Your new orthotics will arrive already inside your shoes, so you can put them on and get moving.

Picking the Right Shoes for Your Custom Orthotics

You might be wondering how we pick the shoes we sell at Orthotics Direct. Each one is evaluated based on some of the following features.

Rigid heel counter

If your heel is slipping all over your shoe, it’s a lot harder to maintain good pronation and gait. Supportive shoes have a rigid heel counter – a plastic component that keeps the ankle and heel straight, limiting overpronation. You can tell if a shoe has a stiff heel counter if you press on the fabric above the heel area. If it collapses, the heel counter is not rigid enough.

Minimal torsion or twist

If you have foot or gait issues, you should avoid soft shoes that collapse or twist easily. Any shoe you buy should have substantial support. You shouldn’t be able to rotate or pull it out of shape.

Firm density midsole

The midsole is a critical area of any shoe, but it’s something that most people don’t evaluate when they’re purchasing shoes on their own. All of our orthotic friendly women’s shoes – and men’s as well! – have been assessed to make sure their midsole is firm enough to support your arch.

In this area of the shoe, the materials are just as necessary as the form. The foam or other material used to make the midsole should be firm enough to withstand continual pressure but not so hard that it’s uncomfortable to wear.

Wider foot support

Shoes that are narrow and pinch your feet aren’t just uncomfortable to walk in. They also make wearing orthotic devices impossible because there’s just not enough room inside.

Narrow shoes are most problematic for men, who tend to have more wide feet than the average woman. When we’re restocking our orthotic friendly men’s shoes, we make sure that we carry plenty with wider foot support, so they can easily take an orthotic device.

This wide base also makes walking easier since it cradles the foot. If your feet are swollen due to a condition like diabetic neuropathy, finding a shoe with wider foot support is critical for your foot health.

It’s easy to remove the footbed

Not every pair of shoes made by even a reputable brand have a removable insole or footbed. If a shoe is made more for looks than function, the manufacturer may cut corners and stick down the footbed with glue or another adhesive. Make sure your footbed is removable so it will fit your chosen orthotic device.

Wide toe box

A wide toe box helps accommodate foot issues like hammer toe, bunions, and Morton’s toe. If the toe box on your shoes isn’t wide enough, it will compress your toes, forcing your feet into an uncomfortable position that will only exacerbate your current foot issues.

Low heel

If you’ve ever worn high heels, you’ll know how much pressure it puts on the ball of your foot. To avoid this, look for shoes with a low heel.

If you’re looking for orthotic-friendly women’s shoes that are compatible with evening wear, we carry several flats as well as low heels from brands like Clarks and Cobb Hill.

Sufficient shoe depth

If your shoes are too shallow, it will be difficult to insert an orthotic and have it stay in while you move. A deeper shoe depth will help avoid issues like this, preventing your feet from slipping out of your shoes when you’re walking or running.

Shop Orthotic-Friendly Shoe Packages on Orthotics Direct

So many factors go into choosing the right shoe to pair with your custom orthotics. Instead of trying to decide on your own, let us help!

We’ve been making custom orthotics for more than 20 years and have experience working with the best orthotic friendly shoe brands, including Asics, Brooks, Clarks, dress shoes and many more.

When you buy a shoe package from Orthotics Direct, you’ll save money and get the satisfaction of knowing that your shoes will arrive with the orthotics already inserted, so you don’t have to worry about getting the fit right.

Just slip them on, and get back to your routine!