There's a market

[BlsdMama]

for people to make cute shoes for people with AFOs/braces.  I'm telling ya, women just sitting around, happily willing to spend money on shoes so they can wear skirts, dresses, and cute shoes with these hideous braces.  Come to think of it, the second million could be made on making just ONE cute light colored or pastel brace.  Just sayin'.

 

[BlsdMama]

Spray painting mine pink would be bad, right?  

[katilac]

What about making pretty covers for the brace out of fabric? Depending on how the brace is designed, you could make them to slip over or you could make them with buttons or snaps.

My kids do cosplay, and I know they sometimes make covers for their shoes. I'll see if I can come up with a link. 

[katilac]

Looks like there is a ton of links for tutorials on the shoe covers, I just searched "cosplay shoe covers." 

If it's not something you want to attempt yourself, I'm sure you can find an experienced cosplayer to do it. A seamstress could do the boot covers, I bet, but they probably don't do stuff like shoe covers very often. I'd probably ask a cosplayer about the boot covers, too, because they are accustomed to covering and altering all manner of things. They know about all about different fabrics and many other kinds of material (er, material that is not fabric, y'know). 

 

tumblr are still good places to find these people. You can start by asking questions to figure out if you'd want to attempt it yourself, and then you can always ask about commissions once you get a feel for who is really knowledgeable and talented. There tends to be lots of friendly people in the culture who are willing to answer questions. One of the cosplay groups in my state is actually already a service club.  

[GailV]

10 minutes ago, katilac said:

What about making pretty covers for the brace out of fabric? Depending on how the brace is designed, you could make them to slip over or you could make them with buttons or snaps.

My kids do cosplay, and I know they sometimes make covers for their shoes. I'll see if I can come up with a link. 

Oh, good point!  I just bought a pattern from one of the big pattern companies for several styles of spats.There are a ton of interesting patterns, fabrics, and ideas floating around due to the popularity of cosplay.

[katilac]

Posting yet again because the forum is being weird. 

Jenny in FL has a son who is very much into making his own cosplay, I believe. She might be able to steer you to more specific resources.

[Hilltopmom]

Not for shoes... but they do make braces for kids in all sorts of cool colors and patterns.... I’m surprised you didn’t get offered a choice. Next time you need to order, if you do,  ask about that.

[BlsdMama]

So my AFO is pretty slim profile - a cover would definitely make it more noticeable.  And I don't mind having it - I'm not self-conscious about the brace, BUT serious limitation for shoes.  

So, for example, I picked up a couple cute, breezy dresses because I have gained weight being less active (20 pounds!) and I'm a different size now and I'm really (REALLY) sick of not wearing anything cute.  Summer is coming and I'm not wearing t-shirts and capris ALL summer. (I like t-shirts and capris but I also like SKIRTS!)  So I picked those up and then thought... Drat.  Shoes.

They have to fit high on the heel to keep the bottom of the brace from lifting. (It's for dropped foot.)  And then it walks up my leg and wraps around the calf.  Has to be closed at the front and pretty much have a strap (like a mary jane) to keep the brace down. 

I think I found something.  They aren't super cute, but they aren't ugly.  They might work.

http://www.englinsfinefootwear.com/merrell-womens-encore-strap-available-in-multiple-colors/

Not exactly what you'd wear with pretty, flowy dresses....  But I'm thinking such is life.  At least I won't be whining and still wearing my frumpy black Eccos all summer.

[BlsdMama]

2 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

Not for shoes... but they do make braces for kids in all sorts of cool colors and patterns.... I’m surprised you didn’t get offered a choice. Next time you need to order, if you do,  ask about that.

I'm surprised too.  Maybe they just figure women will make do?

[retiredHSmom]

Go look at hotter.com They have several pairs of mary jane style shoes that would like nice with a skirt or dress.  They are expensive but I am on their mailing list because they make wide shoes and I get a lot of 40% off coupons.

Nirvana shoe

Grace

Hannah

Shake

[regentrude]

I feel for you. I'm not in a brace, but have to wear custom orthotics - and that takes the fun out of dresses because they only fit in boring, closed up shoes with wide toe boxes. ugh.

[GailV]

Ugh, dh has a brace for drop foot, isn't worried about cute shoes (typical guy) and STILL has trouble with coming up with shoe choices at times.  You have my sympathy!

 

I like the Shakes that Tania linked.

[kbutton]

I have seen shoes like the ones you linked worn with casual skirts and dresses in more walkable towns where everyone is on foot a lot of the time. I am sorry for the lack of compatible shoes! I have family members with orthotics or braces, and they struggle with the same thing. 

Some small businesses are cropping up for things like this though--I recently read about a woman who started a shoe company (in the UK, maybe) that designs cute shoes for particularly long and narrow women's feet (hers are long and narrow because she has Marfan Syndrome). 

 

 

[sassenach]

3 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

for people to make cute shoes for people with AFOs/braces.  I'm telling ya, women just sitting around, happily willing to spend money on shoes so they can wear skirts, dresses, and cute shoes with these hideous braces.  Come to think of it, the second million could be made on making just ONE cute light colored or pastel brace.  Just sayin'.

 

 

Ds's AFOs can be customized to any color/pattern. They should be able to at least do that for you. Ds has Batman themed ones.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

Spray painting mine pink would be bad, right?  

My mother dècoupaged her canes. So anything is possible, I guess! 

[Lucy the Valiant]

If you (or someone you love) wear *one* AFO and therefore 2 different-sized shoes (so you always have to buy 2 pair), the website CHASA.org can be very useful connecting people to potential "sole mates," people who wear your OTHER shoes. It's been a big help to our family. :) They also have a FB group.

[Lucy the Valiant]

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

Ds's AFOs can be customized to any color/pattern. They should be able to at least do that for you. Ds has Batman themed ones.

 

Yes, same here. :) My little guy gets to pick every time they re-cast.

[Ottakee]

I can commiserate a bit as I have a bad foot/ankle and wear orthodics which severely limits my shoe choices.  Hard to look cute with clunky Brooks Dyads on your feet.

Hopefully the Mary Jane style will work for you.

[Melissa in Australia]

5 hours ago, regentrude said:

I feel for you. I'm not in a brace, but have to wear custom orthotics - and that takes the fun out of dresses because they only fit in boring, closed up shoes with wide toe boxes. ugh.

me too

[Melissa in Australia]

I have one child with AFO's on both feet. It is a nightmare getting shoes. He has exactly 1 pair of shoes and some gumboots that we have cut down so they will fit. I have tried shoe shop after shoe shop. There is nothing that will fit over short stubby feet that are extra wide because of the braces. nothing. 

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I have one child with AFO's on both feet. It is a nightmare getting shoes. He has exactly 1 pair of shoes and some gumboots that we have cut down so they will fit. I have tried shoe shop after shoe shop. There is nothing that will fit over short stubby feet that are extra wide because of the braces. nothing. 

Have you tried Keen sandals?  Several of my students wear these over their AFOs.

[Melissa in Australia]

4 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

Have you tried Keen sandals?  Several of my students wear these over their AFOs.

Hmm I had not noticed those shoes before. I looked them up and they are available in the closest to me large town with a shopping centre , just over 100 km away where I go for OT for the twins once a month. I will check them out. thank you 

 

 

[Paige]

Have you looked at the Healthy Feet Store? We found some shoes that were not terrible for my DD from there when she wore AFOs. We were looking at children's sizes, but there's a good selection for women. Unfortunately they are usually $$$, but so are AFOs. https://www.healthyfeetstore.com/conditions-afo-accommodation.html

[caedmyn]

You might look at Soft Star shoes.  They have a Merry Jane that is high on the heel and I believe comes with a strap option (and they do some custom shoes also...).  They're not traditional shoes but I think their Merry Jane is more feminine  than the Merrell shoes you linked.  If you require arch support you might be able to add an insert of some sort.

[Ali in OR]

My 21 yo has tiny feet--she wears a kids size 2 OVER her orthotics. These Converse shoes are the best I've ever found. They have elastic gores so they just slip on over her orthotics. She has them in black/pink laces, red/white laces, and turquoise/hot pink laces. And judging by the my other teens and their peers, you can wear Converse with anything, even a prom dress.

ETA: one of her teachers with a disabled adult dd says Vans are also good.

https://www.famousfootwear.com/en-US/Product/52800-1035017/Converse/Black_Pink/Kids+Chuck+Taylor+All+Star+Street+Low+Top+Sneaker.aspx#store=03404&resultsmode=

[Lucy the Valiant]

On 4/8/2018 at 8:18 PM, Melissa in Australia said:

I have one child with AFO's on both feet. It is a nightmare getting shoes. He has exactly 1 pair of shoes and some gumboots that we have cut down so they will fit. I have tried shoe shop after shoe shop. There is nothing that will fit over short stubby feet that are extra wide because of the braces. nothing. 

 

Truth. I have a child who wears ONE brace - we do find shoes that work, but that brace shreds shoes in record time. And because he wears only one, I buy two pairs of shoes all the time. When I think of how expensive it is for shoes, it kills me; when I think of how much cheaper it is than surgery, I get over it.