Orthotic Friendly Shoes: How to Choose Shoes for Orthotics

An orthotic only works if the shoe around it fits. Put a custom insert into a shallow or narrow shoe and the foot gets pushed up and out of the heel, the toes get squeezed, and the orthotic cannot do its job. Orthotic friendly shoes are built with the room and the features to take an insert properly. Here is what to look for.

This guide is general shopping advice. Your podiatrist or orthotist made your orthotic and can tell you what it needs from a shoe.

Orthotic, orthopedic, orthotic friendly: what is the difference?

• Orthotics are inserts or braces that go inside the shoe: custom insoles, off-the-shelf arch supports, SMOs and AFOs.
• Orthopedic shoes are shoes designed for foot support, often with extra depth and width, sometimes prescribed.
• Orthotic friendly shoes are shoes with enough depth, width and a removable insole so an orthotic can replace the original footbed.

7 things that make a shoe orthotic friendly

1) A removable insole. This is the most important one. Taking the factory insole out frees up the space the orthotic needs. If the insole is glued in, the orthotic sits on top of it and raises the foot too high.

2) Extra depth. Orthotics add height under the foot. A deeper shoe keeps the heel seated and stops the top of the foot rubbing.

3) A wide toe box. Many orthotics are worn with wider feet, bunions or swelling. Room across the toes prevents pressure.

4) A firm heel counter. The back of the shoe should hold the heel and the orthotic in place, so the foot does not slide.

5) A stable, low heel. Orthotics are usually designed for a fairly flat, stable base. High heels and very soft, unstable soles work against them.

6) An easy opening. Getting a foot into a shoe that now holds an orthotic can be tight. A zip or wide opening helps. Friendly Shoes use Easy Shoe Access, a zip opening built into the shoe that opens it wide for the foot and insert.

7) Adjustable closure. Hook and loop straps, zips or laces that open far let you set the fit over the orthotic each day.

Extra depth shoes for orthotics

“Extra depth” means the shoe has more room from the sole to the top of the foot than a standard shoe of the same size. That extra height is where the orthotic goes. Without it, the orthotic pushes the foot up, the heel sits too high in the heel cup and slips, and the top of the foot presses against the laces or straps.

How much depth you need depends on the insert. A thin, flexible insole may fit in almost any shoe once the factory insole is out. A thick custom orthotic or a diabetic insert often needs a shoe sold as extra depth or wide and deep. A quick test: put the orthotic in, slide your foot in and walk. If your heel lifts out or the top of your foot feels tight before you close the shoe, there is not enough depth. Our guide to extra depth shoes covers who else needs them (braces, diabetes, swelling) and how to check the fit.

Which orthotic, which shoe

• Over the counter full length insoles replace the factory insole. Any shoe with a removable insole and normal depth usually works.
• Three quarter length orthotics stop before the toes. They can sit on top of a thin factory insole, but take the insole out if the heel feels high.
• Custom orthotics from a podiatrist or orthotist are often firmer and thicker under the heel and arch. Choose extra depth, a firm heel counter and a removable insole.
• Diabetic inserts are often thicker and softer. They need depth and a smooth, seam-free inside. See our diabetic shoes guide.
• Heel cups and heel lifts raise the heel. A deeper heel counter keeps the foot from slipping out.
• SMOs and AFOs are braces rather than insoles and need the most room. See shoes that fit over AFOs and SMOs.

How to fit shoes with orthotics

• Bring the orthotic when you try shoes on, take the original insole out, and put the orthotic in its place.
• Check the heel: it should not slip out when you walk.
• Check the toes: there should be about a thumb’s width in front of the longest toe.
• Size up only if you need to. Some people need half a size more with an orthotic, others need a wider or deeper shoe instead. Our foot sizing tips explain how to measure.
• Different feet, different sizes: if only one foot wears an orthotic or brace, see our single or split size shoe program.

Wearing a bigger brace such as an AFO or SMO? Read our guide to shoes that fit over AFOs and SMOs.

Orthotic friendly shoes from Friendly Shoes

Our wide styles have removable memory foam footbeds, extra width and depth, and a zip opening for easy on and off.

• Women: Excursion Black Silver Wide, Hook and Loop Black Mesh Wide
• Men: Excursion Onyx Wide, Hook and Loop Black Mesh Wide
• Kids: Excursion All Black Wider Fit

Shop women’s, men’s and kids’ adaptive shoes. Not sure about the fit? Friendly Shoes can be returned within 30 days if lightly worn indoors (returns policy).

How to swap the insole for your orthotic

1. Pull the factory insole out from the heel end. In Friendly Shoes, the memory foam footbed lifts out.
2. Lay the orthotic on top of the factory insole to compare length and shape. If the orthotic is longer, it may need trimming by the person who made it; do not cut a custom orthotic yourself.
3. Slide the orthotic in, heel first, and press it flat so it sits right against the back of the shoe.
4. Put the shoe on, close it, and walk for a few minutes. The heel should stay down and the toes should not touch the end.
5. Keep the factory insole. You may want it back if you wear the shoes without orthotics.

Frequently asked questions

What are extra depth shoes?

Shoes with more vertical room inside than a standard shoe, so an orthotic, a diabetic insert or a swollen foot fits without pressure on the top of the foot.

What are the best orthotic friendly shoes for women?

Look for the same features as any orthotic friendly shoe: a removable insole, extra depth, a wide toe box and a stable, low heel. Women often find width is the hardest part, so start with a shoe sold as wide.

Can I put orthotics in any shoe?

Not always. The shoe needs a removable insole and enough depth and width. Shallow fashion shoes, ballet flats and many canvas sneakers rarely have the room.

Do I need to buy a bigger shoe for orthotics?

Sometimes half a size, but often a deeper or wider shoe solves it without going longer. Try the shoe with the orthotic in place before you decide.

Should I take the insole out when using orthotics?

Yes, in most cases. The orthotic replaces the original insole. Leaving both in usually makes the shoe too tight and lifts the heel out.

What shoes work best with orthotics?

Shoes with a removable insole, extra depth, a wide toe box, a firm heel counter and a stable low heel. Walking shoes and adaptive shoes often tick all of these.