What is Orthotic Friendly Footwear?

A good comfort shoe already supports your feet. An orthotic-friendly one leaves room for your own orthotics too.

One of the best things about the majority of The Comfort Co footwear range is that it provides top of the range arch support, which can be essential for people with foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis and flat feet. (For more on that, see our What is Arch Support blog.)

However good this arch support may be, sometimes people need a little more. They may have a health condition they’ve seen a podiatrist about and have a tailor-made set of orthotics. Or they may just like the way a certain pair of store-bought orthotics feel (if you’ve had a go with Vitasole’s Everyday Insoles, you wouldn’t blame them).

Now they need some shoes where this over-the-top comfort fits in seamlessly.

What Makes a Shoe Orthotic Friendly?

Fitting the orthotic

A shoe wouldn’t be very orthotic friendly if you can’t fit your orthotic in it. But simply buying a larger pair of shoes to accommodate your orthotic can be a shot in the dark. A truly orthotic friendly pair will have features that let you fit your orthotic without relying on guesswork.

Removable insoles

It’s very difficult to put something else in if you’ve already got an insert in. The insole is the part inside the shoe that your foot sits on. If your shoes have removable insoles, you can take this part out to make room for your orthotic.

Normally this is a feature of only closed-in shoes. But what about hot climates where you just need to wear sandals? Revere has thought of that, with a range of sandals with removable footbeds for people who need their orthotics 24/7.

Extra depth

In addition to a removable insole, an orthotic friendly shoe will generally be a little deeper. This gives you more space once the orthotic is inserted, so your foot doesn’t rub against the top of the shoe.

This is particularly important for diabetic footwear. If the foot rubs against a shoe in the wrong way it can cause a range of problems. Anodyne makes some of the most technically advanced diabetic-friendly shoes on the market, where this will not be an issue.

Wide toe box

The “toe box” is the area at the front of the shoe where your toes sit. If this part is tight, an orthotic often squeezes it tighter, which causes problems at the best of times and can be genuinely painful if you have hammertoes or bunions.

Adjustability

Even with extra features to accommodate an insole, the best way to guarantee the perfect fit is a shoe you can adjust. Orthotic friendly laces, buckles, velcro or straps mean your shoes can fit any foot, orthotic or not.

Compensating in Other Areas

If you’ve bought a good pair of shoes, a lot of thought has gone into the design (at least that’s true for The Comfort Co range). All the pieces work together.

Taking a part out and replacing it with something else can cause problems with alignment and stability. An orthotic friendly pair of shoes counteracts this by compensating in other areas.

Stable heel counter

The heel counter is one of the most important parts for keeping your foot in place. A firm heel counter keeps your foot stable as you walk and helps it sit correctly within the shoe.

But what if you’re thinking about a pair of Revere orthotic friendly sandals? These have an entirely removable footbed, so your orthotic fits seamlessly into where the footbed would usually sit. We’ve really thought of everything.

Durable outsoles

As mentioned, in a well-designed pair of shoes all the parts work together. Orthotic friendly footwear tends to feature an extra durable outsole to compensate for the change. Made from high quality materials, the outsole provides extra shock absorption and protection from additional wear.

The Bottom Line

The decision is pretty easy when it comes to orthotic friendly footwear versus the alternative. Even if you don’t wear an orthotic, the features that make a shoe orthotic friendly also make it a higher quality shoe. It also gives you the option to transition to an orthotic down the track.

We reckon orthotics, or at least arch support, are part of looking after yourself. They’re outrageously comfortable and good for you, so why not? Being ready for it is the first step.