School shoes to go over splints (i.e. Ankle Foot Orthoses - AFOs)

[Anonanonuk]

Does anyone know where you can get girls' black school shoes (infant sizes) to fit over splints (AFOs) as I am struggling to find anything that will fit.

My daughter starts infant school this week and I have not found any shoes to fit over her splints yet. The shoes have to be black for school and not trainers.

At home since having the splints we have been using some wide fitting T-bar shaped shoes from a normal shoe shop that are a reasonable fit, but they are pink! I can't find anywhere yet that does T-bar black school shoes (without gaudy designs etc on them).

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I can get black school shoes (preferably not boots) that fit over splints?
Do hospital orthotics departments do school shoes (preferably not boots) to go over AFOs?

[glitteryb6]

we got ds school shoes from Barratts but had to go up a good few sizes

[Phoenix4725]

will school not make allowance for the shoes and the afos?.

Ds school are allowing him to wear trainers for school when he gets his new afos as his boots going take while to come.

[nuru]

my dd1 has orthotics in her shoes (although not up to her ankle) and so I've been doing a fair bit of research!

kickers and doctor marten do T-bar shoes in black which look fine for school. hush puppies can be good depending on the design as the insole comes out therefore giving more space inside.

our orthotics dept only does boots but that may vary between areas.

[Sidge]

We get Ricosta boots or shoes from an independent shoe shop, for DD2 who has pretty chunky insoles (not full AFOs admittedly).

We rarely are able to get anything in black so she has special permission to wear other colours - I usually go for a dark colour so as not to make them too obvious! Her current ones are very dark purple and the last ones were navy.

[HairyMaclary]

I go to Clarks or Start rite for DS's shoes to go over his AFO's. I think it may be a bit easier for boys due to the style of shoe but I looked everywhere cheaper first and then gave in and found some start rite shoes immediately!

[cory]

I would buy whatever shoes are best for her needs and send a note in saying that she has to have these for medical reasons. My dd was allowed to wear trainers at school after they had had it explained to them that there was a genuine medical need.

[meltedmarsbars]

I put dd2 in whatever I can buy to get over the AFOs - she has splints from her foot right up to the knee. At the mo its trainers. Uniform can sod off (in the most sweetly polite way ) because I'm not making life any harder than it need to be!!

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I can recommend Hatchbacks from T & S orthotics. www.tandsorthotics.co.uk/node/103. They cost around £50 but last for ages and will the best fitting shoes for over AFOs you'll ever find. When we last got some for dd they had black girls school shoes available. The website is not great but give them a ring as they are really helpful.

[MavisEnderby]

Hi dd wears AFOS and I have found a high street shop called Diechmann that is reasonably priced and their shoes are very widefitting and I got some for dd that fitted over her splints.The shoes were leather and called "Chipmunks".

[Anonanonuk]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!!!

After several days of trawling round shoe shops and department stores we eventually managed to find a wide pair of school shoes (in BHS) and ripped the thick innersole out of them to make them deeper and they fit. Thank goodness for that as I was losing hope of finding anything as we had tried all the major shoe shops I could think of (including Clarks). Clarks did have some good styles of shoes which may have been suitable to go over splints but they unfortunately don't do those styles in Infant sizes and start at size 10!

Not sure how well her feet will be in the shoes we found and so I will use them for the moment until I can get something more decent from your suggestions.