The dreaded shoes and orthotics problem - teenager.

[Runningtokeepstill]

Ds is now 17. He used to have orthotics and it was a nightmare as he has inherited the family trait (on both sides of the family unfortunately) of a very high instep. Coupled with this he has my foot issues: needs a deep toe box but narrow heel area, plus has extremely sensitive feet. On top of this he has chronic pain and pain amplification syndromes which make uncomfortable feet feel even worse.

He stopped using orthotics partly because he couldn't easily get shoes to fit his high instep and still have room for the orthotic inserts. And he got too old for paediatric support, so fell off the radar.

Now he's been told he should start using orthotics again. But with what shoes? We used to buy Ricosta but he's not keen as they look like school shoes and he's at college. We haven't found any trainers that fit his feet and feel comfortable (stiff heels at the back or too slack) even without orthotics. We spent hours last year trying.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Can't get the orthotics to go in Clarke's shoes.

Ds usually has Velcro too due to problems with fine motor skills but that can be an issue as the high instep can mean the Velcro on some shoes doesn't have enough overlap and pings open.

Probably not fashionable enough if he doesn't want formal shoes, but Hotter shoes have removable insoles so you can replace with orthotics. www.hotter.com/gb/en/viewallmens

Otherwise try a specialist shoe shop for advice?

Oh and elastic laces might be an option instead of Velcro?

Thanks BusStopBetty, I only think of Hotter as being for women's shoes.

There are some trainer style shoes on their website that may be ok and as you say he could use the stretchy laces. Now I need to find somewhere where he can try them on. It's pointless ordering shoes off the internet in our family as it's so hard to get the right fit, even with brands we've already worn before.

Fortunately, ds isn't into fashionable brands so if something looks trainerish that will be ok

I'll look into the brands you've suggested, zzzzz, the only issue with something other than Clarke's is finding somewhere to try them on. Also, what constitutes a good sports shop? As none of us are very sporty I genuinely don't know where to start. We have a couple of branches of the one in the minimum wage dispute nearby but they don't do fitting afaik. It's hard enough to find someone to pull out the correct size.

I'd consider a trip to London if there's a good chance of getting something that works for him. He wasn't over keen on the hotter shoes when we looked online.

Have you tried looking at piedro footware? But they only do a few different styles.

For good sports shop look at somewhere like sweat shop who will look at feet for pronation / over pronation . Look for running shoes. Once you know what you need you can often pick them up at outlet stores.
If you look on the foot solutions website you can get an idea likely brands shoes but warning they cost ££££££ and adults only

You might find walking shoes/boots better than trainers.

Dd3 has all kinds of foot/ankle issues and orthotics. She wears walkijg boots from mountain warehouse. You can usually get the insoles out and they are usually fairly supportive.

Dd3 also has a pair of Salomon Off road trainers that her orthotics dont fit into but because they have good support the physio said they are fine for general messing around. The insoles do come out but her orthotics are too thick to fit in.

Good luck

We have had good luck with Geox for my ds. Very wide toe area and narrow heel. They have a removable insole as well and do casual and school styles. Our local independent shoe shop stocks them. We are still in Velcro size wise but have you looked at lock laces or the silicone no tie lace alternatives you can pick up on eBay?

Thanks all. Have found some trainers in a running shop while on holiday and they're quite supportive and a comfortable fit. The shop owner was very good about getting the right fit for ds. He's getting better at tying the laces so may not need lock laces.

Good news running

Geox all the way here.... Two DS one with insoles and other wit DAFO's