I recently discovered that braces do not fit into just any shoe, slipper, or boot. August was prescribed SMO’s, a foot ankle brace, recently. We already knew about the brand Billy thanks to a FB group for parents of special needs kids. August has very tight toes that often curl under which made getting shoes on a huge pain. Before we got our Billy’s, I’d spend 20 minutes putting on and taking off shoes trying to prevent him from walking on curled toes.
The great thing about Billy’s is that they unzip all the way around the shoe. You can put the foot in and then zip them back up. I’ve been told the ones you can get at Target are cheaper quality and do not last as long. I haven’t bought from the Billy site but I can say that our Target Billy’s have held up great to farm life. They aren’t just for special needs kids either. Augusts’ twin Aria also wears them since they make getting out of the door so easy.
Now that the weather is cooling off I checked everyone’s winter boots from last year. Sure enough they all need new ones. The twins were only 15 months last winter and used Stonz. Technically those do still fit but I wasn’t sure if they can be used with the SMO’s. I love how minimalist they are but I’m not sure if the lack of a supportive sole would crack the bottom of the braces. If anyone knows more about this, please feel free to leave a comment so other parents know if Stonz or similar brands (molehill is great!) are an option for kids with braces.
Our older kids got their first pair of Bogs last fall after we bought the farm. We love them. Yes, they’re spendy but if you shop around you can find some great deals. I just ordered Aria’s off Ebay actually. I honestly didn’t know Ebay was still a thing. But for $16 plus shipping I got a gently used pair of pink polka dot Bogs for her. She wont wear anything that doesn’t have pink without sobbing hysterically and trying to strip.
In the same FB group I mentioned before, I asked about winter boots for kids with SMOs. I mostly got responses of boots that would NOT work as that’s what most of these parents had found. Much to my dismay Bogs were on this list. The few that were mentioned were either very stiff soled which I won’t buy for my kids, or must have been for climates much different than ours. Here in Minnesota you can’t grab fuzzy slippers that open in the front and expect to go outside after October. Even October might be iffy depending on the year and part of Minnesota. One person mentioned that Billy made a winter boot but after reading reviews I had concerns of leaking at the zipper. I ended up ordering 7 pairs of boots. On my list to try were Jan&Jul, Bogs(I was optimistic), and Merrell Bare Steps. Without SMOs August is a size 8. I ordered 9 and 10 so we would have options.
The Merrells haven’t arrived yet, I will update this post once they come. Just like other parents had warned, Bogs do not work with SMOs. This discovery was made even more frustrating because of an email exchange I had with the company in which they assured me Bogs would be a great option. So for those of you who need a great muck boot for winter, you will have to keep looking. If I find one I will update my post but based off how most muck boots are designed, I am not hopeful. One Jan&Jul style I ordered was a pull on boot much like a Bog but more cost effective. For the same reason as Bogs, these don’t work. You just can’t get the braces into the foot bed with the tight ankle, even with the slight stretch neoprene offers.
I do have good news for those who have read this far! The second style of Jan&Jul we ordered was the winner. While the size 9 did fit it was a little tight over the top of the foot. The size 10 was perfect. What is so special about these? They open at the FRONT! It doesn’t open completely like a Billy shoe, but enough to pop the braces in. I was ecstatic. Especially since they came in time for our first outing where we will be out in the snow this morning. We are not even half way into October and there is snow just 1 hour north of us. As long as his feet stay warm and dry I’ll be happy. If not I guess we will be ordering more boots to try.
I will add links for the boots and the Facebook group I mentioned below. While it is technically for those of us who own or want to own a wonderfold, it is the most amazing group I have found.
Amazon links are affiliate and may provide compensation for orders placed through them.
Billy Shoes: Here
Jan&Jul Boots: Here
Stonz: Here
Molehill: Here
Facebook Group: Here