The Comfort Co’s Best Orthotic-Friendly Shoes for Women in Australia

Shoes with a footbed that lifts out, so your own orthotic drops in like it was made for it.

You might have just been prescribed a custom orthotic by your podiatrist, or maybe you've just heard what a supportive insole can do for your feet. Whatever's brought you here (and an insole into your shoes), you've come to the right place. No-one likes thinking about getting older (it happens to the best of us) and having to take care of yourself, but I'm here to help you do it in style!

The best orthotic-friendly shoes for women in Australia all share four things: a footbed that lifts out, a little extra depth, room across the toes and a firm heel to hold you over the device. For most of these boxes that need ticking, Revere is your best bet. They started out making the orthotic FRIENDLIEST sandals, and they've stayed orthotic lovely in just about everything they do. My top pick is the Revere Boston Zip Casual Sneaker, but just about anything they make should do just nicely.

Not wearing an orthotic at all? You probably want built-in support instead, so start with our best arch support shoes for women guide.

Getting orthotics is the easy part. Finding shoes that take them, without looking like something off a hospital trolley, is the bit that does your head in. Orthotic-friendly does not always mean clunky, and it definitely does not mean beige (I promise). It means the shoe was built to make room for your device, so it sits flat and gets on with its job.

These are the pairs I would put a mate in: everyday sneakers, a dressy Mary-Jane, a winter boot and three sandals for a 38-degree day. Every one passed the same check first, a footbed that really lifts out. Not a sad shoe in the lot.

Dee Riediger

Former Resident Style Editor and still a close friend of The Comfort Co

A fashion photographer of over eight years and a single mum doing the absolute most, who refuses to accept your orthotics should decide how your shoes look.

The best orthotic-friendly shoes for women in Australia

Revere leads this list for one reason. Almost every style has a footbed that lifts out, and Revere lists the fit as regular-to-deep, so there is headroom for your device once it is in. Each style also comes with a volume spacer that tucks under the footbed, which solves the opposite problem: a slim orthotic in a shoe that suddenly feels roomy. Aetrex and Anodyne each earn a spot for something Revere does not do, and Mia Vita is here for anyone who wants the most fashion-led pair.

Revere Boston Zip Casual Sneaker: my top pick

If I could only point you to one shoe, it would be this. The Boston Zip has a footbed that lifts out, a side zip so you are not wrestling laces over a device every morning, and laces you can still fine-tune once your orthotic is in. It is buttery leather on top, so it reads as a proper sneaker, not a medical one.

The catch is width. It comes in a Wide fit only, so if your foot is narrow, the Osaka or the Salzburg below, both made in Medium as well, will hold you better.

Reviewed by a podiatrist

"The Boston Zip Sneaker will suit most foot types and will be a great choice for long periods standing and walking, or just as a casual every day shoe. As Podiatrists, if we're looking for the utmost in support and control, we'll generally opt for an enclosed option with a lace. Boston offers exactly this; with the ease of setting the laces in place and quickly zipping on and off. The elevated pitch assists with offloading the heel and Achilles tendon, and the contoured footbed can be removed to accommodate for customised orthotics."

Sophie McLellan, Co-Owner & Podiatrist, Little Big Feet Podiatry, Brisbane

Revere Osaka Mary-Jane: for work and dressier days

The Osaka hides all that orthotic-friendly engineering inside a closed Mary-Jane, so it is the one for an office dress code or a lunch where sneakers will not cut it. The footbed lifts out, it comes in Medium and Wide, and strap extenders add width where you need it.

One strap gives you less adjustment than a full set of laces, though. If your orthotic is on the chunky side, take it with you and try the two together.

Revere Salzburg Zip Ankle Boot: for winter

Same lift-out footbed and regular-to-deep fit, carried into a full-grain leather boot with a side zip (zips are a gift when there is a device in the way). The Salzburg comes in Medium and Wide and sits on a cushioned foam sole. It is a cold-months shoe (unless you're very brave), so for the warm half of the year, skip down to the sandals.

Aetrex Danika Sneaker: for long, active days

The Aetrex Danika is a mesh sneaker with a removable insole, adjustable laces and very thick cushioning, so it suits a day that has you on your feet from breakfast to dinner. The bonus is the fit. The heel-to-toe cushioning and adjustable laces make it an easy one to dial in on a long day.

The trade-off I would want to know about: if you already own a custom orthotic, you are paying for an Aetrex footbed you will take straight out. It earns its place if you want to wear it as it comes now and keep the option to swap your device in later.

Anodyne No. 27 Sneaker: when your feet need extra room and care

Some feet need more than space for a device. Anodyne is the clinician-led end of the range. Built with extra depth for a custom orthotic, a removable insole, a seamless microfibre lining so nothing rubs, and a firm heel counter. The No. 27 Sneaker comes in Medium, Wide and Extra Wide, and the No. 19 Mary-Jane gives you the same build in a tidier shape.

Fair warning, these are built function-first, so they look more practical than the Revere styles. If your podiatrist has asked for extra depth, that is a trade worth making.

Mia Vita Ramona II Sneaker: the one you'll want to live in

This is the one I care about most, because wearing an orthotic should never mean giving up on nice shoes. The Ramona II borrows its lines from a classic terrace trainer, low and neat in soft leather and suede, and the Mia Vita footbed lifts out for your own device.

One thing to know before you fall for it (and you will): it comes in Medium width only. If your orthotic is bulky and full length, try them together before you commit.

Sandals that fit orthotics

Open shoes are where orthotic wearers usually get stuck, which is why sandals have their own guide. The short version: Revere is the range built for it. The Revere Miami is the top pick, because its adjustable straps take up the extra volume a device adds. The Geneva is the dressier everyday one with the same lift-out footbed, and the Como slingback holds your heel over the orthotic if your foot tends to slide forward. All three are ready for a 38-degree day.

What makes a shoe orthotic-friendly

An orthotic-friendly shoe is one with a removable footbed, so your own orthotic sits in its place, plus enough depth, a roomy toe box and a firm heel counter to keep your foot steady over the device.¹

The removable footbed is the one that decides it. No lift-out footbed, no room for your device. The other three are what make the shoe comfortable once the orthotic is in, and they matter in this order:

• Extra depth. An orthotic raises your foot, so a deeper shoe stops the top pressing down on it.
• A roomy toe box. Once your foot sits higher, your toes need more room, not less.
• A firm heel counter. The back of the shoe holds your heel over the device so it does not slide around.

Laces, a zip or straps are the bonus, because they let you fine-tune the fit around whatever you put inside. For the full breakdown of every feature, our guide to orthotic-friendly footwear goes deeper.

Orthotic-friendly or arch support: which do you need

Arch support is built into the shoe and you wear it as it comes. Orthotic-friendly is the opposite idea: the shoe leaves room for the support you bring. If you buy a Comfort Co shoe though, most of the time, it's both.

If a podiatrist has made you a device, or you already have an insole you love, you want orthotic-friendly, which is this guide. If you have never worn an orthotic and want support straight out of the box, our best arch support shoes for women guide is the one for you. Either way, you are not choosing one or the other forever.

How to check a shoe will take your orthotic

Take your orthotic shopping with you, then run these checks in order, because each one only matters once the one before it passes.

Easier still, pop into any Comfort Co store in Australia for a free foot scan. It measures your length, width and arch shape, so you can pick the right size in any style on this list, not just the Aetrex.

1. Lift the insole out. If it comes out cleanly and fully, your device has somewhere to go. If it is glued down, keep looking.
2. Drop your orthotic in. It should lie flat from heel to toe, with no curling at the edges.
3. Put your foot in and feel the top. You want a little headroom, not your foot pressing up into the upper.
4. Squeeze the heel. A firm cup keeps your foot over the device. A soft one lets it wander.
5. Try on later in the day. Feet swell as the hours go, so an afternoon fitting gives you the truest read.

When it is worth seeing a podiatrist

Orthotic-friendly shoes help a device you already have do its job. They do not replace advice. If you have never been assessed and your feet ache often enough that you are shopping for orthotics, start with a podiatrist, who can tell you whether you need a device at all and fit one if you do. You can find one through the Australian Podiatry Association.²

Already wearing orthotics that never feel quite right? A podiatrist walks through the usual reasons in Orthotics Don't Feel Right in Your Shoes? over on The Podiatry Corner.

Still not sure which pair suits your orthotic? The team fits these every day, so talk to a Comfort Concierge before you buy. Happy shoe hunting, Dee x