The brands in this post offer adaptive footwear for people who have different needs when it comes to their shoes, boots, and slippers. There are lots of reasons why a person may find it difficult to or impossible to wear footwear that has been designed for the masses. For example, you may have limited mobility in your arms and hands, difficulty dexterity and/or fine motor skills, or you may have one or two bionic feet. So, the needs are many, and until recently, they weren't met at all. Now there are companies that offer easy on/easy off shoes, those who offer single shoes of different sizes, some who have adapted the zippers to allow the entire shoe to open.

It is important that these individuals be given their needs taken care of by companies with full understanding of what they require. These companies are doing that, and you deserve to know about them.

Each of these brands was selected because they have a strong commitment to serve the needs of people with various disabilities. Their shoes are designed by teams that have been assembled with the goal of designing shoes that work for people with disabilities.

Zappos

Zappos is a retailer of several brands, and they have in incredibly string resolve to serve the needs of all of their customers, instead of just the masses. Their customer service is amazing across the board, and they truly are a company that cares about everyone's welfare. It's front and centre of their brand, that's why they're more than worth mentioning here

Some of the adaptive brands they carry are Abilitee Adaptive Wear, Billy Footwear, SOREL Universal, Seven7 Adaptive, and many more. For a full list, check out the Zappos adaptive brands page. As well as partnering with top-quality footwear brands that offer adaptive options, Zappo's has a single shoe and different sizes program as well as medical wear, adaptive accessories, tagless shirts for people with sensory sensitivities, and wide shoes.

Billy Footwear

Out of Seattle, Washington (close-ish to us!), BILLY Footwear designs their shoes with zippers that go along the side and around the toe, allowing the top of each shoe to open and fold over. This means that the entire shoe opens up from the top, so you don't have to slip your foot in, you can place it in instead. They have a zipper-pull to close the shoe.

Billy Footwear was founded after their co-founder, Billy, fell three stories and broke his neck, becoming paralyzed from the chest down. Not only did he suddenly face mobility challenges, but daily tasks that he took for granted, such as putting on clothes, became much more difficult. Throughout the years he learned tricks for getting dressed more easily. But that said, the one piece of clothing that always eluded him was shoes—he never found a pair of shoes that he felt were both attractive and that he could put on independently.

After his accident in October of 1996 and his years of finding different ways of solving his daily footwear battle, he realized that it wasn't him, it was them. The shoes just weren't designed to be universal.

From the Billy Footwear website: "It is clear that the world is ready for greater inclusion in fashion. Everybody is unique and we all want to express ourselves and feel confident. BILLY Footwear is proud to be a part of this movement."

Sorel Universal

SOREL Universal has designed shoes that offer full adaptive zippers, pull loops and stitching to lace length and collar height. The SOREL brand is known as a very functional brand, yet they are also a very stylish brand. Each element in their adaptive line was designed bring both function and style together in the adaptive realm, just as they do for their mainstream collections.

The SOREL Universal line is a collaboration between Zappos and SOREL. Like Zappos, SOREL is a very caring brand (and their headquarters are just across the river from Stephen's Place!). Each shoe in their new collection was tested in real-time by individuals with disabilities. Consulting with the disability community and receiving first-hand feedback allowed SOREL and Zappos to ensure the highest quality, as well as functionality, of the new designs.

Friendly Shoes

Friendly Shoes offers instant-on shoes and boots that are made with superior materials to those found in most shoes out there. And they offer a wide range of casual footwear styles that cater to all kinds of tastes

Friendly Shoes solve more types of footwear challenges than any other shoe technology by making fitted shoes simpler and easier to put on, and more enjoyable to wear. They offer a range of styles and colors for men, women, and children of all ages, from infants to seniors.

Kizik

Kizik just happens to be a brand that, by their original design, has become much more inclusive than most. With a springy heel piece that you can step on to get your foot into, they have become hands-free shoes for many. Are they not completely inclusive as they require pressure to push down the heel and they are slide-in shoes as opposed to shoes that can be pulled on. These shoes work best for those who have difficulty bending over or tying shoe laces. These shoes require the wearer to stomp and slide on. So, not entirely inclusive, but definitely a step in the right direction.

John's Crazy Socks

Ah, but what are shoes without socks? Here's a bonus pro tip: check out John's Crazy Socks (this isn't an affiliate link–John's Crazy Socks are just totally awesome and we need you to know!) John’s Crazy Socks is a father-son social enterprise inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks, or what he calls his “crazy socks.

Their website says that they're "on a mission to spread happiness." And that's evident by all of the fun designs. They even have a monthly subscription, for year-round fun.

It's important that people with disabilities are not given the message that their needs are unimportant or less important than their non-disabled peers. This hasn't always been the way, many have been left in the dark; left to struggle to find ways to fit into a world that was not build to include their needs.

We all have a right to be happy and treated with respect and dignity. And one way to do that is to lead the way in providing the products, the services, and the information that we need to make this a better world for everyone.

Some of the more human-centric apparel companies are just starting to understand that sacrificing the few for the many is not the way to be a good brand. We are literally just scratching the surface and it's very exciting to see where these companies will go next and who else will join them.