With a 100-plus-year history, Stride Rite makes children’s shoes designed around growing feet, from first-walker styles through big-kid sizes. Its approach pairs patented fit technologies—such as flexible, foot-shaped soles for babies and sensory-response support for toddlers—with practical features including washable designs and shoes that accommodate orthotics or wide feet. The brand also offers APMA-approved styles and collaborations such as its Ms. Rachel collection.
APMA Approved
OP Specialty BracingOP Specialty Bracing designs and provides orthotic and prosthetic solutions made exclusively for children, pairing pediatric-focused devices with care from certified clinical specialists. As part of OrthoPediatrics, the company builds on more than 20 years of pediatric orthopedic expertise and operates specialized clinics across the United States and internationally. Its clubfoot work has a particularly deep history: OPSB collaborated with Dr. Ignacio Ponseti on the Mitchell Ponseti Clubfoot Brace and remains the only company identified as fabricating the true brace.WESTLAKE, OH
Baby EmporioSince 1996, Baby Emporio has built its identity around award-winning baby legwear designed in Indian Wells, California. Its distinctive shoe-look socks give infants a dressed-up appearance without the weight of real shoes, while the company’s “We Care–We Share” effort has included donations of thousands of socks and tights to community organizations.NEW YORK, NY
Tru-Mold ShoesSince 1955, Buffalo-based Tru-Mold Shoes has made custom-molded orthopedic footwear and support braces for patients with individual foot and mobility needs. The family-run company combines CAD/CAM scanning and design with more than 25 construction and quality-check steps, followed by handcrafted assembly by skilled technicians. Tru-Mold also repairs and refurbishes custom-molded shoes made at its factory, extending the life of its work.BUFFALO, NY
HANDS-FREE, IncHANDS-FREE, Inc. makes Quikiks hands-free shoes, using a hinged Step-in-Go system that lets wearers step in and secure the shoe without bending over or using their hands. Founder Steve Kaufman developed the idea after his son Alex’s scoliosis brace made putting on shoes difficult, then spent more than six years fabricating and testing prototypes. The company donates 10% of its net profits to organizations serving people with disabilities.NEW YORK, NY