I have gone through two sleep studies. I did them as an adult. That glue burns very painfully (at least for me) and made it incredibly difficult for me to sleep during the sleep study.

I was and still am a NIGHTMARE to find shoes for that don't hurt or upset me. I swear I can feel every stitch. Sigh. I wish I could design shoes for myself. They probably be too ugly for anyone else but they would be comfortable for me. If I can't walk around the shoe store without crying or passing out from the pain, then I won't even consider buyng the shoes. I don't even bother trying most brands anymore.

One thing you might be able to do to help your son figure out which kind of shoes would work best for him is to try out a wide range of shoe types. Document the height of the arch, the amount of room in the shoe, how much padding it has, where the padding is, and anything else you see special about the shoe. Then have your son tell you which parts of the shoe hurts when he is just sitting with them on and which parts hurt when he is walking in them. If there are areas don't hurt, try to note what is different about those areas of the shoe from other shoes.

Take that compiled knowledge and try to find a shoe that has the most "good" attributes and the least "bad" attributes. Then have your son try on that shoe and note the problems with it and the good areas. Does that match up to your earlier notes about the other shoes. If the shoe does have more "good" attributes is it bearable enough for him to wear them as they are supposed to be worn?

As a single mother, finances are probably a bit tight. However, a good fitting shoe is worth the price tag.

Don't settle for a shoe that might work unless you have gone to 20 stores and he desparately needs something now. Yes, I am aware this means 20 stores of embarrassing screaming and tantrums. Sorry.

On the plus side, an excellent fitting shoe should lead to fewer tantrums on a day to day basis (at least about shoes).