Shoes

Finding shoes that accommodate AFOs isn’t always easy. We have tried shoes made specifically for this purpose (Hatchbacks). They are more expensive than regular shoes, but they were much easier to get on over her braces. The problem is they are HEAVY. For a budding walker, who doesn’t have great muscle strength to begin with, it made lifting her feet much harder, and she dragged her toes all the time.
We have had better success with shoes from Stride Rite. They have a good selection of shoes that come in several wide sizes. They are relatively lightweight and have options like laces or Velcro, and come in many colors. Elena is unable to wear sandals at this time b/c the strap on the back of the sandal inevitably gets wedged into the heel hinge of her brace.
During the winter of 2008, Elena’s shoes were outfitted with a lift on the left sole in the attempt to equalize leg lengths. The lift was external (rather than an insert inside the shoe) b/c there isn’t any room inside the shoe while Elena is wearing her AFO. The problem with an external lift is 1) no tread and 2) the lift wears down quickly. As the lift wears down, the glue also cracks, and we were left with a ‘flap’ that became a trip hazard the more Elena dragged her feet.
When Elena got new shoes (we had broken down the back of the right heel of the old pair) our orthotist layered the lift WITHIN the existing sole. This is AWESOME. I hate to blame it on vanity, but the fact that her shoes appear to match gives everyone a feeling of normalcy. Elena loves the fact that her shoes match. It also makes for reciprocal wear of her shoe tread, which can give us clues to her walking pattern.

E's old pair of shoes:



E's new pair of shoes with the lift in-sole:



Close-up of the inner lift