Hi all

I can walk a short distance with AFO's and sticks.

Recently I have had a new pair of AFO's and to be honest I am finding them very hard to cope with. They make my feet so wide I cannot get shoes to fit them in, my shoes are splitting at the sides where the AFO's are pushing the sides out so much.

I went back to the Orthotics department who shaved a bit off the splints but this did not really help much.

They basically told me to get on with it! I have spent so much money on shoes even buying from specialist wide fitting shoe companies but these are still not wide enough!!

Anyone have any ideas on either another product or anything I can do to help myself seeing as orthotics department don't really want to know.

Thanks

Alex

I might be stating the bleedin obvious but i wear shoes 1 to 11/2 sizes up with my AFOs.

Tin

Thanks for the reply. I usually have size 4 feet and I have tried going to a size 6 but the AFOs are so wide they in the end split the side of the shoes! They don't even fit in my partners size 9 shoes.

They are so stupidly wide.

Wow they do sound a bit bizzarre! Were they made by the Orthotist at your Spinal Unit or some local bunch?

Did they do them from a cast or not?

You are certainly entitled to stuff that fits properly.

Tin

They were done by the orthotics department at my local hospital, not the spinal unit I was in.

They did casts and they fit like a dream but because of the ankle hinge they are very wide and impossible to fit in any shoes.

I saw my physio today and he told me to go back to the orthotics department and ask them to start again, new casts and new splints without the ankle hinge to see if that works.

Hi Alex.
I have an ankle/foot plastic brace on my right leg. The shoe store manager took a mold of each of my feet... and Medicare paid a percentage and I paid the balance. Now, I have 3 pairs of shoes in different colors that I absolutely love, because they fit me perfectly. I believe the rule was to purchase only 1 pair of shoes each year and, believe me, they were expensive--my primary care physican had to sign a form for medical need. my shoes were well worth the CA$H for the good fit, imo. I just remembered that I am diabetic... so, my medical need was diabetes AND the spine issues need for the brace. I hope that helps you some.

Good luck to you.