Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 , I recently got my first AFO in like 15 years and it's only one foot...I too have come up against some roadblocks...I normally wear between a 5-1/2 to 6 in womens linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 Sorry ..got distracted and didn't finish what I started..anyway..back to roadblocks in the shoe department...I've had to have my shoes specially ordered from New Balance..because the shoe store did not have the size and width on hand..currently to accommodate the brace, I've had to resort to special " Pedorthic Shoes " ...ugly but fuctional..with elastic laces. As for pain...yeah..some pain here too..mainly on the bottom of my foot and some light swelling if I go overboard with the Velcro straps. I guess we just have to slowly get used to the fact that our feet are now in the position that they should be in the first palce..instead of highly arched and curved..hang in there.. linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 On the advice of my PT I buy my boys the correct shoe size that they would wear without an AFO, and just take the padding out of the bottom. Their AFOs don't hurt them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 First, did you remove the insole from the shoe, if not this could be the problem. Second try Spenco (SP?) insoles between your foot and the AFO, this will absorb the shock of walking on hard plastic. I could only wear my AFO's a couple of days without them. What a difference they make. I have mine glued at the toe to prevent movement, but they can be removed easily, if needed. Try going to a shoe store where you can try on shoes without hassle from a salesperson. Professionals don't always know what is best, I found this out the expensive hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 , If you say your foot is narrow, I find it hard to believe that your foot with AFO's could wear a B width. When you say professionals, who are you referring to?? If it is a pedorthist by chance than I would say they are correct. Since you are a brand new wearer, I don't think you will know what will be right until you have tried/experienced some shoes and unfortunately it might be a trial/and error experience. I know with me it was. I have worn AFO's 10 years +. With anything new, usually it is trial and error. I am not sure that it is the shoes.....perhaps it is your feet adjusting to the AFO's.....there will definitely be an adjustment period, don't think that you can avoid this. Now, it is possible that either the shoe size/or width may not be correct. Do you know another professional you can see who can check it out for you? Please let me know what this professional is? Terry Little littlet@... Challenges Met Together here at ! Charcot Marie Tooth Universal Services - for you, your loved ones, the medical community, and anyone who wants to learn how CMT/HMSN affects each of us through experiential sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 , One more thing....if it is just a shoe salesman at a regular shoe store, I am not so sure his advice would be good. If it is a salesman at a specialty shoe store that deals with people who wear AFO's and related foot problems, that would be better, however, I feel that a pedorthist would be the best recommendation. Usually at these specialty shoe stores like for instance Richey Shoes there is a pedorthist on hand to guide you through and help you select the best size/width to accommodate your AFO's. They have been trained in all aspects of the foot and foot problems. Mine is just so helpful and one time I bought a pair of shoes he recommended and returned them for 1/2 size smaller and then relized that he was correct....I needed that 1/2 size larger to accommodate my toes. I had to return them again for the original pair he sold me. He was right, I was wrong. Terry Little littlet@... -----Original Message----- From: cindy kruser [mailto:tigerboy@...] Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 12:10 AM Subject: First time AFO's I got my first pair of AFO's yesterday, and of course went shoe shopping after my appointment. I normally wear a women's size 6, narrow width. The " professional shoe fitters " as they called themselves, put me in a New Balance size 7 1/2 , D width. I didn't think the shoes felt right, but the " professionals " said I absolutely needed the larger size and D width to accomodate the braces. They wouldn't even let me try on a B width, telling me there's no way they would work. I wore my braces for several hours today, and my feet feel absolutely horrible tonight - like they're bruised or something. I personally feel the shoes are too big for me, not allowing the braces to support my foot and ankle correctly. Am I jumping to conclusions or should the AFO's hurt that much? I think the AFO's themselves fit me perfectly. Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2002 Report Share Posted June 21, 2002 , I don't know about the width issue - it seems it couldn't have hurt to let you try a more narrow width just to make sure. For the record, I normally wear a " wide " shoe, (probably a 6 1/2 or 7 D if you actually sized it) but with my AFOs I need an 8 1/2 EE. Is the ankle hinged in your AFO or is it solid? A hinged AFO needs even more width in a shoe than a solid AFO. Regarding break-in time, I have always been advised to break in AFOs SLOWLY!!!!!!!!! The first day they always tell me to limit wearing time to 20 minutes, and then take them off, check for redness and rubbing and give the foot a rest. GRADUALLY, increase the wearing time each day until you work up to wearing them a full day (about 1 week). Wearing them several hours at one time the first day was probably too much. Ruth in Raleigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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