orthotics and shoes

[lucyp]

Hi - MY DS has just been fitted with dynamic ankle orthotics ( going up his calf) - but what does one do with shoes?? His normal shoes now dont fit and trying to get these things into other shoes has been a nightmare . Can anyone recommend a good place to get shoes to fit these things? or tips? :detective:

Oh ....DS was born with congenital bilateral cateracts ( now removed - wears contact lenses), has mircrocephaley, developmental delay and also ataxic cerebral palsy.

[becca022]

I'm not sure about Dynamic Ankle Orthotics, but my son has got Ankle Foot Orthotics & we just got him normal shoes 2 sizes bigger than he would normally wear without them & they stretch over time. What did the person who made them say to do? Or ask your physiotherapist or Orthapaedic doctor.
Good luck.:thumbsup:

[lucyp]

hi becca - physio said to buy the cheapest shoes that would fit - easier said than done though:) - I have found it difficult unless they have velcro or are able to be opened up quite wide. Have tried the sizes up - but they just look soooo big. Have you got lace ups??

Lucy

[theycallmemum]

I just wrote a long post but it disappeared. With AFO's you need shoes that open up really well and that are nice and deep. We took our son to Shoes'n'Sox and they knew exactly which shoes worked with AFO's, runners that have removable innersoles are great as are some of Clarks shoes. Another thing to think about is socks, it's really hard to find extra long socks that fold over the top of the AFO's (they need to fold right over the top so no plastic is rubbing on your sons legs), we found soccer socks (Adidas are the best) were a great solution.

[lucyp]

Thanks for the sock advice ! You are right about getting socks - hard to get long ones - great tip about the adidas ones - and am off to shoes and soxs tomorrow :) Hopefully better luck there:fingerscrossed:

[becca022]

We got the shoes with velcro. The physio said to just remove the innersole if you need to. She's done it a few times apparently.
With socks we found some in a size just a bit bigger than he normally wears. he usually wears the 6 month to 18 month socks, so instead we got him the 18 month, to 2 year ones, they just fit him & can be folded over the top. We're also looking into the AFO socks, but they look too big IMO. :yes:

[MrsMiggins]

Hi lucyp! :wave:

I fitted childrens shoes for years and have seen many children with orthotics of all shapes & sizes. It is very difficult to get shoes that fit well with orthotics in them, particularly if the orthotics are full length and/or deep.

My advice would be to go to a reputable shoe store that has qualified fitters and find someone you feel comfortable with. Ask them lots of questions before you even start looking at shoes and you should be able to sus out fairly quickly whether they sound as though they know what they're doing or not.

With orthotics, it is very important to make sure the shoes fit well for a number of reasons - none the least of which is that if they are too big, the orthotics will not be able to do the job they're meant to & hence will be a waste of money!

I can't really give you much advice on the type of shoe, because I'm not familiar with the specific orthotics, nor what activities the shoes will be used for, the shape of your son's foot etc. etc. Although generally shoes with velcro can be handy if width becomes a problem and those with laces are great because they are a firmer fit & more adjustable. Shoes that combine laces & velcro may also be worth considering (if you can find them). Sandals are usually out of the question, unless you can find a style that is more enclosed.

You'll probably have luck finding a qualified fitter in stores like Myer, DJ's, Mathers/Williams, Betts & Betts etc.

I hope you have some luck!! :fingerscrossed:

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