It can be tricky to find the perfect pair of shoes that will work with your patient's ankle foot orthosis, or AFOs. That's why Apex Shoes has put together this guide for selecting footwear for your patients. Whether you're looking for a shoe that is designed to accommodate a custom AFO for a specific condition, or you just need something that is a little better fitting for their current AFO, this guide can help.
It's a step-by-step rundown of all the things you need to consider when advising your patients about shoes. Read on to find out more.
Shoe Selection
Clinicians know from experience that patients will always gravitate towards shoes that satisfy their style choices rather than those that suit their practical needs. It's a professional's job to steer them towards the best device for their foot and specific AFO.
When working with a patient who wears an AFO brace, it can be helpful to have them select both a primary and a secondary shoe whilst you are measuring them. This offers them the chance to seek options that will satisfy their wants.
Once you are finished taking measurements, you can examine their choices and see which pair will make for better AFO shoes.
Choosing the ideal shoe from the two options means you need to take into account everything that will be going inside it. For example, does your patient wear orthotics or heel lifts? These also need to fit in the shoe nicely with the foot and AFO.
The anatomy of the foot is important. Check whether or not the shoe will accommodate the following:
- Hammer Toes
- Overlapping Toes
- Bunions
- High Instep
- Swelling
- Foot Shape
If you consider these key factors, you're sure to find a suitable pair of shoes for those patients who wear AFO.
Measuring for the Fit of AFOs
One of the most important things to measure when selecting shoes for patients who wear AFOs is the depth of the shoe. You need to make sure the shoe has room for the type of AFO your patient wears, be it a full-length shell or other length model.
If the patient doesn't have their AFO, adding one size to the measured shoe size is a good rule of thumb.
On articulating AFOs, be sure to consider the hinges as they take up room at the counter where most shoes flex. Boots and hi-tops won't be best suited to these AFOs.
For easy AFO fitting, shoes that have a long blucher opening where the tongue pull outs as close to the toe as possible will make for easier donning of footwear with AFOs. Apex makes a variety of footwear models specifically designed to accommodate AFOs: from the A3200 to the X532, there are many style options for your patients.
Moore Balance | Lace Athletic Rhino Runner | Athletic Boss Runner | Boss Runner
Lace Athletic Reina Runner | Strap Loafer - Lexington Black | Classic MOC | Strap Loafer - Lexington Brown
Good Fitting Shoes are Vital for Patients
The Apex guide to sizing can help make sure that you're always able to get that ideal shoe for your patient - remember to measure with them bearing their weight as much as possible, and then follow the advice we've laid out in this article.
As a clinician, you want what's best for your patients, and we want to support you with shoes that fit your patients’ needs.
With these tips to help you find shoes for AFOs, you can provide your patients with the best fit possible. Be sure to take a look at Apex footwear offerings today!
