AFO's

[rose]

I've caught a few posts lately, mentioning how uncomfortable their AFO's are. I would hate not liking to wear mine. They do give me better balance in addition to keeping me from tripping. As mine are not uncomfortable for me, it makes me wonder if maybe those of you who feel this way should perhaps talk with either the orthotics provider, or the doctor who provided the prescription for them (?) Mine are lightweight, and although I sometimes notice the rigidity on the top outsides of my foot, usually it has to do with my shoe strap being overly tight, and a little adjustment is all it takes to fix the problem. I can wear them in many shoes, although not all shoes. I wear the same size I always did with them, if it seems between sizes, I opt to go up a half size. One of the main things to look for are removable insoles so there is room for the AFO to fit into the shoe, and then either the insole that comes with the shoe, or another one that you like, to go on top of the AFO footplate for cushioning. Cushion makes a huge difference in comfort. For women, the type of shoe called a "Maryjane" that has the strap across the instep works the best. The strap has to be across the instep from side to side, not attach to the ankle sling if its a sandal. The key is holding the AFO up against the sole of your foot. Even men's sandals can be found with a strap that tightens over the instep... I have a pair of Maryjanes by Aetrex that are actually patent leather, and are even cute. I have another pair by this same manufacturer made of a microfiber, and they are machine washable. This past winter, some lace up boots worked, others did not lace up tight enough to keep my foot tight against the afo. So, even though two pair of boots or shoes may look the same, subtle differences can matter a lot. Another thing to look for is how much the shoe weighs (light = good)

Last spring I'd posted about some sandals I found that would work with them. The Prophet brand is what I ended up with, and even though I liked them, they did not hold up that well. Just today, I ordered two pair by Aetrex (because I like the maryjanes by them so much) and will post photos later if anyone is interested.

One of the keys to wearing the afo, if you are concerned with appearance, is to have pant legs wide enough to accommodate the cuff, so it does not hitch up there. Again, from a woman's perspective, I've found that leggings are great with them. Black or dark colored ones look better because the AFOs are black... )

Below is a picture of me wearing leggings with the afos. Sure, you can see them, but I don't feel like they scream "look at me!"

(and as soon as it gets hot, like it has been the last few days here, I end up wearing them with bare legs and the sundresses, fashion be damned)

 

[BarryG]

I have had an AFO for my left foot for a few weeks now and I love it. It really helps me be more stable and stops me from tripping over my toes, the cause of my two no damage falls. I am able to transfer it from one shoe to another and it works well for me without an insole on top, in fact the slippery surface helps me to get it on without my toes curling under. I just pulled out the existing insole and shoved it in and I'm all set.

Rose, you look very fashionable and while your AFOs don't scream look at me you would have my attention anyway (just validating :-D:-D). And Ernie looks good too!

 

[mare]

Barry-
Time for a cold shower!

 

[BarryG]

Brrrr! :shock::shock::shock:

 

[rose]

Mare,

Boys will always be boys (which is a good thing in my book!)

But seriously... about the comfort of AFOs, I'm glad that Barry took the time to respond. If they don't feel good to the wearer, they SHOULD.

Barry, I've worn them on occasion without any insole, and depending on the reason, its felt good, or at least OK. If you have the carbon type, be aware that over time, it will tend to tear up the inside of your shoe the more you take it in and out, just due to the sharp edge of the footplate.

 

[tajmom]

I have the rigid type of AFO but no point in changing now as my legs are on their last legs. Just wanted to say there's nowhere like the Tidal Basin for a photo op! Got a gorgeous shot of my girls there last week.

 

[GlenBrittle]

Barry-
Time for a cold shower!

YA ! Barry , they have laws about looking at animals in that way.

 

[BarryG]

Glen, one of the jobs I had about ten years ago was ear tagging bighorn sheep lambs on a reclaimed coal mine for a study and we were using tranquilizer darts to capture them. We heard all kinds of jokes from the coal miners about what we were really doing with the sheep so I am already familiar with the laws. Dogs are cute but they don't do anything for me, now sheep are another story! Baaaaaa! :wink::wink:

 

[hopingforcure]

Okay Barry that was a BAAAAAAAAD JOKE....I say with a SHEEPISH grin..LOL..
I am sure you guys barely noticed Ernie in the photo.. But that is a good thing, means your not dead, as my dad always tell's me..

 

[halfin]

The part of my AFO which I find uncomfortable is the "bar" that comes up from the foot plate and leads up to the part that wraps around my leg. That bar presses against the side of my foot. I wear it with running shoes which I have to stretch open to fit around the thing, and even though they are not laced too tightly I do feel the pressure. It gets pretty uncomfortable after a few hours. With summer approaching I wonder if it could work with sandals, that might be worth a try.

 

[rose]

Hal,

There is a product called "Mole Foam" by Dr Scholls [sp?]. It is readily available. You can buy it at pretty much any pharmacy or grocery store. It has a peel off sticky backing. My first pair of AFOs caused me more problems with pressure where you describe. I cut the mole foam and stuck it on my afo where it touched my foot. I mainly did this because I wanted to be able to wear them (last summer) without the cushion of socks. It helped a lot. But, even if you try a few pair of running shoes on, it might make difference to the better. I have two pair of (womens) athletic shoes made like I described earlier, with the strap across the instep. They were fine with my other AFOs, but don't work with my current ones. To look at them, they don't look like they're constructed significantly different than shoes which work well (go figure)

And yes, look for sandals now that we're into warm weather, although where you are the weather is warm a lot more anyway! Brands such as Aetrex and Drew are some to look for... check out this one which notes in description .... with its "perfect fit" design that features extra width across the midfoot, an oblique toe box and added depth .... The removable Ortho-Step self-molding, shock-absorbing, high-density polyurethane insole provides support.

Orthofeet Men's Fisherman Sandals : Comfortable Shoes : Footsmart.com

 

[canfiet]

I have to get me some of those! The AFO's I use are hard plastic and go up the back of my leg. Tough with any kind of shoes and the velcra strap always gets loose. Plus....they are not very fashion forward as yours are. I really missed my sandals last year. Thanks for the advise. Teresa

 

[rose]

Teresa,

Part of the choice made for us about AFO style, takes into consideration the ankle stability. But, if your PT or whomever, feels like you don't need that cradling the back of your leg, definitely ask for them! They are so light weight, and actually made it through the security screening machine when I was at the airport recently.

There are some sandals with closed heels which might still work for the type of AFO you have right now. Propet is one manufacturer. Not a lot to choose from, but they still might have one that will let your toes be free. Look for description that says things like extra depth, removable insole, etc. Sometimes shoes that cater to diabetics could work, because of the focus on roominess and lack of pressure points. I had Propet last year because my earlier AFOs went up back of leg, and they were the only brand I could find that had closed heel, open toe, etc. Within mainstream fashion shoes, those Roman style sandals which were popular last season did not work at all for me. They look like they should, but they didn't.

 

[Just J]

A great post. I wish I had seen it two yrs ago when Mike got his AFO. He was still working in outside sales at the time and was self conscious wearing it on sales calls. It also did not fit into any of his shoes except for one pair. He eventually stopped wearing it and now its just too late to re-consider.

And Diane, you looked very fashionable in your photo. Your face is very pretty so no one is looking at your legs! Though I agree with you "fashion be damned". I wear what I want, there are no rules right?

 

[tdamess]

are afo's like a leg brace ?