Afo orthotic friendly. Wide width. Comfort orthopedic
I’m pretty sure fall gets the ”favorite season” award for people living with chronic conditions and disabilities. Personally, my body just works better with pumpkin spice lattes, crisp (not too hot & not too cold) air, and the return of all my favorite tv shows.
A Foot-Challenged Girl’s Attempt To Find Mr. Right Pair Shoe shopping sucks in general. It’s a ton of work and rarely satisfying. My girlfriends (the ones with perfect arches and no cankles) appear to love shoe shopping as much (or maybe even more) than sex. Some women get a visible flushed face high from finding the perfect…
Shoe shopping has always been difficult for me. I was born with classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and, along with faulty connective tissue and loose joints, I was born with flat feet. I have weak ankles, huge bunions on both big toes, crooked and curled smaller toes, stretched Achilles tendons, and a variety of other issues that make finding a comfortable, supportive, stylish pair of shoes about as easy as finding a double-rainbow.
My name is Cori Fischer. I am 20 years old and have a movement disorder that requires me to wear an AFO brace on each leg. Summer can be a tough season, especially with clothes. I know how hard it can be if you don’t want your braces, or scars, to show all of the time, but most summer clothes require you to do so. I have had six leg surgeries & as a result, have many scars on my legs which can sometimes be nice to cover up on occasion.
I’ve scoured the internet and poured through hundreds of reviews to find the most comfortable and trendiest sandals of the season that work for AFO and orthotic wearers. I had to pick 16 (no easy feat) because, even though Molly Ringwald has absolutely nothing to do with comfort sandals, I like the sound of 16 Sandals/Candles and had to use it for the title of this post.
If you wear afos (or orthotics) like I do, then you know how hard it can be to find shoes in general, let alone ones that are actually stylish. Believe me, I get it.
It’s that time of year when we’re all tired of wearing sweaters and snow boots and ready to pull out the warm weather clothes. Although the days are longer and temps are beginning to rise, it’s not yet warm enough to go outside without layers, or to wear sandals without getting hypothermia.
Pools & beaches can be extremely anxiety provoking, so I try to make what I wear over my afos as comfortable and as easy to get on and off as possible. I typically pair a cute & comfy pull on jumpsuit in a lightweight, flowy material with the most flattering swimsuit I can find. Waterproof sandals with velcro closures are a resort staple as well as cute stretchy flats that are easy to slip on & off.
Being a full time leg brace wearer can be annoying & frustrating at times, but I’m grateful for them as I would not be able to do all that I can do without their help. So, when it comes to AFOS, the good definitely outweighs the bad, especially when you know hacks to make them more tolerable. What follows are 7 common Afo & orthotic problems and their solutions.
There’s a video of me at my third birthday party. I’ve watched it so many times, it’s almost my own memory. I’m Shirley Temple’s 1990s doppelgänger in a frilly dress, my blonde ringlets barely held back by a strand of yarn. In the small swath of thick carpet not covered in wrapping paper and new toys, I’m shuffling along in my very first pair of high heels.
