What is a good shoe for accomodating a foot drop brace?

[cornerthree]

I have foot drop and have two types of braces for it. One if a bulky brace that was casted to my foot, and the other is a "leaf up" brace. I had a TERRIBLE time finding shoes to accomodate either shoe. Here is what I've discovered: the shoe MUST have a removable insole. This is to give the shoe "depth" to have room for the brace. Also, the shoe must have a high back as the shoe actually works in conjunction with the brace. When you lift your foot up, if the shoe is not high enough, the brace will not lift with your foot. The shoe I found, which I order online, is made by "Avia"." It is a black or white sneaker with velcro straps and comes for women and men. You remove the insole, and the brace will fit inside. At roughly $35, I found this a much better option than the $300 and $400 shoes I was being told to order. Also keep in mind that you will need two pairs of shoes as your non-drop foot needs a regular size, but the shoe with the brace will need at least ONE full size larger depending on the type of brace. I spent months or searching online for help with shoes for drop foot braces and found nothing, so I wanted to share this info. I hope it helps someone else. Thank you,

[gogonzo]

I too have foot drop and you're right, finding shoes is not easy. When I wear my brace, a custom made AFO, I wear it with boots, tall riding boots as they fulfill all the requirements needed for the brace to feel comfortable. In addition, it hides the brace, so I can wear dresses and skirts in the fall and winter. I have to wear a boot 1.5 sizes bigger than what I normally wear and I  have to buy two pairs. But when I buy "comfort boots" like Aeorsoles it's so comfortable and I was lucky to get them half price at The Bay last Fall. I also find really good runners like New Balance, when taking the insole out accomodates the brace. In addition to the AFO, I wear a Dictus Band with any shoe that has laces so the eyelet for the lace allows the hooks to go in them. I use that with a sneaker and with an oxford dress shoe. Using the Dictus Band allows me to wear my normal size shoe, therefore two pairs are not needed.