Orthopedic Shoes

Characteristics of a Quality Orthopedic Shoe

Who needs orthopedic shoes?  A whole bunch of people!  If you suffer from heel pain, Achilles tendon pain, heel spurs, pain in the ball of your foot, plantar fasciitis, calluses, corns, bunions, hammertoe, claw toe or hallux valgus, it may be worth your while (and your dollar) investing in a quality pair of orthopedic shoes.  
Here is what to look for if you decide to go orthopedic shoe shopping:

•    A wide and deep toe-box.  Hammertoe, claw toe, corns, calluses, blisters and bunions can all be caused or aggravated by shoes with toe-boxes that are too narrow or too shallow.  Your toes should be able to spread out comfortably with wiggle-room to spare.  Avoid pointy-toed shoes, especially pointy-toed high heels.  (Sorry ladies!)

•    A removable insole.  Purchasing shoes with removable insoles is a wise decision for several reasons.  First of all, it allows you to change the size of your shoes to accommodate the swelling of your feet.  Second, it allows you to remove your shoes’ insoles and replace them with orthopedic insoles designed to treat your specific condition.  (After all, it is most likely cheaper and easier to find insoles suited to your condition than it is to find a pair of shoes designed specifically to suit your orthopedic needs.)  Finally, removable insoles enable you to dry your shoes quickly and thoroughly.  Shoes that dry easily help prevent bacterial or fungal infections.

•    A firm heel counter.  What exactly is a heel counter, you ask?  It is a very important part of the shoe that you cannot see but you can definitely feel.  The heel counter cups the heel and provides you with extra support.  To discover if a shoe has a heel counter, press your thumbs against the back of the heel.  If the heel does NOT bend inward easily, then a solid heel counter is present.  

•    Contoured foot bed.  Shoes need to be more than just supportive; they need to complement the natural curves of your feet.  Most orthopedic shoes boast contoured foot beds that are designed to fit and support your feet in all the right places.

•    A subtle heel.  Heels are normally bad news for people with foot injuries and foot deformities, but a slight heel is actually better than no heel at all.  Look for shoes that provide subtle lift.  Anything between 3/4 of an inch and 1 and 1/2 inches is appropriate.

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Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics: Clinical Concepts List Price: $55.95 Sale Price: $50.35 You save: $5.60 (10%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Not yet published See Reviews For This Product Description   Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics: Clinical Concepts is a comprehensive overview of lower-limb prosthetics and orthotics, covering normal and pathological gait, lower-limb biomechanics, clinical applications, as well as prosthetic and orthotic designs and components. Joan Edelstein and Alex Moroz have written Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics with the clinician’s perspective in mind. Clinical management is incorporated throughout the text, including basic surgical concepts, postoperative management, preprosthetic care, and training in the use of devices. Additionally, this text incorporates unique features relevant to physicians such as prescription writing and prosthetic and orthotic construction and modification, as well as, the latest research regarding energy consumption and long-term utilization of prostheses. Chapters Include:   Orthotics in neuromuscular diseases Orthotics in pediatrics Functional expectations Gait and activities training Transtibial and transfemoral prostheses and components Transtibial and transfemoral biomechanics, evaluation, and gait analysis Disarticulations and Bilateral Amputations   With over 150 line drawings and photographs to supplement the text, Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics: Clinical Concepts is ideal for clinicians in the fields of physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, vascular surgery, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Prosthetics and Orthotics: Lower Limb and Spine List Price: $81.95 Sale Price: $64.74 You save: $17.21 (21%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description State Univ. of New York, Syracuse. Illustrated text features in-depth analysis of gait deviations, interventions, and implications for prosthetics and orthotics. Includes latest developments in materials and fabrications, scientific literature supporting evidence-based practice, terminology, and case studies. For students.

A Primer on Limb Prosthetics Sale Price: $30.95   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product

Limb Prosthetics Sale Price: $5.50   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item. See Reviews For This Product Description University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Health Sciences Center. Introductory handbook for physical and occupational therapy students, and residents in physical medicine and rehabilitation and orthopedic surgery.

A History of Limb Amputation List Price: $185.00 See Reviews For This Product Description This book opens with a unique historical review of natural amputations due to congenital absence, disease, frostbite, animal trauma, and to punishment and ritual. The advent of surgical amputation and its difficulties form a major part of the book, summarising the evolution of the control of haemorrhage and infection, pain relief, techniques, instrumentation, complications, prostheses, results and case histories. Alternative procedures, increasingly important in the last two centuries, are also debated.

Biomechanics of Lower Limb Prosthetics Sale Price: $189.00   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description The most outstanding feature of "Biomechanics of Lower Limb Prosthetics" is the demonstration of the practicality of biomechanics, when applied to lower limb prosthetics. Several original concepts are described, one of which, "rolling technology," has been implemented in prosthetic devices, while the principle of "reciprocal anti-resonance in locomotion" addresses future studies. A concept of anthropomorphicity presented by the author is a key tool in planning the design of an artificial limb or its components. Measurement procedures and equipment used in biomechanical laboratories are presented. The book demonstrates how the analysis of biomechanical data is a tool in the decision-making process of a prosthetic designer and clinician. The author shares his experience in the development of a protocol for biomechanics subject trials used in NIH-supported studies.

ISO 13405-3:1996, Prosthetics and orthotics -- Classification and description of prosthetic components -- Part 3: Description of upper-limb prosthetic components Sale Price: $82.00   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Establishes a method for describing upper-limb prosthetic components. This title may contain less than 24 pages of technical content.

Upper-Limb Prosthetic Outcome Measures Sale Price: $94.18 See Reviews For This Product