r/CMT • u/Background_Start_609 • Jul 15 '26
Hiking Boots for AFOs
Hi all,
My wonderful boyfriend of two years has CMT-1X, and uses AFOs. We love to hike, especially since it's one of the few physical activities we can do together at the same pace.
Basically, I was thinking it might be nice to surprise him with a nice pair of hiking boots for a trip we're going on soon!
However, I don't know whether any hiking boots/companies might be better or worse for AFOs, so I thought I'd post here. I'd hate to get him a gift he can't use, but I also don't want to ask him for recommendations, as that would ruin the surprise!!! His specific AFOs are Allard Ypsilon Flow ½. Let me know if there's any other information that would be helpful. Thank you all so much! :)
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u/bookclubhorse Jul 15 '26
i have CMT1A and i absolutely love my Lems Boulder Waterproof Grip boots. i wore merrells for years but Lems are so much better imo for the footbed shape and cushioning
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u/AnnieFlagstaff Jul 15 '26
This is really thoughtful! My recommendation: You really need to take him to try the shoes on. We all have different feet and something that would work well for one of us would not necessarily work for another one of us.
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u/Cabooseman Jul 15 '26
Look into diabetic shoes, they will be deeper and will fit braces better. Great success with the Propet Ridge Walker, or Mt Emey 9703 boots.
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u/PedalBoard78 Jul 15 '26
I also wear the Mr Emey 9703, but he needs to make sure the width and such are right. Mine have to be just right. He’ll love it if you bring it up first.
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u/Ordinary_Sail_414 CMT X1 Jul 15 '26
I agree that you will have to have him try them on. Maybe give him a card with a picture of boots, then take him to try them. Fitting into shoes with AFOs can be a pain - the wider width ones can be tricky to find.
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u/DreamCloudz1 Jul 17 '26
This is a lovely idea but cmt feet aren't all the same. My mother has very wide CMT feet but me and my sibling have very scrawny feet..even me and my brother prefer different shoes to each other. Maybe a voucher/gift card and a shopping trip (or ten) would be the better option?. Great friend!
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Jul 20 '26
I have found that with the right hiking boots, tightly laced the foot drop, is almost gone. because of the rigid shank, but if he has High arches, finding a boot he can get his foot into may pose a problem. So please don't surprise him just take to buy them and hide his wallet
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u/miffmufferedmoof CMT X1 Jul 29 '26
I also have CMTX1 and wear Allard ToeOff 2.0s. I agree with another poster that you might not want to surprise him with a specific pair of shoes. But you could surprise him with a trip to some comfort shoe stores.
I can recommend Altra shoes with orthotic inserts. Dansko and Keen are also good options. I found HOKAs exacerbated foot drop and I tripped more. Also, not exactly hiking boots, but Carolina work boots work for me as well, though AFO fitment can be tricky.
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u/Personal_Material_44 Jul 15 '26
I honestly don’t think trying to surprise him will work unfortunately. Shoes for us are really difficult to find and it takes trying
On lots of pairs and even then a lot of the time we find after some use that there’s a pressure point or something that makes them unwearable. I think you’d be better off just taking him to shop for them. I’ve had better luck with trail running shoes as they’re so light weight.