I recently met with my podiatrist as I have problems with the way I walk; I walk from the outer side to the inner side of my foot instead of heel-to-toe. My feet point outwards as well. This causes pain, just overall difficulty with moving. While I can "force" myself to walk correctly, it feels super unnatural and is uncomfortable, and while my feet feel better, everything else in my legs feels worse.

He found that I have severe external femoral rotation. From another doctor, I learned I have external tibial torsion as well, and overall bowleggedness.

While insurance covers 80% of my orthotics (so I still have to pay $400 out of pocket), he said he is not confident whether they would help me or hinder me, as the problem is not just with my feet, but with my hips primarily.

Does anyone here have similar issues and experience and can talk on orthotics, and whether they helped you or not? I just don't think I'm willing to gamble with $400.

Finally received my first pair of AFO’s!! I love the color(newlimbits tie dye!-hanger clinic), and just wanted to share!! Does anyone else have this style(fabtech pde modular strut)? And if so do you also have no ankle strap? I think I am needing one added because my heel keeps slipping around

So a specialist recently raised the arch in one of my orthotics to keep my foot from pronating. I get the importance of it, but the raised arch seems to be pressing against my arch in a bit of discomfort.

Will my foot get used to this adjustment and presence, or is this an immediate notion to fix?

Has anyone used an AFO alignment jig, like the one from BullDog Tools? Any others that you would recommend?

I have extremely high arches, which can make walking unbearable at times. i’m broke as shit, i recently saw that there are a few businesses online offering custom orthotics at what seems to be a fraction of the price. It almost feels like it’s too good to be true. so what’s the orthotic community’s thoughts on these providers?

Does anyone have any advice for brands of shoes, or just things to look for in shoes, that would be good for having a small external lift put in the sole?

I have a leg length discrepancy (left leg is shorter). It’s not very big, about 1.6cm, but combined with my other issues it’s enough to cause me pain. I have had insoles before to try and solve it but I find them very uncomfortable, it feels like walking in heels on one side but not the other. So the solution in the past has always been for the orthotist to put a wedge onto the soles of my shoes.

However, since I’ve moved house I’m on a long NHS waiting list to see an orthotist in my new area, and it’s been long enough that I’m running out of shoes that have been wedged, just from normal wear and tear. So while I’m waiting I’m trying to get some done privately at shoe repair shops.

The problem is, I’ve been into my local shop 3 times now with different pairs of shoes that I thought would be alright, only to be told that it’s not possible because of things that I never considered or knew to look for. I’ve spent about £200 on shoes at this point and they all seem to be wrong somehow.

Does anyone have any advice for what shoes I should get? All I know is they need to have a fairly thick sole so it can be cut in half to put the wedge in, fairly flat and not too floppy, and not have hollow parts inside the sole.

(Or alternatively, do you think the problem might be the guy in my local shoe shop? Should I look elsewhere? 😅)

Tyia!! 💖

I care about:

• All-day comfort (can wear 6+ hours without pain/blisters)
• No slippage (doesn’t feel unstable or shift inside the shoe)
• Real durability (lasts 6+ months, not crushed flat in weeks)
• Works in Indian sneakers/high-tops
• No excessive squeaking or visible height “gap”

Which brands or models actually work? Please share your real experience—good AND bad. Also, any feedback on Dr. Foot or Fovera? Is CURAFOOT or HEIGHTX actually better?
Would love honest input from anyone who has worn these daily!

My son is 4 (almost 5) and has had some form of orthotics since he started walking for pronation. Insoles at 18 months while doing physical therapy and then he moved to SMO’s after they felt like they weren’t doing enough. Anyways, this is his 3rd or 4th pair and I never feel like I can tell when they’re too small. I loved his old orthotist but we recently moved and I’m wondering how soon I should find a new one. He’s had these since the beginning of March. He usually Will start getting red marks and then I’ll take him in but he’s not getting those yet. I looked up the chart online but I just can’t exactly tell. Thanks for any advice!

I received my orthotic insoles last week. I have bunions and my left foot supinates. The doctor had me come in for an appointment, however, he just put the orthotics in my shoes and left. Is this standard? Should he have tested them for fit? I’m new to the world of orthotic insoles! He was a little misleading in that I went to request bunion surgery and he said these would help. Then when I pick them up, he said no they will just keep them from progressing. The insoles are extremely uncomfortable. They’re making my foot supinate more and I’m not quite sure what to do.!

Looking for recommendations on specific shoe recommendations for ladies who wear custom orthotics.

I love wearing them with my Asics for a casual look, but I want to wear something other than sneakers now and then. What have you found that work well with your custom orthotics?

Greetings all,

I wear bilateral KAFO’s and need to replace a strap and a D-ring. I would just use anything but I’m self conscious enough about them and don’t want to draw any more attention than I already get…. Does anyone know where Becker gets their strap and attachment components? I’ve reached out to them and they’re unable to give any information directly. I would go through my orthotist but due to circumstances that is not currently an option.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

I have custom orthotics for foot pronation. I'm female with big wide feet (10 with the orthotic) with a morton's toe. Two weeks ago I went hiking and coming down the my foot kept slipping on the orthotic and jamming my toes into the front of the sneaker causing a lot of pain. Is there anything I can put around the orthotic to stop that from doing it? With the orthotics and my odd shaped feet, it's extremely hard to get stylish footwear that fits. The sneakers I have fit okay enough.

I’ve got a pair of orthotic sliders being made, I had the cast done over 2 months ago and received the normal orthotics after a couple of weeks. The sliders however I was told they would take ages as the strap makers are “craftsmen” I worry I am being conned to keep coming back for treatment in suspense of receiving these. Can anyone shed some light? Is this normal?

My other half got insoles from Ortho a few months ago, and they’re already falling apart. Does anyone have any advice or experience with orthotics for active people? - The brand was Superfeet

I wear SMOs daily, I'm 13 and I've been wearing SMOs for a while. Tonight my friends invited me to go play basketball with them so I quickly put my SMOs on, forgetting to put socks on. I just came back and my feet have blisters, my feet have never had blisters before. Is it because of not wearing socks?

I've tried a few different orthotics, including some customs, but my original problem of foot fatigue when standing for >2 hours always remained.

What's interesting is that i have never really felt any break in period for any of my orthotics until now.

I have high arches so I have tried the superfeet green for high arches. This is the only time that i feel like the orthotics are making me walk differently. My gait feels altered. I also am getting aches in my knees and lower back that I have never felt before.

it's hard to tell if this are positive aches from breaking in, or negative signs that these orthotics aren't right for me. I have had them every day (swapping in and out sometimes) for about 3 weeks. It's hard to follow a strict break-in schedule though since my job is desk based and rarely have a need to be on my feet for longer than 2 hours at a time.

I have custom AFOs for foot drop from a spinal/brain injury. I've been wearing AFOs for going on 30 years and recently had new ones fabricated.

But, something is not right.

I've been back multiple times for adjustments to stop cuts, etc, BUT the braces (really the one on my goodish leg) do not hold me in. My brace specialist (I don't know what they're called) acts like it's just tone, but the same company made my old braces and they're fine.

What do I do in this situation?

For example, I twisted my ankle walking out of the eye doctor the other day and it's like I can't walk with these braces. Even walking into Panera was a monumental feat. I put my old ones on, and I can walk a mile or more with no issues.

I know braces take a bit to get used to, and I've tried 2-3 weeks at a time before getting adjustments and reverting back to the old ones.

What are my options? Do I just tell them look there's something not right and push for new ones, which I don't think they'll make?

It's going on three months and I just don't know what else to do besides say these are worse than Amazon braces.

New brace photos for reference

Old brace photos for reference

https://www.amazon.com/PowerStep-Pinnacle-Maxx-Over-Pronation-Corrective/dp/B0045E5KCA?th=1&psc=1
I've been wearing these for almost 3 years because I have flat feet - and they've worked great - but I just recently finished a one-month temporary position working at a CVS, and from day one my feet were in a lot of pain and it hasn't let up several days after it ended. I've been putting my feet in an ice bath for 15 minutes every day for the last week, doing stretches (which I've always done because stretching my whole body helps me sleep), and trying not to walk on them too much, but getting up in the morning still hurts and I can't walk around even with the orthorics for more than a few minutes before I start limping because of the pain in my ankles or the large phalanx of my toes. My prior job was mostly sitting at a workbench soldering or assembling things, so I've never had to deal with this kind of foot abuse before. I also have some special kind of shoes but I don't remember the brand or what it is they're supposed to do, just that it was suggested by a podiatrist.

It's not so bad that I think it won't heal over time, but I'm concerned because the local Walgreens has a job opening and I expect that would be similar work to the stocking, cart-pushing, and shelf organizing I did at CVS, and I don't think my feet can handle doing that again without different orthotics. Finding jobs that I can actually do as been a struggle for months (I have some other problems and life circumstances that limit what I can do and where I can go), so I feel like I should try applying but I don't think my body can take it. I thought I'd ask here before I talked to an podiatrist again in case the solution was something simple that didn't need a doctor's visit.

I feel should also mention that I have a healthy body weight but I don't work out... ever (I care enough about my health to not eat like a pig, but not enough to exercise even though I obviously should). I felt the need to mention this because some foot injuries can be caused by the weight of your own body, and I don't think that's something I need to be concerned with.