Post-Stroke Finding the Right Shoes
After a stroke, finding the right shoes can be important. This video and post will walk you through the steps to determine what shoes are right for you.
The speaker has years of experience fitting people for shoes with various desires and needs.
What we Will Cover
This presentation will review the importance of good shoes, how to get the right fit, adaptive strategies for shoes, helpful accessories, and other tips and tricks learned from working in the shoe business! There will also be a list of local resources of where you can find many of these items.
Importance of Good Shoes and Their Fit
Shoes should provide protection for your feet and alignment for your body since they are the basis of your support. Shoes can also provide balance and motion control to help you walk safely. Your shoes should be .5-1 size above what you measure. The ideal shoe fit has a thumb nail’s width between your big toe and the front of the shoe.
What Else to Look for in Shoes
You should also make sure your shoes are durable, have good cushion, and are comfortable to wear. You will also want the appropriate shape for your foot since there are a lot of options such as wide, narrow, round, and more!
Adaptive Strategies
If tying shoes is difficult, you can opt for shoes that slip on, use Velcro, or zippers. If you prefer something with laces, you can use lock laces to secure them, opt for elastic laces to tighten your shoes, or try various shoe-tying strategies that have demonstrations on YouTube.
Accessories and Other Tips
There are many other accessories other than shoes to support your feet! Cotton socks can be bad for your shoes and feet; opt for socks made with different materials. There are also signs to know when it’s time to get new shoes.
Finding Shoes
If you need shoes with different sized feet (above the average 1.5 size difference) check out the stores listed below. There are various online stores to find shoes on discount. There are also many local KC running stores that will fit you for shoes for free- their staff are trained to look at your gait, measure your shoe, and evaluate your arch to find the best shoe for you!