Shopping
for shoes has never been easy. Since my son has
needed to wear AFOs, Ankle Foot Orthotics, I have dreaded going
into the stores to find shoes. It was one more reminder that my child was
not
like typical kids. I often have felt that after juggling all the doctor's
appointments, therapy sessions and meeting all
the
needs of my child, buying shoes should be the easiest of all challenges.
Unfortunately, this often was the single event that regularly broke
me.
In the end, I ended up
buying shoes that were two sizes larger than the shoe size
that
was actually needed.
I would force the shoe to work by
taking
out the inner sole, stretching the material and praying that they would at
least
last a month before I needed to start the process all over again.
On more than one occasion, on the verge of ultimate emotional stress, I would return to my orthotist and beg to have the braces changed. Instead of making braces that assisted my child with walking, I demanded braces were made to fit the shoes. For survival, the goal had to change.
By the time I conquered the quest for a new shoe and AFO marriage, I was desperately frustrated. I was further saddened by the fact that all I could find were sneakers. This frustration gave me the desire to create shoes that were fashionable, trendy and made to fit braces.
