Sometimes success isn’t measured by a number. Sometimes, sixty seconds tells you everything you need to know.
After 24 years of working with feet, footwear, and custom orthotics, I’ve experienced many memorable fitting successes. But this may be the most meaningful success story of my career.
A longtime customer’s adult son has significant special needs. He is nonverbal, requires full-time care, and has always had difficulty wearing shoes. His right arch is extremely flexible and appears to collapse toward the ground with every step.
I’ve worked with him before, providing shoes with comfort insoles, but we had never made him true custom orthotics.
His parents asked me if I could make a pair.
And that’s when we faced our first challenge.
The Challenge: Taking His Foot Impressions
When I arrived to take his foot impressions, he wouldn’t let me touch his feet.
I wasn’t going to force him.
For someone who is nonverbal and unable to tell us what feels uncomfortable, forcing a fitting process would not have been the right approach. His comfort and cooperation had to come first.
Then his mother had a brilliant idea.
Before a scheduled dental procedure, he would be sedated. With permission from his dentist, I was able to take his foot impressions while he was already under sedation for that procedure.
The impressions were completed, and I was able to move forward with making his custom orthotics.
This was a unique situation involving an existing medical procedure and permission from the treating dentist. Sedation is not a routine method recommended by WalkEZstore for obtaining foot impressions.
What Are Custom Orthotics?
Custom orthotics are individually made foot supports created using information specific to a person’s feet, rather than relying solely on a standard, off-the-shelf shape.
That individualization can be particularly useful when someone’s foot shape, movement, comfort needs, or footwear requirements aren’t being adequately addressed by a standard insole.
For this young man, the goal wasn’t simply to put something different inside his shoes. The goal was to create an orthotic based on his individual feet and position them appropriately for the best possible function and comfort.
Why Does Foot Positioning Matter When Making Custom Orthotics?
Foot positioning matters because the position of the foot during the impression process helps determine the shape and characteristics of the resulting custom orthotic.
In my 24 years of experience, I’ve learned that making a custom orthotic isn’t simply about taking an impression and producing a device from it. The process used to capture the foot matters.
It’s truly about positioning the foot for success.
Custom Orthotics vs. Regular Insoles: What’s the Difference?
Regular insoles are generally manufactured in standard shapes and sizes, while custom orthotics are created using information specific to an individual’s feet.
I’ve previously provided this young man with comfortable shoes and insoles. This time, however, his parents wanted a more individualized approach because of his particular foot characteristics.
A custom orthotic isn’t automatically better for everyone. The right solution depends on the individual’s feet, footwear, comfort, and functional needs.
Can Someone With Special Needs Get Custom Orthotics?
Yes, a person with special needs may be able to receive custom orthotics. Still, the fitting process may need to be adapted to their individual communication, sensory, mobility, and care needs.
When someone cannot tell you how their feet feel, caregivers can provide valuable information by observing their behavior. For example:
- How long they tolerate wearing shoes
- Whether they frequently remove their shoes
- Whether their walking changes
- Whether they avoid certain footwear
- Whether they appear uncomfortable when walking
- How they respond when trying a new pair of shoes
In this case, his parents knew from past experience that accepting new shoes could take a while. That made what happened next even more remarkable.
Making the Custom Orthotics
I made his custom orthotics and placed one pair into his new shoes — the same shoe I’ve successfully provided for him in the past. I also made another pair for his winter boots. Apparently, he loves playing in the snow.
The goal was to make sure the orthotics worked within footwear he was already familiar with and would actually use.
But we still didn’t know how he would respond.
The Test Happened While He Was Sleeping
His caregiver decided to switch his shoes while he was sleeping.
When he woke up, they got him dressed and put on his shoes.
It seemed like he knew something was different.
Then they waited.
About sixty seconds later, he stood up and started walking like nothing was wrong. And he kept them on all day.
How Long Does It Take to Adjust to Custom Orthotics?
There is no standard adjustment time for custom orthotics. Some people may adapt quickly, while others may need several days or longer to become comfortable wearing them. The experience depends on the individual, the orthotic, the footwear, and many other factors.
For this young man, his family had previously seen him take days — sometimes up to two weeks — to accept new shoes for all-day wear. This time, it took approximately 60 seconds.
That doesn’t mean everyone will have the same experience. It means that for this young man, on this particular day, his response was unmistakable.
How Do You Know If Someone Is Comfortable When They Can’t Tell You?
When a person cannot communicate their experience verbally, caregivers may need to look at behavior and changes in everyday activity for clues about comfort.
In this case, we couldn’t ask him: “Do your feet feel better?” We couldn’t ask: “Are your shoes comfortable?” We couldn’t ask: “Do you want to keep wearing them?”
But we could watch what he did.
He stood up. He walked. And he kept his shoes on all day.
For someone who normally needed days or weeks to accept new shoes, that response told us something important.
What This Experience Taught Me About Successful Fitting
This experience reinforced several things I’ve learned throughout my career.
Don’t force the process. A successful fitting starts with understanding the person. If someone cannot participate in a particular part of the process, forcing them isn’t the answer. Sometimes the process has to be adapted to the individual.
Start with the individual foot. Every foot is different. Even the two feet belonging to the same person can have different characteristics. That’s why an individualized approach can provide information that a standard size or generic insole cannot.
Consider the shoes the person will actually wear. An orthotic doesn’t exist by itself. It needs to work with the footwear the person will actually use. In this case, that meant creating orthotics for both his everyday shoes and his winter boots.
Pay attention to the person’s response. Not every successful fitting can be measured with a number. Sometimes the most meaningful feedback comes from watching what happens after the shoes go on. For this young man, that feedback came quickly.
What Is the WalkEZ Way Foot Impression Process?
The WalkEZ Way is WalkEZstore’s approach to taking foot impressions with careful attention to individual foot positioning when creating custom orthotics.
The goal is to capture the individual’s feet and use that information to create an orthotic designed around their specific needs rather than simply relying on a generic insert.
This experience was a powerful reminder that the process matters just as much as the finished product. It’s truly all in the way a foot is positioned for success.
Could Custom Orthotics Be Appropriate for Difficult-to-Fit Feet?
Custom orthotics may be worth considering when a person’s foot characteristics, comfort needs, or functional requirements aren’t being adequately addressed by standard footwear or over-the-counter insoles.
That doesn’t mean custom orthotics are appropriate for everyone. An individualized assessment is important for determining whether custom orthotics make sense and what approach may be appropriate. For someone who has difficulty communicating discomfort, caregiver observations can also be an important part of understanding their footwear needs.
Then I Received the News
When I received the news about what happened, I cried. Because a young man who couldn’t tell us what he felt appeared to finally be comfortable.
After 24 years in this profession, moments like this remind me why the process matters so much. We’re not simply making something to put inside a shoe. We’re working with someone’s feet. We’re working with their footwear. And ultimately, we’re trying to make everyday life a little easier and more comfortable.
Sometimes, Sixty Seconds Tells You Everything
This story is a testament to how well the WalkEZ Way foot impression process can work. But more than that, it’s a testament to how much difference careful positioning, individualized assessment, and the right footwear approach can make.
Sometimes success isn’t measured by a number. Sometimes, sixty seconds tells you everything you need to know.
At WalkEZstore, we say that we change lives one pair of feet at a time. I guess we did. And it only took 60 seconds to know for sure.
Could a Personalized Foot Assessment Help You?
If you or someone you care for has difficulty finding comfortable footwear, struggles with standard insoles, or has individual foot characteristics that make footwear selection challenging, a personalized foot and shoe assessment may be a useful place to start.
At WalkEZstore, we look at the individual, not just the shoe size. The goal isn’t simply to put something inside a shoe. The goal is to find an approach that works for the person wearing it.
