Shoehorn

Wearing the Shoe - Adaptive Shoe Aids

Shoe aids were first developed in Ancient Rome. Shoe aids are handy tools used to wear a shoe perfectly without bending and also crushing the counter or the hind portion of the shoe. The basic idea began developing when people realized that there were more than a few conditions that forced a person to refrain from bending or limited their dexterity. This resulted in years of research to come up with effective shoe aids that in all situations can help a person while wearing the shoe. Shoe aids come under the wide umbrella of dressing aids that are adaptive aids that help a person dress up, which includes wearing shoes.

Why Do I Need An Adaptive Shoe Aid?

Well, though it might seem irrelevant for some to use something as simple as a shoe aid, this tool mainly comes in handy for people who do not want to or cannot bend down to wear their shoes, cannot tie their laces easily, or need extra support while wearing the shoe. Sometimes an injury or accident might force you to go for a surgery on the legs, hips, feet, etc. Many of these surgeries prevent you to bend down until you have recovered completely while some might not be able to bend down even after they have recovered. Shoe Aids help you avoid the pain and effort of bending down. Many face problems with the dexterity of tying shoelaces and hence shoe aids come to the rescue.

How Is It Helpful After A Hip Injury?

As obvious as it seems, we require the full functioning of our hip to bend and get up again. If you have sustained an injury or some other disorder in the hip, it becomes difficult to bend down. Well, one can also not raise their legs up high to wear their shoes as that too requires a fully functioning hip. Hence, shoe shoe aids such as shoe horns are an important aid to help you in your daily life. Using shoe aids one can easily wear their shoes in a hassle free way.

Can I Use It Even If I Don’t Have An Injury?

Yes! There is no rule stating that you can only drink juice if you feel weak and the same goes for shoe aids. You can always use a shoe aid to wear your shoes. Many women wear dresses that can make it uncomfortable for them to bend down and wear their shoes. Many men tend to tie their shoelaces in a hurry. Well, shoe aids to the rescue! You can easily use a shoe aid and save yourself some time and energy. It can also be handy option for children who tend to run around without caring about their shoelaces being open. Locks or fasteners can make sure the lace doesn’t pop open and saving the child from tripping and falling.

Types of Adaptive Shoe Aids

There are three major types of adaptive shoe aids that aid the user in three different ways and parts of the shoe:

1. Shoe Horns

Named after the ancient shoe wearing device of the Romans, shoe horns are the oldest shoe aids of the world. They aren’t horns in real but are named after the bull horns that the Romans used to wear their sandals.Shoe horns are curved scoops that are either clipped to the shoe or attached to an elongated stick that is either fixed in length or can be adjusted. They are primarily used by people to aid the process of wearing the shoe. The process of using a shoe horn is simple. Place the shoe horn into the rear end of the shoe. Insert your forefoot into the shoe placing the heel on the top portion of the horn. Then slowly glide the heel on the shoe horn into the shoe. Then pull the shoe horn out of the shoe and voila!, you have worn the shoe. They come in plastic, wood, and metal options and are made for people with all ages and foot sizes. Some are long handle shoe horns while some are short shoe horns.

Easy-Slide Shoehorn

2. Shoelaces

Shoelaces were initially made from the same materials as the shoes. For example the shoes of ancient Rome were made from leather and so were the shoelaces. Though they are so small and simple, they are an important part of the shoe. People with motor disabilities or other physical disabilities find it difficult to conjure the fine motor skills required to tie shoelaces. Elastic shoelaces are the perfect option for people with limited dexterity. These shoelaces are smooth, stretchy, and can be tied and untied easily. The user need not untie the laces each time they remove or wear the shoe as the elasticity of the shoelaces allows them to wear the shoe directly. One can always choose to wear slip on shoes but there are some places where one wouldn’t prefer wearing a shoe that looks very casual, which most slip one shoes do look like.

Body Sport Elastic Shoelaces

Some shoelaces aids such as fasteners and locks help in locking the tied lace in place so that they don’t snap open suddenly. Sometimes elastic shoelaces might also retract suddenly and untie themselves and so locks and tabs or shoe fasteners make sure this doesn’t happen.

3. Shoe Insoles

Shoe insoles do not do much in helping the user directly while wearing the shoe but in cases of injuries or conditions where the shoe has to be of a specific size, shoe insoles can help you control that size. They are soft and comfortable and can be shaped according to your shoe. They come in varied shoe sizes and help raise the shoe height inside the shoe. Some have aerosols within them that eliminate the odor of shoes while creating air pockets that also reduce perspiration. Some insoles also come equipped with anti-microbial properties which reduces the chances of rashes and infections.

AirFeet Classic Black Shoe Insoles

Choosing the right shoe aid is important so that no mishap or injuries occur while wearing the shoe or tying the laces. Shoe aids can help a person independently wear a shoe, tie their lace, and go out with confidence.

 

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