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Troubleshooting: Getting Foot Orthoses to Fit Correctly in Shoes.
By Kylie Pearce, B.Sc (Podiatry), C.Ped
There’s an old maxim in the Podiatry and Pedorthic world that, an orthotic is only as good as the shoe you put it in. This has proven to be very true and it is worth discussing this in detail when going over orthotic therapy as an option. This is commonly referred to ashaving the ‘shoe talk’. It doesn’t matter how expensive and customized your patient’s foot orthotics may be, they could end up having little functionality and benefit if they decide to wear them in shoes that are worn, fit incorrectly or aren’t well designed to accommodate foot orthotics.
It’s important to educate anyone who is considering foot orthotics that they need to look at what shoes they will wear with them and make sure that the shoes aren’t too small to accommodate the orthotic devices because orthotics do take up some room in shoes and there needs to be adequate, length, width and depth to ensure that your patient’s feet will fit correctly in shoes with foot orthotics.
It’s really important that the orthotics sit correctly at the back of the shoe, the heel cup should cup around their heel and there shouldn’t be any gap between the orthotic and the back of the shoe (heel counter). If they have shoes that are long enough, wide enough and deep enough, there are a few other factors to consider. Many shoes have a build in foot bed, if you remove this and replace it with the orthotics then usually fit problems are lessened. But in certain shoe styles, like elastic sided boots, the orthotics have a tendency to slip forward, especially if the heel height is greater than an inch. If your patient wants to wear your orthotics in shoes that have heels higher than an inch, you should discuss this with them because the orthotics may need to be customized for this.
Unfortunately these days, many athletic shoe models aren’t orthotic friendly. Shoe brands that are notoriously bad for accommodating orthotics are Nike, Adidas and Reebok. Please refer to our shoe recommendations by foot type list that you can download here.
Here’s some tips on troubleshooting these problems:
If the orthotic isn’t seating itself back far enough in the shoe, or it has a tendency to slide forward when you put your foot in the shoe. This is commonly because of shoe fit or shoe style problems as discussed above but if your patient has shoes that fit correctly and are a suitable style then a simple way to prevent this is to use a little bit of double-sided tape or Velcro to ensure that the orthotic doesn’t slip forward. If the orthotics do slide forward when they are putting on their shoes, usually if they tap the back of their heels the orthotics will slide back into place and often their weight is enough to keep them there. If not, try the Velcro or tape trick. Just place double-sided tape under the heel of the orthotic and in the center of the heel area in the shoe if you are using Velcro.
The other possible problem is that the orthotic is too wide. To test this, have your patient stand on the orthotic without their shoes and look down at their feet. If the orthotic is not wider than the circumference of their foot ie, you can’t see any of the orthotic when you are looking down then the orthotic is not too wide! If the orthotic is wider than their foot, you can adjust this for them.
So it basically comes down to:
The orthotic is too wide – this is rare because your orthotics should have been fitted correctly when dispensed.
Or, the shoe is too small (not wide enough, deep enough or long enough).
Or the shoe style isn’t really suitable for orthotics.
If the orthotics feel good and look like they fit correctly when standing on the orthotics when they’re not in the shoe, then it’s most likely a poor fit between the orthotic and the shoe. Have a look to see if the orthotic sits all the way back into the shoe. Some shoe styles, like dress shoes or even Nikes and Adidas – really cut out the midfoot and the orthotic doesn’t sit properly in the heel counter. This can be an issue. The answer is to look for a better shoe style, or cut the orthotic down, which reduces correction, so this is only indicated when the orthotic is too wide or if there are restrictions on what styles of shoes can be worn. Sometimes there is a balance between getting the right amount of correction and getting orthotics that fit well in their shoes. But in my experience starting off with the right shoe style that accommodates foot orthotics well and fits your patient’s foot correctly will get them off on the right foot in regard to getting you the maximum benefit from wearing foot orthotics.
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How to Order littleSTEPS® or QUADRASTEPS® Orthotics
We get asked all the time “How do I go about ordering littleSTEPS® or QUADRASTEPS® orthotics. We thought we would put it all in one place for you to make it easy!
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If you are not yet a Customer
If you aren’t yet a customer, we are happy to set you up as one! You will need to first speak to a sales representative so that they can get you pricing and establish contact information. You can call our office 877-792-4669 and we can transfer you to a sales rep, or you can call Bert Parsloe directly at 203-725-6179. Once you have gotten your pricing and gotten set up, you are ready to place your first order using the procedure below.
Existing Customer Orders
- Print a copy of our order form . A copy of our order form can be found on every page of nolaro24.com in the practitioner’s portal, and in the boxes with your orders.
- Fill out AT LEAST the following: Company name, contact person, phone number/email, ship to/bill to STATE.
- NOTE: our team uses a combination of the state your facility is in, the company name, and contact name (usually owner or OM). Including the above information ensures that your order doesn’t go to the wrong customer.
- Further, in the event that there is an issue with the order as placed, the above information will allow our team to speak to the correct contact person in your office; greatly reducing the time it takes to ship.
- Be sure to fill out the correct Quad, Size, width, and whether there is a topcover or not.
- Our orthotics come in Regular width and Narrow width.
- Standard topcover is full length and extends to toes. Additional $25.00 charge applies for orthotics with topcover.
- Any special requests or adjustments should be written in the “special instructions” section on the bottom of the order form. Additional $10.00 charge for adjustments made by Nolaro24.
- YOU CAN order two different orthotics if your patient has different size/quad feet. Just note on the order form which orthotic will be “L”eft or “R”ight. A $5.00 mismatch fee will be applied to any pairs ordered this way.
- Be sure to check off if you’d like your orthotics inside our product packaging bags, or if you’d like to only receive the orthotics and break-in instructions. No additional charge for product packaging.
- Include credit card (optional):
- The benefit of pre-paying by credit card is that it qualifies you for any quarterly sales or promotions.
- Fill out all pertinent information including card number, expiration, CCV code, and Street/Zip code where the monthly credit card statement is sent (if it is different than your billing address; such as a doctor’s personal card).
- Note on the order form if you’d like your card put on file in our encrypted database. IF YOU DO NOT SPECIFICALLY ASK NOLARO24 to put your credit card on file, the information will be destroyed and unavailable for future use.
- Note any Purchase Order number or patient name you’d like referenced in the P.O. field or in the special instructions. This information will be noted on your packing list and invoice, helping to avoid confusion within your office.
- Orders may be submitted via Email, Fax, phone or through the mailEmail: emailed order can be sent directly into the warehouse at orders@nolaro24.com. The benefits of emailing your order are: Currently the most reliable method of submission, emailed orders receive a response confirming that we have received your order, and open a line of communication with the warehouse in the event you would like to alter your order in some way shape or form. Emails checked throughout the work day.
Fax: Faxed orders can be sent to (203)758-1011. The benefits of a fax order are: most quick form of submission, good for submitting orders with adjustments for multiple patients, quick easy submission. Fax orders received throughout the day.
Phone: Orders may be submitted over the phone by calling (877)792-4669 ext. 1. The benefits of submission via phone are: Quick easy phone call to one of three qualified front office staff, instant confirmation of orders (no confirmation numbers provided), personal information is not transmitted through the internet, and questions/concerns can be addressed at the time of ordering (warehouse staff are not medically trained, but do possess a basic understanding of our product. Technical questions or assistance in foot typing should be directed to your sales rep). Office hours are Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM EST.
Mail: Orders can be mailed to Nolaro24, LLC 80 Turnpike Drive unit 2B, Middlebury CT, 06762. Benefits of submitting orders through the mail: Personal information is not transmitted through the internet, good for submitting multiple order forms with adjustments, and the ability to pre-pay via check for sales/promotional pricing. Mail orders checked once daily with mail delivery.
As per our official company shipping policy, single pair orders without adjustments submitted by 11AM EST will leave the day submitted. Orders sent after 11AM will go the next day. Orders with multiple pairs, topcovers, or adjustments may take more than one day to ship. All shipping estimates are subject to availability of product.
Be sure to check out the features of our products on our website nolaro24.com, There are articles, how to videos, gait videos, and more to help you choose the right orthotic for your patients!
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