MY SHOES DIDN’T FIT. I just got an ankle foot orthotic (AFO) on my right leg, and my orthotist warned me that getting shoes to fit my new brace might be a big deal, a challenge.
An AFO is a plastic brace that supports a weakened ankle so that a person can walk with a heel-to-toe motion and avoid catching the toe on the ground first. I have a drop foot, and years ago my physical therapist referred me to an orthotics specialist who fashioned an AFO for me. It is generally prescribed for a person because of muscle weakness. The brace does not cause weakness, but rather it substitutes for muscles that are already weakened. Although certain muscles in the foot are not required to work as much when an AFO is used, a physical therapist usually prescribes some simple stretching and active exercise to preserve normal muscle action.
So, I got my new AFO made to fit my foot. Right off the bat, my orthotist said, “You are going to have to wear bigger shoes since this AFO adds more width to your foot and more space is needed to slip it into your shoe.” Since my AFO was on my right leg, my weaker leg, I needed a bigger shoe, but only on my right foot. So, the special shoe shopping commenced. I heard what he said, but it did not hit me until I started wearing the new AFO and looked for shoes that would fit me.
The first shoe I wore during my rehab was an extra-wide shoe with a strap fastener. A “Mary Jane” style shoe. That worked a while, but I needed more support and my left foot needed a smaller size. So, I shopped around for a pair of shoes that might accommodate a size 8½ wide for my right foot and a 7½ medium for my left. Shoe shopping turned out to be a challenge.
I decided I had to get a pair of black shoes. I found a pair that fit me and checked local specialty shoe stores. I went on to computer shoe sites: 1 6/19/24 9:56 AM Zappos.com, Ortho Feet, Earth Feet, Allegria, and more. Some sites offered free shipping on shoes and free return shipping if the shoes do not work out. Although I did find a Mary Jane shoe that fit my right foot (size 8½ wide), the left foot did not fit well. A few weeks later I found the same shoe at a terrifically lower price and bought it. But I was disheartened—would I have to buy two pairs of shoes anytime I needed a pair of shoes to fit my needs? The answer was yes.
I decided to contact a few shoe companies online to see if they had any programs where they donated shoes in a case like this. The companies that I contacted all said they already were involved in their own charities, but one gave me a great lead. They told me to contact The National Odd Shoe Exchange (NOSE).
NOSE was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1943. The late Ruth Rubin- Feldman created the organization as a support for polio survivors. Herself a survivor of polio, Ms. Feldman had feet of significantly different sizes. When wartime rationing made buying two sizes even more difficult, she conceived of the idea of a service whereby people withsimilarproblemscouldregistertheir names and sizes. The registry served as a clearing house that put people with similar interests and tastes, but opposite foot sizes, in touch with one another. Together the new friends could buy footwear and share the cost. No shoes were wasted, and they saved money!
With many veterans coming home from the war as amputees, the service grew and broadened its scope. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt gave NOSE nationwide recognition for providing such a valuable service.
Today, NOSE is no longer disease- specific, but assists people with a variety of conditions and lifestyles. NOSE ships new, quality footwear to children, adults, and seniors across the United States and Canada from its distribution center in Arizona. NOSE is a resource for new, quality single shoes and pairs of significantly different sizes. Many have the need for odd different shoe sizes due to injury, disease, or genetic disorders.
Many people have been referred to the organization by professionals in the healthcare industry, footwear industry, support groups, human-service organizations, and community- service organizations, as well as by media coverage.
The organization explains that it is not just about footwear. It is about people. NOSE is about:
• Quality of life: “Properly fitted footwear is critical to general health and well-being. Proper footwear can often prevent worsening conditions, including amputation.”
• Dignity: “No one should have to endure the indignity and embarrassment of wearing illfitting footwear.”
• Respect: “No one should have to pay for footwear that is unneeded and unwanted simply to get the footwear they require.” NOSE states that it is not disease-specific and assists people due to a variety of causes. NOSE is unsullied by socioeconomic, geographic, gender, political, religious, racial, and moral constraints. NOSE addresses a universal problem that transcends all of these divisions. Many people connect with the organization for a variety of reasons: amputation, stroke, club foot, drop foot, missing toes, Charcot’s joint, polio, brain trauma, lymphedema, diabetes, partial amputation, leg braces, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, extra toes, cancer, and “just because.”
I was amazed at the good the organization does and decided to register myself. After all, if I could share my different sized pair of shoes with someone else, I would be so happy that I could help someone in my own way. I am in the process of trying to donate my odd shoes.Ifoundthephonenumbermore helpful than the web page.
For those who would like more information or to register with National Odd Shoe Exchange, check out their website at oddshoe.org or write them at National Odd Shoe Exchange, PO Box 1120, Chandler, Arizona, USA, 85244-1120. They are a nonprofit 501C3. Tax receipts are available.
Donations in-kind include footwear items (shoes, boots, socks, inserts, laces), office supplies, packaging supplies, promotional items, warehouse equipment, and office equipment. Footwear items mustbenew,unworn,andundamaged. NOSE accepts matched pairs, mismated pairs, singles, and bulk footwear items. All styles and sizes are needed. For health and safety reasons, NOSE cannot accept worn or damaged items.
Donations may be mailed to: National Odd Shoe Exchange Donation, 162 West Box Elder Place, SUITE #4, Chandler, Arizona, USA, 85225-7173. 480-892-3484.
Sister Karen Zielinski is the Director of Canticle Studio. Canticle Studio is a part of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, OH’s overall advancement effort and has a mission of being a creative center where artists generate works, products, and services in harmony with the mission of the Sisters St. Francis. She can be reached at kzielins@sistersosf.org or 419-824-3543. ✲
