Winter will soon be upon us, and time has come to start shopping for winter boots. Finding winter footwear for your child who wears tibial ortheses can be a real pain! Most boots sold in stores do not have large enough openings to allow orthesis-supported feet to easily slide in. You can end up spending a great deal of energy on trying to find footware that can fit your child’s feet.
To make the task easier for you this year, I have put together a list of models of boots available on the market that could be interesting options for your child. Such boots as NEOS have good insolation and large openings. They are waterproof, warm (comfortable up to -30º C), and have grip soles.
You will find a variety of available models as well as addresses where they can be found. (In French only)
NEOS boots can be expensive in terms of price but certain insurance companies do issue a reimbursement when a medical prescription is provided. You can also keep your receipt for income tax purposes (deduction as a medical expense).
Through another parent, I also discovered down booties, which are generally used by “adventurers” who go on winter altitude expeditions. They are worn on camp grounds to keep feet warm. Down booties are made with synthetic material or soft down insolation. Because of their flexibility, they are easy to slip over an orthesis. There are several models for sale in outdoor sports equipment stores.
Some of them have grip soles but are not recommended for children who get around outside on foot because they do not provide adequate support to the foot. They could however be more suitable for children who get around using a wheelchair. Attached, you will find a few examples of down booties as well as addresses where you can find them. Down booties are more affordable than NEOS boots, however they are not eligible for a reimbursement by insurance companies because they are meant for outdoor leisure activities.
There is also another product made available through Distributions Dominique Lemay. DISTRIBUTION D.LEMAY is a company committed to offering specialized products and client services. Their adapted clothing and shoes come from reputable clothing manufacturers such as Création Confort, Dardo Canada Inc. And many others.
They are a great alternative to department stores. Again, the shoe cover for sale is a model made with synthetic material, and its lining is made of polyester. Please remember that, though this type of footware can be worn at all times, they are really meant to be worn as shoe covers. They do not provide adequate support to ankels and, therefore, are not recommended for ambulatory children. They are more suitable for children who use a wheelchair.
I hope that this information will help you find the right pair of boots for your child. Do not hesitate to contact me to tell me about your own boot experiences. Perhaps you know of other models that could be of interest to other parents!
Happy shopping! And do not forget to take your child shopping with you. It is much easier to find the right boots when your child can try them on for size on the spot.