Two Styles of Donning the Step-Smart

This week, Ian shares two ways you can don your Step-Smart brace. Watch and find the way that works best for you!

Video Transcript:

Hi! Ian here. In this video what we’re gonna show is a couple of ways you can put on your Step-Smart brace. We call it donning but it’s an exercise in putting the brace-shoe combination on your foot. The reason I say brace-shoe combination is this is the recommended way. So what we have is, we provide you with a solid horseshoe-shaped pile or loop velcro that’s adhesive back and you can adhere that into the back of your shoe like this and then we recommend taking the brace and before setting it down on that velcro you’ll notice there’s some hook growth here you pull it back into the counter shoe all the way before setting it down and then you have the brace-shoe combination together. Then and you simply put your foot into this. You’d have to undo the straps too of course. 

So you’ll see that Robert here is putting his brace shoe combination on his foot. An alternative method is the one that Brad uses. He likes to put the brace on his foot first and then put the shoe on the brace-foot combination. 

This is Robert Foster. He’s been using the Step-Smart for about a year now. He’s all ready to load the Step-Smart into his shoe and now he’s placing his foot into the shoe that has the Step-Smart. Notice that he’s pulled back the tongue of his shoe so that he can load his foot in. He pulls up his sock so that the Step-Smart calf strap will not rub up against his leg. He now tightens the brace and ties his shoe. 

“Well,  this is typically what works for me. I’ve been wearing a brace on at least one of my legs for approximately 25 years. It works better for me if I make sure the tongue is as far open as I can get it just to make the foot sliding in much easier. And I prefer to put the brace on first and then slide it into the shoe. As this will go…This comes in back here, firm but not too tight. And then making sure my toes don’t bend in and if they do I’ll usually just reach in and grab my sock and pull it up a little bit. As the shoe slides on, the toes are not bent…Perfect, smooth as silk.”

At first, it may feel awkward. It may be a bit of a struggle to put the Step-Smart brace-shoe combination or the brace on your foot with the shoe afterward but over time what you’ll find is you’ll develop your own technique. It’ll become automatic and simple enough. So, we hope you enjoy your Step-Smart brace, and please keep in touch.