A Shoe Lift for an Active Child – My Search

Sometimes it takes a friend’s watchful eye to realize your child has something other than a syndrome going on. That happened when a friend of mine asked, “Is Andrew’s leg shorter than the other?” As I watched Andrew on the playground, his up and down gait was suddenly noticeable. I had not noticed that Andrew never stood straight on two feet and that one knee was always relaxed and bent. When possible, he would lean on a table or chair.  How could I have missed what was evident in past photos?

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Scoliosis

Ironically, several months prior, a doctor who was new to our team, had diagnosed Andrew with scoliosis. I was devastated because there had never been any suggestion of spinal curvature in the past. Yet looking at the x-ray, one hip was definitely at a lower angle than the other. I mentioned this new outcome to my trusted chiropractor, who examined Andrew and said there might be a very small degree of curvature but saw nothing that should cause concern. That was a relief but we still had more questions than answers.

Missed Diagnosis

We made an appointment to see Andrew’s orthopedic doctor, who had been part of our team since birth. He confirmed that the leg discrepancy was due to issues created by a club foot at birth and was not scoliosis. Because the underdeveloped muscles of the club foot did not grow as evenly as the opposite limb, it created a leg length discrepancy that  made Andrew’s hips looked uneven in the x-ray. I was ecstatic when we were told that a simple shoe insert would take care of the problem. I felt blessed. No scoliosis. No surgery. What more could a mom ask for?

The Ski Accident

Then came the fateful day when Andrew broke his femur skiing. It was the shorter leg that suffered the consequence. Of course, one of the issues we were warned about was that the mending leg might possibly be left shorter than it was already. And that was exactly what happened. The accident left the leg an entire inch shorter.

“The Brick”

The day came when we needed a built-up shoe lift. I tried to remain positive for Andrew, as he was trying on his new shoe but my heart was saying, “This is the best that can be done? Let’s just stick a red flag on the kid’s head and a bulls eye on his back.” This shoe was beyond horrible; I could have easily taken a concrete brick and attached it to a shoe and sent him out to play. It was inflexible. I was afraid that Andrew was going to break his ankle as he navigated uneven play ground terrain. To say that Andrew hated these shoes was an understatement. It was hard to be positive about something that I felt could be better too.

Highway Rubber

Somewhere on earth, there had to be a shoe lift for an active child that allowed normal foot movement with natural flexibility. I started noticing pieces of rubber along side the highway and started visualizing flexible shoe lifts that could be made with all that wasted tire rubber. I became a mom on a mission. For months, I researched the internet looking for a lift that I felt was conducive to a child’s active lifestyle. What I found was that the number one selling child’s shoe lift was not for medical purposes but instead used to increase the child’s height at an amusement park so that they could get past height restrictions for rides. Seriously??!!? I thought height restrictions were for safety.

The local Cobbler

I visited a local shoe cobbler who proceeded to tell me that adding a lift to a shoe like I described was an impossibility. He proceeded to tell me why and took the time to show me different shoe materials and why he ‘wouldn’t’ waste his time trying to put a lift on a non-leather shoe. (Andrew’s sandals were not leather.) I wasn’t giving up. This guy wasn’t willing to look at possibilities past his own door. I knew better than to mention all the rubber along the highways.

A Removable Lift

The Even-up Shoe Leveler caught my attention. The height was adjustable up to 1 inch. It could be worn on either the right or left foot. The biggest problem was that Andrew’s shoe size was a 3 and the starting size of the Levelor was 5.5, but I decided that for almost twenty dollars it was worth a try. I was impressed with the product. The concept was genius and it might have worked but the fact remained – it was too big. We tried securing it with extra Velcro, yet Andrew still had a difficult time on uneven surfaces. The Levelor is an awesome product prefect for anyone with a foot larger than a 5.5 size.

Persistence Pays Off

A Shoe Lift for an Active Child

Quite by accident, I found Keen’s Children shoe store in Carmel, Indiana, (See 2021 update below) after reading a comment that mentioned buying a shoe lift for an active child. It was well hidden in the annals of the internet, but turned out to be an absolute blessing. The store was associated with a cobbler that was willing to create a flexible shoe lift like I described. I discovered that with a Letter of Medical Necessity, I could pay for the lift through our FSA but the shoes were an out-of-pocket cost. Insurance only allowed one pair of built up shoes per year and we had already purchased “the brick”.  At this point, I had no other avenues so I took the chance and paid for the shoe lift out-of-pocket.

Because Carmel, Indiana was a three hour drive one way, Keens Children Shoes shipped Andrew’s shoes directly to our home. Oh my word! Andrew was suddenly a kid again. He could run and move with the freedom he had before his ski accident.

Mountain Moved!

Andrew was back in action! His new shoes not only gave him confidence but the freedom to be a kid. He had many compliments on the style, no one noticed the lift, but the cool thing was – he could run and play again. I am sold on Keen shoes. The shoe was a work of art and handcrafted so well that the lift blended with the sole. Finally, a shoe lift for an active child that solved the leg length discrepancy and offered more flexibility than “the brick”!

March 26, 2021, UPDATE

Keens Children Shoe Store in Carmel, Indiana, has since closed, after 50+ years of service. I have finally reached the owner and have the information of the cobbler who did such an awesome job on Andrew’s shoes.

Ron, of Ron’s Shoe Repair and I spoke this morning on the phone. Contact Ron at 317.255.6370.

Ron’s Shoe Repair
8512 Westfield Blvd,
Indianapolis, IN 46240

It is obvious that Ron is an artist in his own realm and cares about the type of materials he uses, as well as the person who has to wear the lift. I am very impressed and excited to pass this information onto other readers.

Please leave comments below about your experience! We would love to hear from our readers!