APOS shoe trial Wirral

Bando

I was lucky enough to get on the Wirral trial of the APOS shoes in late 2023. I was diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis early in 2023 after struggling with my knees for about a year. I was initially skeptical about how these would be of any help and even the physio at my local MSK department had doubts. However, I went along for the initial fitting and my gate was tested. I had a much reduced gate length and speed of walking due to the pain. After being fitted with the shoes it was quite a miracle to find that I could walk at a normal speed and gate without any pain. Fast forward 6 months and I've had a further adjustment to my shoes to take into account improvement to my muscle strength. Now I have also been working hard with my PT too improve leg strength so I can't say my progress is down solely to the shoes. What I have found is that doing normal tasks around the house has been much improved. Especially cooking were I have to stand for long periods. These shoes have really improved my quality of life. The physio had also been amazed at the other patients he's tested as well. Sadly the experimente has finished on the Wirral now but the results are a resounding success. The shoes can only be used around the house and I guess they are too dangerous to use outside from a lack of grip. Saying that I have gone round the super market with them a couple of times. They're never going to reverse the effects of OA but they are a valuable tool in my arsenal and I hope they will give me more time before I contemplate surgery.

Poppyjane

Hi @Bando

They have a strange design but great that they were beneficial for you. A lot of members ask about suitable shoes to support arthritic feet, knees and hips so it is good news that there is research being done on specific footwear.

Thank you for the information.

Poppyjane (Moderator)