American Heelers — An American Company Dedicated To Mastering The Orthopedic Shoe Lift
From ages 6-16, I had two different shoes. One was a regular shoe. The other had a 1 inch foam lift inserted between the sole of the shoe and bottom treading. My left leg discrepancy grew as I got older; initially, having a 1 inch lift seemed like enough. As time went on, however, my discrepancy increased and I was left with about 2.25 inches of difference. I continued to use my shoes which had the 1 inch lift, but started to get hip pain if I ran for prolonged periods of time or used the shoe for any intensive use. This was not comfortable for me. I hadn’t even considered getting a 2 inch lift for my left shoe because even a 1 inch height difference was significant enough that I could roll my ankle easily. The extra height made my left ankle susceptible to damage and made it unstable. When I was not wearing shoes, I stood on the tip of my toes on the left foot. My right foot was always flat on the ground, but my left leg was always bent slightly to make up for the difference. Standing on my left foot’s toes quickly became a habit, one that even today (after my legs are almost completely even) is difficult to break.
For 10 years I stood that way, setting myself up for potentially damaging hip and lower back issues. Needles to say, I went through many pairs of shoes. Finding companies equipped to split even the most unsymmetrical of shoes was no easy task; I’m extremely grateful that we found American Heelers. For kids like me who had limb length discrepancies, I hope this company serves as a valuable asset. Their work is detailed, precise, and truly life-changing. Walking with a shoe lift was transformative for me. While not fully corrected, it offered me a more normal way of fitting in to my community and allowed me to do much more than if I had remained wholly uncorrected.