Hi Everyone.
One of the questions we get is, “what’s the best kind of sock to wear?” and we are going to try and answer that as best as we can for you.
Often times, patients use cotton socks. But they can come in different lengths. That is probably the biggest point I want to share with you on this entire topic. In the end though, there is no perfect sock.
However, I am going to answer this in a couple of different ways.
Basically there is a height to your AFO brace, right? It doesn’t matter which exact style you have, they usually come up above the ankle and higher up onto the calf area. Some come up higher. Some come up a little lower.
So, what we tell people is, “you would like to have the sock come to the top of the brace. However, any sock is better than no sock, right?
When I was in orthotics school at Northwestern Medical School, I use to remember my teachers talking about the perspiration of someone’s foot. One of the guest speakers actually used the term ‘Pints’ to come up with a measurement of perspiration.
I don’t remember exactly how many fractions of a pint, but it was still considerable.
Your feet sweat much more than you think, so having any kind of sock (especially one that is a little longer) that absorbs perspiration is a really good start.
After years of experience with AFOs and the topics that surround these great walking aids my best answer to you on socks would be to wear one the height we are talking about.
Just imagine crouching down, with an one of these walking aids and it comes up the back of the calf. If you were to crouch down for example, the top part of the brace would high the lower end of your hamstrings potentially. If that is the case, you might like some sort of a soft buffer there, that a sock could provide.
So that’s the best answer, there is no perfect answer, doesn’t matter what color it is, but, wearing a sock in general is a very good idea, one that’s the right size, is important too. Also, if you go on our day trip somewhere, bring an extra pair of socks just in case as well.
I hope this information helps you on some level. If someone comes along later and tells you exactly the model number to buy, do not believe it. It is more about the height and if you feel comfortable wearing them that matters in the end in our opinion.
