Orthopedic shoes are footwear verified by a medical professional to be wide enough and deep enough for your foot, and can be made to accommodate any pain or deformity.
There are three types of orthopedic shoes: off-the-shelf models, custom modified shoes and custom shoes. Check with your insurer to see what they cover.
- Off-The-Shelf Orthopedic Shoes are wide enough, deep enough and cushioned enough to be deemed orthopedic by the manufacturer and the health practitioner that prescribed them.
- Custom Modified Orthopedic Shoes are off-the-shelf products altered to treat a medical condition. But be aware that some insurance plans only cover the modification. For example, if you need a lift to raise the height of one shoe, your insurer may only pay for the lift – but not the shoe itself.
- Custom Orthopedic Shoes are made specifically for your foot, and are meant for a medical deformity or condition (bone protrusion, birth defect, disease or accident) that won’t fit into any shoe on the market. Custom shoes are made off-site and must be medically justified to be covered by insurance. Please note, we do not prescribe them for pain alone; the pain must be accompanied by a deformity.