16yo wearing AFO splint

[Mikafan]

Hi,
DS1 is 16 & has been wearing a splint since he was 3/4 yo. He's always worn trainers to school (same size both feet) taking the liner out to fit the splint. Now he's leaving school and wants to get 'proper' shoes. Apart from getting 2 pairs of different sized shoes (which is out of the question cost wise), does anyone have any ideas on what we can do? Does anyone have any idea whether it will be detrimental to his walking (apart from looks wise) if he stopped wearing the splint?
Any thoughts/ideas anyone? Thanks.

I guess whether it would be ok to leave it off or not depends on why he wears it. Who prescribes the splint? Maybe you could ask if he could manage with shoes which are very supportiv, with a special insile? Whe DS stopped wearing an AFO in the day he started having a specially cast insole instead of the shoe insole.

Would shoes that are quite soft and wide be OK? I can't quite describe the sort of thing I mean, but shoes that are still black leather but have a more flexible sole - rather than stiff leather and hard soles.

I guess the only thing to do is go to a helpful shoe shop and try on loads of shoes over the splint and see what works. Could he buy a pair one size bigger than he normally takes and wear thick socks on the other foot?

Don't know anything about splints but wear thick orthotics myself. There are some shoe brands with removable insoles including Think, Ecco (a few designs) and Hotter (might not be trendy enough for a 16 year old!!). I imagine the choice for guys is better. There are some lace up shoes that are a cross between walking and work styles that have removable insoles too. I go to a 'good' old fashioned shoe shop who understand these things and can fit a spacer/ extra insock if one shoe is a bit loose. The down side is the cost - as they tend to be quite dear.

i would think they would fit in the trendy types like VANS you just go up a size.
Can i suggest you take splint and go and have a trying on session with out ds. I do this so that dd doesn't get wound up by what she can't have.
like blu says it is probally worth asking if he could have something else.(will watch thread with interest)

The splint is because the calf muscles in his right leg are shorter than in his left so he doesn't put his heal down first without the splint. I think I will have to make the effort to go and see his physio and see what they say. He only sees her once or twice a year and thats only to measure for a new splint as he's growing at a rate of knots.

The splint is actually pretty wide at the ankle and I've had real problems in the past getting any shoe around that problem other than going 2 sizes up which isn't really practical.

Would a desert boot style work?