Adaptive Shoes & Products
More than 300 things chosen by people living with CMT. Shoes that fit over a brace, clothes that fasten with magnets, openers that do the gripping for you.
Brands we love
BILLY Footwear
Zips run the full length of the shoe and around the toe, so the upper folds flat out of the way. You place the foot in rather than pushing it through.
- Fits over an AFO, the whole shoe opens, so the brace goes in with the foot
- One-handed, a single zip pull does it
- Seated or standing, no bending to force a heel in
- Adults and kids, the same design in both
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Shoes and footwear
The decision that affects the most days, so the list leans hardest here.
- Side-zip and dual-zip boots, the zip opens the whole side, so a foot or a brace goes in without a fight
- Extra-depth and wide sneakers, built for high arches and heel pain
- Removable-insole trainers, so a custom orthotic fits
- Chelsea boots and Mary Janes, for when you do not want a sneaker
- Kids' adaptive high-tops, side zips, sized for children
- Post-surgery shoes, for the recovery weeks
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Ankle and drop foot support
The supports themselves, and the parts nobody warns you about.
- Carbon fiber dynamic AFOs, lightweight, spring back as you walk
- Leaf-spring and Swedish designs, the classic foot-drop shapes
- Soft adjustable drop-foot braces, for milder or occasional use
- Pediatric sizes to 3XS, down to the smallest feet
- Seamless AFO interface socks, stop the brace edge cutting your skin
- Kids' AFO socks in prints, matters more than it sounds when a child refuses the brace
- Night splints and toe-walking braces, for overnight and for gait
We always recommend that CMT patients be fitted for AFOs and KAFOs by a certified orthotist.
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Adaptive clothing that still looks like clothing
Same look, different fastener. Buttons and zips are the hardest part of the morning.
- Magnetic-button shirts and cardigans, close with a light press
- Magnetic-front jackets and hoodies, no zip to line up
- Front-closure bras, no reaching behind
- Tear-away pants, open along the leg for brace access or post-surgery
- Magnetic baby rompers, for dressing a child one-handed
- Button hooks and zipper pulls, make clothes you already own workable
- Magnetic shoelaces, sock aids, long shoehorns, the getting-dressed toolkit
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The kitchen and the dinner table
Cooking and eating take more hand strength than anyone notices until they lose some.
- Ring-pull and electric can openers, a handle instead of a tab
- Under-cabinet jar openers, hold the lid, turn the jar
- Rocker and mezzaluna knives, press down instead of slicing
- Right-angle Easi-Grip knives, keep the wrist neutral
- One-handed cutting boards, spikes and a corner guard hold the food
- Automatic pot stirrers and pan holders, stop the pot spinning
- Built-up and vertical-handle utensils, for a weak grip or wrist
- Universal cuffs, strap a utensil to your hand
- Oversized handles and cup slings, carry a drink one-handed
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Grip, hands, and everyday tools
Small changes to how an object is held, repeated across a whole day.
- Key turners and keywings, leverage on a stiff lock
- Doorknob grips and lever converters, turn a knob into a lever
- One-handed pill bottle openers, with a magnifier and light built in
- Foam tubing, slides over any handle to build it up
- Ergonomic pens and finger styluses, sit in the web of the hand
- Loop scissors, spring back open on their own
- Grip aids for brushes, drumsticks, rods, keep the hobby
- Trackballs, vertical mice, adaptive controllers, for the computer and for gaming
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Bathroom, home, and getting around
The bathroom is where most falls happen, so it gets the most attention.
- Grab bars, including suction bars, permanent or packed for travel
- Raised toilet seats and safety frames, less distance to lower yourself
- Shower chairs and transfer benches, sit rather than stand
- Handheld showerheads with pause, stop the water without re-setting the temperature
- Bidets, clip-on to portable, remove a task that reaching and grip make hardest
- Threshold and portable ramps, get over a step
- Smart switches and button-pushers, no reaching for a switch at night
- Stand-assist rails, for a sofa or bed
- No-bend pet bowls and litter scoops, the jobs that involve the floor
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Mobility, exercise, and recovery
Getting out of the house, and looking after yourself once you are back.
- Ultralight carbon rollators, and standard ones with a seat
- Spring-assisted forearm crutches, absorb the shock
- Folding power chairs, fit in a car trunk
- Adaptive trikes and handcycles, for distance
- Balance walking poles, built for stability, not hiking speed
- Adaptive backpacks and cargo bags, carry things when both hands are on a walker
- Foam rollers and massage guns, for recovery
- Aquatic gloves and water dumbbells, training with the joints unloaded
- Ice, heat wraps, cramp relief, for the bad evenings
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Books by and about the CMT community
Several of these were written inside this community.
- CMT Self Care, a 30-day journal by HNF's Estela Lugo
- ABCs of CMT Pain Management, Estela Lugo with Dr. Nivedita Jerath
- The Bernadette children’s series, Bernadette Scarduzio, explaining CMT to young kids
- Memoirs, from people living a full life with CMT
- Picture books on braces and difference, for a child and for their classmates
Tell us what we missed
If something has made your life easier and it is not here, send it to us and we will look at adding it. The list grows because people tell us what works.
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