By Lainie Ishbia, MSW
Most people don’t have to think about walking—they just walk. But for those of us living with foot drop, walking requires focus because we know from experience how just 1 distracted step can quickly manifest into a painful fall.
Foot Drop 101
Foot drop, also known as drop foot, is a condition characterized by difficulty or inability to lift the front part of the foot. It is typically caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles responsible for lifting the foot, often due to nerve damage or injury.
Walking with foot drop involves lifting your foot high enough to avoid dragging it—kind of like maneuvering an over-packed, stubborn suitcase over a curb, with the same end goal of remaining upright and not tipping over.
Everyday life with foot drop can be incredibly challenging and exhausting—trust me, I know!
Back in my twenties, fresh out of grad school and pre bilateral leg braces, I was navigating the bustling streets of Chicago. I can’t count the number of times I ended up with skinned knees from tripping over what seemed like thin air. Nothing says “young professional” quite like having to duck into a restroom to clean up bloody knees before a meeting!
So, here’s where a new shoe brand steps in. Or, perhaps more aptly, slides in…
Cadense, according to their own description, “is a revolutionary company founded by Dr. Tyler Susko, driven by a vision to help those in need.” They claim to have created “the world’s first truly adaptive shoe.”
The brand’s signature shoe, named the Cadense Original, was designed specifically for people with various walking conditions.
On the short list of walking conditions, they say their shoes can help with – foot drop and neuropathy. Ummm, seriously?
While perusing their website, I stumbled upon the line (pun intended), “If you (or a loved one) struggle to lift your foot while swinging it forward or worry about tripping and falling, this shoe is made for you.”
What? I immediately wrote to the company and asked to try them out! I couldn’t press “send” fast enough, as I needed to see if their shoes could really help to improve the lives of those living with foot drop.
Honestly, this wasn’t so much for myself (My foot drop is mostly corrected by my bilateral AFOs), but more for my eldest child Will, who inherited Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and foot drop from me, and for all the members of my Trend-Able community living with foot drop.
Cadense answered my email and agreed to send me a pair of shoes in exchange for me making and posting a few Instagram Reels showing me walking in their shoes and giving my testimonial. I agreed, but only on the condition that I could test the shoes for a few weeks first. If they didn’t prove helpful, I told them I would return them. We had an agreement!
To provide an accurate assessment from someone without the built-in support of leg braces, I asked Cadense if they’d be willing to send a pair to my out-of-state adult child—chutzpah, I know! They said no!
So, given their 30-day return/refund policy, I decided to purchase a pair for Will to try on my own. Will is a young professional living in St. Paul, Minnesota, who has to travel and walk a lot for his job, which involves visiting college campuses across the US. Cha-ching! Order placed!
After receiving Cadense’s signature “Original” shoes, both Will and I put them to the test. What follows are the opinions of myself, a full-time AFO wearer, and Will, my 23-year-old child who navigates his busy city life with mild to moderate foot drop and no AFOs.
A Word About Cadense’s Shoe Sizing
Let’s first talk about Cadense’s shoe sizing.
Although my actual foot size is 7 1⁄2 or 8, I typically wear a size 8 1⁄2 wide after removing a shoe’s insoles (which can be done with Cadense’s sneakers) to accommodate my leg braces. However, Cadense doesn’t offer half sizes in their wide-width shoes, so I ordered a size 8 wide. Even after removing the insoles, they were a bit too snug, so I exchanged them for a size 9 wide—perfect fit!
When ordering for my child, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cadense not only offers half sizes in their regular widths but also carries the elusive 5½ adult size we needed. Cha-ching! Order placed!
Our First Impressions: Style and Design
When it comes to looks, Cadense doesn’t disappoint. Both Will and I opted for the black version with its eye-catching striped sole. They could easily be mistaken for high-end non-adaptive sneaker styles like On Cloud and Hoka.
Will and I were both pleasantly surprised by how lightweight they are and how incredibly comfortable they feel on the feet.
The standout feature? The cleverly disguised Velcro closure. At first glance, these appear to be lace-up shoes, but they’re actually slip-ons. The discreet Velcro is a game-changer for those of us who struggle with laces. It’s a perfect blend of function and fashion.
What Sets The Cadense Original Sneaker Apart
Now, let’s chat about what really makes the new Cadense brand of shoes unique.
For those of us with foot drop, we know that feeling when our foot feels like it’s made of lead, especially after a long day.
Well, Cadense’s shoes have 2 nylon pucks (small raised areas that glide) on the front part of the sole that are designed to help your foot glide forward when you’re too tired to lift it. Since these pucks allow your foot to glide over surfaces, they can potentially help reduce the chances of you tripping as well.
But wait, there’s more! (I feel like an infomercial host). Our Cadense adaptive shoes have what’s called “variable friction” technology. This tech allows you to slide your foot forward when it’s dragging, but also gives you enough grip to stop and push off when you want to.
Basically, by putting pressure down on the front part of the shoe (which is especially necessary when going from seated to standing), the pucks retract into the sole’s foam and no longer slide – giving you a bit more stability and making each step feel smoother.
It’s an interesting feature that’s intended to adapt to your movement, even when your foot feels heavy and uncooperative. Pretty cool, right?
Are Cadense Shoes Helpful For People With Foot Drop?
Let’s dive into this from 2 perspectives: mine as a full-time and very active bi-lateral AFO (leg brace) wearer, and Will’s, as a busy young adult living with foot drop who does not wear AFOs.
From my AFO-wearing standpoint, I did not notice a dramatic difference in my walking or stability wearing my Cadense shoes. But here’s the thing – my AFOs are supposed to be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to managing my foot drop.
So, while I really like my Cadense shoes, wearing them wasn’t a night-and-day change for me and my mobility.
That said, I find them to be super comfortable to wear and finding cute and lightweight sneakers that slip on easily with discreet Velcro is worth the price tag. And let’s be real, most sneakers these days without any adaptive tech aren’t exactly cheap!
But here’s an unexpected bonus I discovered: As someone with 2 completely fused ankles, I found that I could actually slide my foot in and out while doing various exercises at the gym. This is normally impossible since my ankles don’t turn at all. Check out our Instagram and Facebook pages where I posted videos of me walking and exercising in them.
Now, for the real kicker (sorry, couldn’t resist) – My son Will, who doesn’t wear leg braces, found his Cadense shoes to be nothing short of amazing! He believes that they genuinely help with his foot drop – especially when he’s tired after having walked a lot around the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, and while traveling for his job.
So, while my AFO-wearing self might not be the best judge of the foot drop assistance, it seems like Cadense’s adaptive shoes could be a game-changer for those managing foot drop without braces. Plus, they’re stylish enough that you won’t feel like you’re wearing “special” shoes. Win-win, right?
Conclusion: Pros & Cons of Cadense’s Adaptive Shoes
The table above provides a quick rundown of the “good” and the “meh” of Cadense’s Original Adaptive shoes for people with foot drop.
The Bottom Line
If you’re living with foot drop and feeling like you’re dragging a stubborn suitcase around, Cadense shoes might be worth checking out. They’re not miracle workers (wouldn’t that be nice?) but they’re an interesting attempt at making our daily obstacle course (aka life) a little easier to navigate. Remember, what works for one person might not work for another.
So, if you’re in the market for some new kicks that might give you a little extra help, why not give Cadense a try? At the very least, you’ll have some stylish sneakers that are easy to slip on. And who knows? They might just help you walk a little more comfortably and confidently. And couldn’t we all use a bit more of that?
Lainie Ishbia is a TEDx Speaker, Writer, Adaptive Fashion Consultant, and Disability Advocate. She is the founder of Trend-Able (trend-able.com), a lifestyle and fashion brand that provides adaptive solutions for people who wear AFOs and live with disabilities. Lainie is also the co-creator of the Embrace It Podcast and Workshop Series, where she partners with various organizations to promote disability awareness and inclusion in the workplace.
