The simple act of putting on a shoe becomes a complex and always frustrating process when you have foot drop as a neurological sequela of spinal surgery. For years, I struggled and wrestled with various footwear. In our home, we often discussed how to devise a system to slide the foot in without the toes curling inside the shoe. When you can’t feel your foot or toes, the person helping you can never be sure if your toes have gone in straight or have folded under. If they curl and the person, unaware, keeps pushing forcefully, something you cannot feel it can lead to blisters, skin abrasions, lost nails, or even broken toes. And you might stand or walk like that for hours, with no indication that anything is wrong until you take the shoe off at the end of the day and see the bruising.
Anyone with this infernal problem knows exactly what I’m talking about.
One of the great absurdities is walking into any of the countless shoe stores and realizing you can’t buy a single pair because of your foot drop. All shoes on the market are made for a population with no foot problems whatsoever. I cannot buy the shoes I like because I cannot get my feet into them.
Furthermore, elderly people or those with specific foot issues or swelling also struggle to find suitable footwear. This represents a significant percentage of the population who cannot wear the shoes dictated by current fashion. If you look carefully at people on the street, you can easily spot those having trouble with their shoes, especially older individuals.
It took many years before a company appeared on the global market that finally solved the problem I had struggled with for too long.
Currently, the most functional footwear on the market for individuals with quadriplegia, foot drop, or other similar challenges is Billy Footwear.
Billy Footwear was designed by a man who also lives with quadriplegia.
While still in rehabilitation after a cervical spinal cord injury, Billy Price realized there was no easily wearable footwear on the market. He dedicated himself to solving this problem and later co-founded the company with a friend.
At 18, Billy Price suffered a fall from a third-floor balcony, resulting in a spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis from the chest down. This injury significantly complicated his daily activities, including putting on shoes. After rehabilitation, he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering and gained his independence.
In 2012, Billy teamed up with his longtime friend Darin Donaldson, who was already involved in entrepreneurship and had experience with business innovation. Together, they founded BILLY Footwear, aiming to create stylish yet functional footwear specifically designed for people with physical disabilities. Their patented design features a zipper that runs along the side and around the toe of the shoe, allowing the upper to open fully and facilitate easy dressing.
Although his friend Darin Donaldson was not a professional footwear designer before co-founding the company, his entrepreneurial passion and innovative spirit, combined with Billy’s engineering skills, led to the creation of shoes that blend fashion and functionality, making them suitable for a wide range of users.
Website: https://billyfootwear.com
Often, the best things happen when a person first finds a way to help themselves, and many others later recognize its value. True heroes.
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