Cerebral Palsy Life Hacks-Volume 3
Cadense Adaptive Shoes
Welcome to the second in-depth installment of the CP Life Hacks Series! Today's topic covers something that I think most of us with CP would describe as having a love/hate relationship with…shoes! If you know me personally, you know that I love to be outside and immersed in nature as much as possible. I grew up hiking through Yosemite and Yellowstone, have discovered a passion for running over the past 10 years, and love to travel to places that are perfect for adventuring. All of these places call for having a sturdy pair of shoes, which can be hard to find, especially when you have cerebral palsy. Shoe shopping was never something I looked forward to as a kid, but that may have just changed thanks to a new shoe on the market…
Cadense Adaptive Shoes are the first of its kind…a truly adaptive shoe, designed specifically for people with disabilities. What makes the shoe adaptive in every sense of the word is in the sole of the shoe. Typical running shoes are designed with better arch support than a standard sneaker, which is fantastic, but they also always have high tread along the entirety of the sole. This can be a tripping hazard for those of us whose gaits are not typical. The Cadense adaptive shoe had this in mind when designing it. The sole of the Cadense has two low friction nylon pucks on the sides near the toe. This allows for your foot to slide over obstacles or uneven terrain. The toe of the shoe is still designed with a high friction tread area, similar to what you would find in an average running shoe. High friction allows for the user to stop and toe off at any point, making stopping and starting easier, even on uneven terrain.
Cadense Adaptive Shoes offers both men’s and women’s sizing, and are priced at $199.99 per pair. They offer free shipping and returns on all orders! All Cadense shoes have a velcro closure at the top, making them super easy to slip on and go. Men’s sizing starts at a US size 8 and goes up to a size 14, and they offer half sizes for 8.5 through 11.5. Regular width and wide width are both offered, and all men’s shoes come in black, white, or slate gray. The size guide on their website also features equivalency sizing for UK, European and Japanese sizing.
Women’s sizing is also offered in regular and wide width. They offer US women’s sizes 5 through 12, with half sizes offered for sizes 5.5 up to 10.5. Women’s shoes offer the full range of sizes in black or white. They also have a light blue shoe in sizes 5 through 11, with half sizes and a light pink shoe in sizes 8, 8.5, and 9. Sizing is said to be true to size, and it is recommended to buy the size you would wear for a typical running shoe. All in stock shoes will ship 1-2 business days after an order is placed. They also have a preorder option that is expected to ship by September.
I hope that this post has helped at least a few of you find the right shoe for you, or at least made the process a little easier! One more CP Life Hack Post is coming up soon! Until next time!!
