Aircast SP (Short Pneumatic) Walker Brace / Walking Boot, Large

Customer Reviews

Air Cast Boots Are Simply the Best, But This One Has One Small But FIXABLE Noise Problem...Which When Fixed Makes it Perfect!I love the Aircast brand generally so when I had foot surgery recently and didn't like the boot they gave me to go home with I ordered this one. I needed a boot that had a wide area around the toes and this served that purpose well. One aspect that initially bugged me was a new one for me. I'd read that other reviewers said this boot was noisey...but I didn't get what they meant until I walked in it. It is noisey, and it's because of the way it's constructed.The plastic portion that's inserted to go over the front of your leg and that covers the top of your foot uses Velcro to affix itself to the main boot unit. But when you walk the Velcro flexes as does the plastic boot and it makes this annoying scraping velcroy sound. But I figured out a really simple solution for that and that's why I'm writing this review...because aside from that one aspect this boot is far superior to any I've tried.The reason Air Cast is superior is because along with your boot you're sent a little blue bulb that's actually a farily sophisticated hand pump to inflate different sections of the interior of the boot. After you try it on you can use the little pump to customize how it fits. This can be really important in the early days of healing following surgery. You want you foot to be 'snugly comfortable'. It just takes a few minutes to do this and makes the world of difference in terms of comfort and support.But what's even cooler is that as you heal and the swelling subsides...you can use the same little hand pump to release air from the various sections or to add more air as needed. The little pump is reversible so it's a brilliant idea as long as you don't missplace it! One thing I love about Air Casts are that they come completely apart if you want to wash all of the components. They aren't cheap so I always save them after I've healed just in case I need something similar again...which I almost always do!My Fix for the NoiseTo solve the noise problem just turn the top piece upside down (so the writing on it is upside down.) I didn't think this would work because if you look closely at the 2 opposing edges, they are shaped a little differently...but it turns out that doesn't really matter. When it's upside down that piece will still fit in the exact same way that it does when right side up. Granted the Velcro is now at the bottom...but that doesn't matter because the very wide strap is all that's needed to keep the boot in place...and in fact the Velcro is an addition that very few other boot makers even bother adding. When the front piece is upside down the boot is quiet and still fits well! 4DisappointmentSo I have had this less then a month now. When I first got it I really liked it. It fit good. Kept my foot stable and no problems with the air bags. My issue is with the interior felt boot. It is falling apart. Holes in the side of it where it rubs against the plastic. The back has a hole where the velcro "used" to attach. Front Velcro closures will no longer hold. Pretty sure most people who purchase this boot need it to last more than a month. 1This boot is extremely comfortable, and I would knowThis boot is extremely comfortable, and I would know, as I have been and will be in a boot for quite awhile. it is so much easier to gain a gentle forward motion with this boot compared to what you can achieve in the typical black one that your podiatrist or foot surgeon gives you from their office. Additionally, my foot surgeon says this style will be better for long-term use, as it causes less wear & tear on my knee & hip joints on that leg. I like having the ability to inflate the insulation with the included tool. It truly enables you to feel more like you are walking on air, which has helped tremendously with comfort on days when I must walk longer distances. If your medical condition is primarily in your foot and/or ankle and your doctor says a shorter boot is adequate, then you may well like the lighter weight this boot provides. Plus, no rubbing or banging on your shin as much as the taller boots! 5Company DOES NOT accept returns since 2018 in January.WARNING: The DJO Global Company for this product DOES NOT ACCEPT RETURNS FOR ANY REASON since January 2018.I looked everywhere on the page and could not find any info provided by the company about whether they accept returns or not. After trying the Aircast SP Brace, I wanted to return it, and found in the reviews that starting around January 2018, the company no longer accepts returns.This review is for my sister's experience with the product.Pros:- NothingCons:1. too heavy2. too bulky3. Company DOES NOT ACCEPT RETURNS FOR ANY REASON.My sister's foot is 8 1/2, but the size chart for "Medium" says it should accommodate sizes 8-11 in women's. Her toes felt too crammed in. 1BEWARE OF SIZING and DESIGN FLAWS!!!! OUCH!!!This boot runs very small. I wear a 6.5 and I ordered the Small which should fit sizes 5-8 but it does not fit comfortably it is TOO SMALL. I have a Jones fracture and I needed to wear a boot for 6-8+ weeks and my doc recommended this brand (they sell a version of them in their office) and I decided to order it online to save money. I have tried every way to wear it but the pump device that blows up the little plastic pads inside sits RIGHT on my fracture and it does not matter if the green thing is blown all the way up, the pressure of just standing on my foot presses the pad out on either side and the pump device portion isn't flush with the boot so it ends up sitting directly on my injury. :'( I am not overweight so that is not the issue.I wanted to love this boot and I DO like that it has a rubberized bottom to give it good grip to keep the injured person from slipping down! It is such a shame that this one didn't work because I really need to wear a boot but since they won't take back the boot to exchange it for the right size, I will have to go back to the other boot with more plastic bottom, but at least it is padded like crazy so no hard plastic pieces press against my injury.The pictures I am attaching will show my injury (Jones fracture) and the circular area I drew in red is where ALL of my pain is from my injury but it is also right where the hard plastic pump mechanism sits directly on my foot. I have only worn this boot ONE TIME and when I got in the car to come home (I am a full-time nursing student and I walk around a lot) I could not wait to take off this boot and my foot had re-swollen to the size it was the night I got the original injury and it was blue again from bruising. I had to elevated and ice it again all evening which I had not had to do for nearly 5 weeks (since original injury).I cannot recommend this boot at all. The sizing was totally off as well so beware of that. 1Think about how you want to keep it clean when you orderI bought this based on all the helpful reviews. It's fantastic. Since hopefully we are not going to be repeat buyers, a couple of things that I haven't see commented upona) SIZE: The sizing chart is in the pictures. Be careful at the size boundaries, I'm a 13EEE and went 'safe' with the XL (13+), which was huge. I bought another Large (which is 11-13) and that was fine. Note that both worked as the straps and pneumatics tighten up the XL, but it is bigger and heavier than what I needed.b) CLEANING: You're going to wear this outside and inside (and depending on doc's orders, sleep with it on). It will get dirty. If you care (we don't wear shoes inside our house, so having an outdoor boot in my bed freaks me) you need a strategy: 1) You can wear it outside, then cover it with a clean cover inside. Aircast sells a 'hygenic cover' on Amazon. It gets a bunch of negative reviews because dummies use it the wrong way "I walked outside for 2 miles and it wore through" "i spent two hours cleaning my garage with it on". The cover is for inside. 2) You can clean it. My friend swore by keeping a container of lysol wipes at the door and just wiping it down. 3) You could cover the cast when going outside. I'm not going to recommend this strategy. You'll likely defeat the non-skid sole and put yourself at risk of a fall. You're going to wear through a fabric cover quickly, something more substantial will simply increase the height mismatch with your other foot.Or you can get two, like me. I wear the XL indoors and L outdoors. It's not as crazy as it sounds, I generally only go out once (to work) and I need to take the cast off to change out of my dress pants anyways.c) Wet weather - I bought a cover from myRecovery, but haven't used it yet. Note this covers the upper of the boot and leaves the non-slip sole exposed. (which is what you want for outside).d) Wear - I wear a sock inside. I bought a few of the aircast liner socks, they are fine, longer than what is needed for the Aircast SP and they seem to pick up a smell easier than a normal cotton sock. I also tuck my pant leg into the top of the boot. It all works easily. 5My Doctor Approved of Boot; Some Adjustment Necessary*Here s my best tip: If it feels like the boot is too roomy, and/or your foot slides around inside the boot, even a little bit, use a small piece of padding for cushioning.Here s my story: I thought I had a hairline crack in my foot bone and initially bought this boot to see if using it would help the bone heal. My foot continued hurting, tho, and eventually, an x-ray showed that my fifth metatarsal bone, located on the outside edge of the foot, was broken. I had surgery to get a pin inserted in it to help it heal. After surgery and one week of no weight bearing, the doctor said I could use this boot and start walking. A week after that, I complained to the doctor that the inside of the boot was rubbing against the pinned bone. He got a thin, compressed, rectangular shaped pad, about 4 x 3-1/2 and tucked it on the inside of the boot at the bone break area, secured the flaps and assembled the rest of the boot on my foot. I m including a photo to show the pad and placement. I was surprised at how this small piece of padding made the boot more comfortable to wear and my foot is less sore. I m still waiting for the bone to heal and babying my foot whenever possible, but I m able to get around a little better when necessary 4Again, Amazon and its sellers underpromise and overdeliver.Again, Amazon and its sellers underpromise and overdeliver. Thank you for shipping this way faster than you promised again.This is a lesser version of another level of short aircast but sufficient and economical. It is light and a little flexy but the foot is sufficiently stiff to stabilize my fractured 5th metatarsal. It inflates easily for a decent and comfortable fit.I customized the footbed with Dr Scholl's gel arch supports which helps further stabilize my foot and make the very flat footbed more comfortable.I wear a 7.5 shoe and SMALL fits me properly. The tongue is padded well but is a separate piece. I am using this instead the the ridiculously heavy and uncomfortable boot cast that was given to me in ER. We will see what my orthopedist says but I feel stable and safer in this than the heavy, bulky and cumbersome black boot that had 5 Velcros, and came up to my knee. 4These aircast walker boots saved my feet!I developed plantar fasciitis in the spring of this year from carelessly trying some fast walking in my driveway and rocky parking area. I had no idea that doing so could injure my feet. What I thought were stone bruises was this nasty plantar fasciitis! The podiatrist has helped a little, but being somewhat of an egomaniac and jerk he wouldn't listen to what I told him I needed. I had to buy these aircast walker boots for both feet myself as I was on my feet all day caring for my mom and doing housework and wasn't getting sufficient relief from other treatments (exercise, pain/anti-inflammatory cream). I had requested these boots and was pretty sure my insurance would cover them, but all he gave me were some flimsy air bubbles to wear.I bought one boot for the worst foot first--the right foot and after wearing them for just a few days experienced significant relief. After about 1-1/2 weeks wearing the boot, my right foot was much better. I bought a second boot for my left foot and experienced relief after just a few days. I wear them both when I have to do a lot of walking (for grocery shopping) but have been able to wear my diabetic shoes with special orthotics during much of the day after just a couple of weeks' use of these boots.I highly recommend these boots to someone experiencing foot pain and not getting relief quick enough or at all from other methods of recovery. I do still wear compression toe socks, sleeves and sometimes socks to help protect my feet in addition to these boots. 5Mobility SaverAfter I rolled my ankle tripping while going down some stairs, I was on crutches and a kneewalker for a couple weeks before getting the Aircast SP. There were a few times with the kneewalker that I thought I would be going face-first into the ground. The steering system on those is similar to that no longer allowed on children's wagons because - oh, right - it's just too dangerous. Yet we still have it on a mobility device. Occasionally, you have to move around in ways that the kneewalker and crutches don't allow, and these occasional movements were enough to re-injure my ankle twice in the three weeks I was using them. One time, I managed to re-roll the ankle even with the brace my doctor gave me. Another time, I was going down the stairs out of my apartment and hit the heel/ankle just right that, in its weakend, injured state, it bent too far. This was a bad situation, so I purchased the Aircast as soon as I was able to put my full weight on the ankle.Wow! What an amazing, life-changing difference. Thanks to the Aircast, I am able to walk again. I don't have to ask other people to carry stuff around for me while I worry about getting myself around the room without performing a faceplant into the ground because the floor was a bit uneven and catches a wheel or crutch foot. I am able to walk confidently knowing that if I take a bad step, my foot has some protection before I cause further injury to it.Thanks to the air ballasts, I am able to keep compression on my ankle when necessary, and give that joint the support it needs when it needs it.Before the Aircast SP, I was not leaving my apartment any more than I had to. Now, I've been going downtown to resume the work that I do - creating photo, video and written content for the websites I help manage. Sometimes, that can mean a lot of walking. With my Aircast, that's a lot of walking without injuring my foot.After my X-Rays, my doctor told me in no uncertain terms to treat my sprain like a break. However, they were very good with me using an Aircast. I don't know where I would be without mine. I take that back, I do know. I'd still be stuck at home wearing an inferior brace. 5

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Aircast

Aircast SP (Short Pneumatic) Walker Brace / Walking Boot, Large

Aircast SP (Short Pneumatic) Walker Brace / Walking Boot, Large

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