Sally :

Be careful though. I ditched my AFO long time ago too though I stumbled lot in the begining too, but always was able to catch myself. I guess no guts no glory.

Asha

Heh. I need a brace from the waist down. The whole stretch is unstable, but shoes are not good for walking. As you mentioned, sneekers "stick" and cause those scary, sudden stops that can send us on a quick trip to the floor. Barefoot feels best for me. Even socks can be a challenge, but then I don't walk more than a hundred feet in a day, and then only while clinging tightly to the walker. So shoes aren't an issue. I've wondered if a AFO would make me a bit more stable, but kinda doubt it.

Dorothy

Good for you Sally! in stroke world the things that make us goes "wow"

Yvonne

Great news, keep on moving forward! I came home after a 5 month stay in the hospital on the rehab floor and couldn't walk at all. With more out patient therapy I soon learned and they said I no longer needed the AFO. I guess it's some where here in the house in a closet hiding from me.

I always wore tennis shoes with Velcro strap fasteners and on Sunday I wear my regular dress shoes to church! I can't stand to go bare footed at all. I did that growing up even to school in the country until I was in the 7th grade. They required I wear shoes then and I was given many pairs from the school nurse.

It's funny now because then we were required to play kick ball in our PT class and you must wear shoes to prevent broken toes!! Before then we just had a recess period outside.

By the 8th grade I had 3 pair jeans and shirts and two pair tennis shoes for school and one pair dress shoes for church wear all the way to graduation.

YES your week is getting better ( but no where to go but up from he snake incident LOL)---- CONGRATS on your new/old shoes !!!