Bledsoe Walkers - The Walker's Walker

The Tarrant County Volkssport Walkers (non-competitive 10 K walks) tested the leading walker boots. The test was walked over an obstacle course of barriers people face every day -- steps, hills, grass, ramps and more. Afterwards, they answered a questionaire and discussed each of the boots. They dubbed Bledsoe the 'Walker's Walker.'

I prefer the Bledsoe boot because of the amount of thought and engineering Gary Bledsoe put into his boot line. It is the details that make the difference - like the lower heel height and narrower heel that make the boot walk like a shoe, and takes pressure off the patients back and knees.

The ability to shape the metal uprights to accomodate swelling and dressings is important to me. I can reshape the bars as the width changes over time making the boot more proprioceptive - feels less like a boat anchor.

The 3 degree dorsiflexed stance position of the boot helps propel my patients knee forward naturally during gait. Most of the other boots are set at neutral or even plantar flexed which unnaturally hyperextends the knee during gait causing a falling backwards sensation. Not fun.

The rocker panel is cool as it has four critical radii - heel strike, mid-stance, swing phase, and toe-off. The timing of these curves allows for a very smooth forward gait transition without having to have an articulation.

Thanks Gary for a well thought out design, and thanks for the economical J-Line of boots.

But, how about you extend the J-Line's aluminum arms to the length of all your other boots!