How to Add More Stability to An Orthotic Device Via Topcovers

This simple trick has made many orthotic devices more stable over the years. Here I show a more complex version, but the general principle can be used just by adding a new top cover with medial and lateral wings. When the patient places their foot in the shoe, they must make sure the wings do not end up under their foot. They should be between your foot and the shoe. This trick can also be used with power lacing and simple tongue pads to greatly stabilize the foot and ankle for less pronation/supination tendencies. 

Here is a right orthotic device that I will add stability to by using 1/8th inch poron (JMS Plastics) to the medial and lateral sides of the heel cup area. This will increase the surface area to grab the foot from moving. Of course, for a severe supinator, this can be done only to the lateral side (baby toe side), and for a severe pronator, this can be done only on the medial side (arch side).

Here the poron has been glued and the poron has been skived along the edge of the plastic. 

The poron is now rounded to mold to the shoe easier.

Leather is used to reinforce the outside of the flaps or wings as I like to call them to make it more sturdy.

Here the leather reinforcement has been glued.

Here you can see the leather goes all the way down to the bottom of the rear foot extrinsic post.

Here the leather has been trimmed.

Side view of the wings created by the poron and leather. Any shoe repair store will have some scrapes of leather to use.

Another view on how the poron has been skived or beveled.

Here 1/8th inch neolon to cut to be the top cover of the orthotic (also purchased JMS Plastics).

Bottom view of the top cover glued and applied.d

Top view of the final trimmed product.

Closer view of the wings and top cover in place.

Close  up view of the leather, poron, and neolon around one side of the heel cup.