We’re proud to offer exceptional custom shoe options for our patients, made perfectly for their feet based on their medical needs while feeling fantastic and looking like normal, stylish footwear.

We partner with a leading company in the Netherlands to create your custom shoes based on our medical prescriptions and your personal preferences when it comes to the look and style of your shoes. This means that you’re able to wear high-quality orthopaedic shoes that best support and preserve your mobility and foot health without being limited to the big, bulky black shoes that custom footwear is often associated with. The custom shoes we produce are durable, long-lasting and meet the international legislation requirements for footwear production.

Why Custom Footwear & Orthopaedic Footwear?

Not only are everyone’s feet unique with a range of different considerations and potential challenges, but what a person needs to stay comfortable and mobile on their feet to the best of their ability, and for as long as possible, also varies greatly. This means that standard shoes aren’t the right fit for many.

Custom footwear provides a superior solution to those that struggle to fit shoes comfortably, or have underlying conditions that mean they have specific footwear needs or risks to their foot health that need to be well managed. Here, their shoes play a vital role in supporting their long-term health, well-being, mobility and quality of life.

What Problems & Conditions Will Custom Footwear Help Manage?

One of the things that we love about custom footwear is its versatility and ability to support such a wide range of foot pains and problems. Your shoes have the power to provide a great deal of support and stability for your feet anytime you walk, helping keep you comfortable and mobile while supporting your healing and recovery. Your shoes are also very much a preventative tool - as when you wear the right shoes, it can help prevent future injury and reinjury for an existing problem. This is why wearing the right shoes at all times is very important.

As custom shoes are designed specifically for your feet and your unique circumstances, they will help support you in the management of everything including:

• Foot deformities: custom footwear accommodates and supports those with foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, a clubfoot and more, as it’s often difficult to find shoes that fit properly and comfortably. 
  

• Uncommon shoe size or characteristics: let’s face it, our feet are far from being ‘standard’ when it comes to their sizing and characteristics - so we can’t expect our feet to fit comfortably and safely within one ‘size’ of shoe. We see plenty of patients with foot characteristics like a large width, bony prominences and very high arches (to name a few) that can greatly benefit from custom footwear.
  

• Diabetes: with one of the biggest complications of diabetes being neuropathy (lost sensation), those with diabetes are at risk for foot ulcers (and subsequent infection), as well as undetected corns, callus and areas of high pressure that can lead to injury. In this case, custom footwear can provide proper support, cushioning, and reduce the risk of injury from high-pressure areas, even from the foot rubbing against the sides of the shoes for those with wide feet.
  

• Arthritis: custom shoes can be designed with accommodative features to help alleviate pain and discomfort associated with various forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
  

• Leg length discrepancies: custom footwear can be used to correct or accommodate leg length discrepancies by having the bottom of one shoe built up accordingly to match the desired height to bring the lower limbs and body back into a more optimal alignment.
  

• Lymphedema: custom shoes can be very helpful in helping to manage the ongoing swelling and discomfort associated with lymphedema by being designed to be big enough (or allow for expansion) as well as supporting a person’s foot characteristics in the right ways.

• Neurological Conditions: Disorders such as cerebral palsy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, post-polio syndrome, and spina bifida can lead to foot deformities like equinovarus, pes cavus, or claw toes, often requiring custom footwear to provide support, alleviate pressure, and improve mobility. Your custom  shoes can have orthotics and AFO’s built into the shoes for convenience and accurate fitting.

• Post-surgical or injury recovery: after surgery or injury, custom footwear is often an ideal choice as it is able to offer the best support and comfort to aid in the healing process and optimise healing and recovery outcomes.
  

• Geriatric foot issues: as we age, there’s a lot that can change or go wrong that the average shoe just isn’t designed for and doesn’t consider. Custom shoes can accommodate these changes easily given they are prescribed especially for you and your foot characteristics, providing support and reducing the risk of falls and other complications.
  

Why Choose Our Custom Footwear?

We’re not going to downplay it: what we’re able to do and achieve with our custom footwear is extremely exciting and satisfying for us, and it’s often life-changing for our patients. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional custom footwear - we partner with a high-quality orthopaedic footwear manufacturer that truly cares and invests in what they do to provide a truly superior product that people love because of their style. We then pair their processes and innovation with our own skills, expertise and passion for getting our patients the very best health outcomes, taking meticulous care to carefully consider every aspect of your custom footwear prescription. The result is patients who feel more comfortable, supported and mobile than they ever thought they could on their feet, in light of their personal foot-related circumstances. Plus - the style of shoes you can choose from is truly amazing, from heeled boots to those that look similar to Air Force Ones.

How Does Our Custom Footwear Process Work?

Our podiatrists help make the process as easy and efficient for you as possible. From your first appointment to when your custom shoes arrive, the process takes approximately 6-9 weeks depending on your needs. If your order is urgent, we can expedite the process and have your shoes to you in approximately four weeks, depending on shipping times.

Initial Consultation & Assessment

The first step is to have an appointment with our podiatrists that will assess your feet and discuss the problems and concerns you’re experiencing. We’ll go through a management plan for you, including the role that custom shoes can play in this, if this is what you’re wanting. If you want to go ahead, we’ll take a series of measurements and a 3D foot scan to ensure that your shoes have a perfect fit. We consider every aspect of your shoe prescription - from the materials they’re made from to the height of the heel, to how they open/close and whether they have a non-slip outsole - as well as everything in between.

We’ll then go through the footwear brochure with you to help you select the best shoe style for your feet. This will be one that meets two important criteria: first is that the shoe is able to comfortably and effectively accommodate your feet and their unique needs, and then second is that you love their look!

Custom Design

The team overseas will use CAD-CAM technology (computer-aided design and manufacture) to design the lasts for your shoes based on the scans and all of the information provided by our podiatrists. Your lasts are actually milled and hand-finished, and are then used as the base of your orthopaedic shoes.

As there are quite a few shoe and style options available and it’s important that your foot is well-suited to your desired shoe, your lasts may be tested using a fitting shoe for the client. This is called the fitting phase. After this first fitting phase, a second may follow to test a leather trial shoe or a lining shoe. This is all done to make sure the final shoe concept will fit well - there is a great deal of care put into every pair of orthopaedic shoes.

Multiple Fittings And Adjustments

There are several options for how the shoes are made - and whether you want a trial fitting phase. Ultimately, once your shoe design is completed overseas, we receive an image of the final design that we can either approve, or request additional changes to. Once the design is approved, the shoes are created and then shipped to us. We get you in for a fitting appointment, and can make any adjustments as needed.

Follow Up Care And Support

We’re always here to help and offer follow-up care and support for your orthopaedic shoes. We also complete our own footwear modifications, so if your foot circumstances change or a new problem arises, we will be able to modify your shoes (if necessary) to help.

How Much Does Custom Footwear Cost?

This is highly variable depending on your unique foot health needs and the style of shoe and materials you select. Most custom orthopaedic shoes fall into the $800 - $4500 price bracket.

Is Custom Footwear Covered By Health Insurance?

No, only the consultations with our podiatrists are covered. However, NDIS and the Home Care Package are able to fund custom footwear when necessary. You will need to discuss this and your eligibility directly with them.

Do I Need A Referral For Custom Footwear?

We accept all referrals for custom footwear - but you are welcome to self-refer and book yourself in too. Custom footwear isn’t limited to medical referrals only.

Book A Custom Footwear Consultation Now

Whether you’re not sure if custom shoes could be the ideal solution for you and want to have a relaxed chat, or you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help. Book in with our podiatry team at our Brisbane CBD or Newmarket clinics and we’ll ensure you have the very best experience with your custom shoes - or let you know if there’s an alternate pathway to help you get the results you want for your feet.