Bracehorn - The shoehorn built for leg braces
Wider, concave, and angled — so an ankle-foot orthosis or leg brace slides straight into the shoe in one motion, without bending the heel counter or fighting the shoe.
- Finally, a shoehorn that fits a brace
- Built by a shoe fitter who watched this problem for years
Why won't a regular shoehorn work?
Standard shoehorns are narrow. A brace is far bulkier than a bare foot, so a thin shoehorn slides off it and won't hold an angle while you're trying to work. You end up guessing at the approach and making several attempts, all while pressing down on a shoe that's collapsing under the brace. Bracehorn is wider, concave, and set at a working angle, so the brace follows a guided path instead of wandering.
Which braces does it work with?
Bracehorn is built for people who wear a rigid or semi-rigid lower-leg brace daily — ankle-foot orthoses, carbon fibre and exoskeleton-style braces, and Arizona-style leather foot braces. Leather braces in particular grip the shoe lining and are among the hardest to get in without a guide. These braces are commonly worn by people living with drop foot, stroke survivors, and people with degenerative muscle conditions.
Does it work with boots?
Boots are where it makes the biggest difference. A brace removes dorsiflexion, meaning you can't point the toe up and down — and that's exactly the motion normally used to work a foot into a tall shoe. Take it away and boots become the hardest footwear there is to put on. Bracehorn also works with athletic shoes, walking shoes, and dress shoes. One thing worth knowing: slip-on shoes generally don't work with braces at all, whatever tool you use.
Will it scratch my brace?
No — it's designed the other way around. The inside of the Bracehorn takes the scratches so your brace doesn't. Something has to give when a brace slides across a surface under load, and it should be the tool, not the ankle-foot orthosis you rely on every day. Marks on the inside of the horn are expected and mean it's doing its job.
The problem
The back of the shoe was never built for this
Press a brace against the heel counter — the stiffened back of a shoe — and it bends. Do it every day and it cracks, and once a heel counter has broken down it won't return to shape. That's the damage Bracehorn was built to stop. It holds the path open so the brace slides down a guided channel instead of folding the shoe over on the way in.
The design
Wider, concave, and set at an angle
Three changes separate Bracehorn from an ordinary shoehorn. The extra width gives a bulky brace a surface broad enough to control. The concave channel cradles the brace and the heel counter together so everything stays in line. And the angle is set for someone working from a chair, so the foot comes into it naturally. Length and angle took the most trial and error — too long and it catches the calf, too steep and the foot won't slide.
Using it
Sit down, and let your weight do the work
Put the toe into the shoe and hold the tongue clear. Set the brace against the back of the heel where the Bracehorn is seated. Bring your weight down and let the brace slide into place. You're not pulling on the shoe or forcing anything — the horn holds the path and gravity does the rest.
Who made it
Invented by someone who fits shoes for a living
Our founder Dominic Ahn has spent decades fitting shoes in his own Seattle-area stores. He watched the same failure happen to customer after customer wearing braces — cracked heel counters, collapsed shoes, a thin shoehorn that was never designed for the job. Bracehorn came out of years of hands-on fittings, not a drawing board.