Re: Question about purchasing Markell shoes

[Guest guest]

I don't know about the Markell shoes, but you can easily get the shoes

(which are more comfortable for the baby and easier for the parents to put on)

directly from . He sends an easy to do impression kit by mail and

then mails them directly to you. They are $384 for the initial pair and then

about $300 for the following pairs as baby outgrows them, due to the bar being

adjustable and being used over again with new shoes. (7 months, too) is

in the shoes and we love them. Here is his website.

http://www.mdorthopaedics.com/index.htm<http://www.mdorthopaedics.com/index.htm>

Someone else can tell you about the Markells, but this way you have all your

options.

Carol

Question about purchasing Markell shoes

Hello!

I am new to this group- I have a 7 month old daughter, Noor, with

unilateral club foot on her left foot who is now in the DBB and

Markell shoes for 23 hrs. a day. We currently live in Austin TX and

have been treated by a great dr. here. Next month we will be

travelling to Pakistan for a year where my husband is going to be

doing his phd research and there are no doctors there that do Ponseti.

I know there is one in Dubai, but we have limited financial resources

and it would be very expensive for us to go there every 3 months.

Since we have family in the NY area, I was wondering if anyone knew

whether it's possible to buy the Markell shoes without a prescription

from a doctor, or without having them fitted from a professional. I

was thinking we could measure her ourselves with the chart that the

Markell company has, and ask someone in our family to buy the shoes

and mail them to us there and we would just replace them ourselves.

Also, we may need to adjust the bar length, does anyone have any

experience doing it themselves, and if so, where do you get the tools

needed for it?

Thank you,

Alia

[Guest guest]

I am not sure about purchasing the Markell shoes without a script,

but I would think it is possible. Maybe you can discuss it with the

orthotics company that you work with now and see what they suggest.

You say you have been treated by a great dr, I am sure if you

explain the situation to the dr, he would do everything he could to

accomodate you...he doesn't want you to lose the correction!

Which bar do you have (gold or red)? I know the red bar is very

easy to adjust...it requires an allen wrench (sorry I don't know the

size, we went to Home Depot & tried them until we found one that

fit), but you just loosen the clamps on the bar, change the width,

and tighten the clamps.

Good luck in your journeys!

Kaci (mom to , 12/17/05, bcf, DBB 23/7)

>

> Hello!

>

> I am new to this group- I have a 7 month old daughter, Noor, with

> unilateral club foot on her left foot who is now in the DBB and

> Markell shoes for 23 hrs. a day. We currently live in Austin TX and

> have been treated by a great dr. here. Next month we will be

> travelling to Pakistan for a year where my husband is going to be

> doing his phd research and there are no doctors there that do

Ponseti.

> I know there is one in Dubai, but we have limited financial

resources

> and it would be very expensive for us to go there every 3 months.

> Since we have family in the NY area, I was wondering if anyone knew

> whether it's possible to buy the Markell shoes without a

prescription

> from a doctor, or without having them fitted from a professional. I

> was thinking we could measure her ourselves with the chart that the

> Markell company has, and ask someone in our family to buy the shoes

> and mail them to us there and we would just replace them ourselves.

> Also, we may need to adjust the bar length, does anyone have any

> experience doing it themselves, and if so, where do you get the

tools

> needed for it?

> Thank you,

>

> Alia

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Alia

I wouldn't think you'd be likely to need more than two pair in a

year.. how about juest getting a larger pair before you go overseas.

Usually you go up two sizes when you change.

What does your current doctor recommend for your situation? Have you

spoken to him and/or the orthotist you are using now about getting

new shoes through them?

Without a checkup along the way, you'd have to keep an eagle eye on

her foot, and know what the warning signs are, and be absolutely

vigilant about brace wear and time .. but if her foot is well

corrected, and you do those things, it should be ok. I understand

that seeing Dr. Sinclair in Dubai might be difficult, but it's good

to know that such an experienced Ponseti doctor will be in your part

of the world.

Our daughter was fitted for the Markell shoes and brace in Iowa. We

continue to go back for checkups, but several times we have needed

new shoes, before it was time to go back, and I'd order a larger size

by phone, through the orthotics dept. They'd come in the mail a few

days later, and I'd put the shoes on the brace myself. All you need

is a flat-head screwdriver. Just be sure to mark the correct angle of

the shoes (with marker, on the bar) before you remove them.

Do you have the red, adjustable two piece bar? you widen it with an

allen wrench (small black L shaped tool). Loosen the two black

clamps, slide the bar apart, to keep the heels at shoulder width, and

tighten again. The adjustment is slight.. you don't want the bar too

wide or too narrow.

We are glad you've had a good expereince so far. Do you mind telling

us your doctor there in Texas? we like to hear of good doctors out

there.. esp. in areas where there have not been many Ponseti docs up

till now.

and Claire

unilateral left, almost 6 y.o., doing great

>

> Hello!

>

> I am new to this group- I have a 7 month old daughter, Noor, with

> unilateral club foot on her left foot who is now in the DBB and

> Markell shoes for 23 hrs. a day. We currently live in Austin TX and

> have been treated by a great dr. here. Next month we will be

> travelling to Pakistan for a year where my husband is going to be

> doing his phd research and there are no doctors there that do

Ponseti.

> I know there is one in Dubai, but we have limited financial

resources

> and it would be very expensive for us to go there every 3 months.

> Since we have family in the NY area, I was wondering if anyone knew

> whether it's possible to buy the Markell shoes without a

prescription

> from a doctor, or without having them fitted from a professional. I

> was thinking we could measure her ourselves with the chart that the

> Markell company has, and ask someone in our family to buy the shoes

> and mail them to us there and we would just replace them ourselves.

> Also, we may need to adjust the bar length, does anyone have any

> experience doing it themselves, and if so, where do you get the

tools

> needed for it?

> Thank you,

>

> Alia

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you all, for your feedback and your help.

We are planning to get her fitted with a larger size just before we

leave and the orthotist we use did (reluctantly) suggest we could do a

tracing of her foot and send it to him. The foot has been well

corrected, it was very flexible and she didn't need a tenotomy and has

done very well in the shoes- no blisters or sores.

We will keep a close eye on the foot and are planning to make one trip

during that year to Dubai to see Dr. Sinclair. Though our drs. (Dr.

Kahn & Dr. Shapiro) were great, I have to say they weren't very

forthcoming in helping us figure out what to do about our situation.

All they could tell us was that there were no drs that did Ponseti in

Pakistan. I will add their names to the database link on this website.

Thanks again!

Alia

> >

> > Hello!

> >

> > I am new to this group- I have a 7 month old daughter, Noor, with

> > unilateral club foot on her left foot who is now in the DBB and

> > Markell shoes for 23 hrs. a day. We currently live in Austin TX and

> > have been treated by a great dr. here. Next month we will be

> > travelling to Pakistan for a year where my husband is going to be

> > doing his phd research and there are no doctors there that do

> Ponseti.

> > I know there is one in Dubai, but we have limited financial

> resources

> > and it would be very expensive for us to go there every 3 months.

> > Since we have family in the NY area, I was wondering if anyone knew

> > whether it's possible to buy the Markell shoes without a

> prescription

> > from a doctor, or without having them fitted from a professional. I

> > was thinking we could measure her ourselves with the chart that the

> > Markell company has, and ask someone in our family to buy the shoes

> > and mail them to us there and we would just replace them ourselves.

> > Also, we may need to adjust the bar length, does anyone have any

> > experience doing it themselves, and if so, where do you get the

> tools

> > needed for it?

> > Thank you,

> >

> > Alia

> >

>