An orthopedic walking boot promotes rapid healing of diabetic foot
ulcerations by lowering the maximum peak pressure imposed upon the foot.
The walker has a hard unyielding shell which is designed for walking. The
shell closely and rigidly supports a mid-sole in a foot-shaped bed. The
mid-sole has a foot-shaped cavity with rounded sides adapted to form
resilient support for the heel, arch and sides of a foot in addition to
the bottom of a foot. A conformable inner-sole is adapted to fit over the
foot-shaped cavity in the mid-sole and be compressed in response to foot
pressure between the sides and bottom of the foot and the sides and
bottom of the foot-shaped cavity in the mid-sole thereby compensating for
small differences between the shape of the foot and the shape of the
cavity. Weight applied to the foot is transferred to the walking shell by
contact between the sides of the foot, arch, and heel and the arch, heel
and sides of the foot-shaped cavity as well as the bottom of the cavity
thereby decreasing the peak or maximum unit pressure on the plantar
surface of the foot. A breathable bootie which wraps the foot and lower
leg in a protective "cocoon" is preferably secured to the upper surface
of the insole thereby preventing foreign materials from entering the foot
cavity.