I had come across this style of ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) a few times in my research. I was not convinced. The reviews were always mixed and mostly leaned toward the negative. It did not look very sturdy, I thought it would ruin my shoe, and it was fairly visible to others. At that point in my life, I was still coming to terms with a lot of things, including the need for an AFO. I did not want others to see I was wearing one. I especially did not want people to approach me and ask questions about it.

The SaeboStep seemed different from the others I was coming across. For starters, the reviews were better.

5.0 star rating. Review by Andrew K. Walking normally again. I am fairly new to having drop foot. I do have a rigid AFO – but wasn’t happy with it. I found the Saebostep online and it has been fantastic! Easy to install on my shoes and pretty discreet. I can walk with a pretty normal gait and enjoy the comfort of my own shoes. I ordered additional eyelet kits so that I can use the Saebostep with all of my favorite shoes!

5.0 star rating. Review by Jan W. I have drop foot and Saebo made my life so much better with this brace. It works flawlessly and I wear it every day. The VA had made an AFO that went inside your shoe and it was so uncomfortable. This Saebo foot brace works as advertised.

5.0 star rating. Review by Elena R. Hassle free. I have Multiple Sclerosis and I’ve been having a lot of trouble with foot drop. My Dr. had gotten me a brace but it was a metal type one that went in my shoe. I hated it. It was so hard to put it on. I was in tears while putting on the brace. It went all the way up just past my calf. Very uncomfortable. I like the SaeboStep because it is so easy to put on. Best of all it doesn’t go inside my shoe. I can put it on and take it off without removing my shoe. I can also easily adjust it depending on how severe my foot drop was each day.

5.0 star rating. Review by Ronald N. It has improved my walking 100 % and your customer service is fantastic

Plus, they were offering a 30-day money-back guarantee. That was the selling point that convinced me to spend the $160 and give it a try.

From the first time I put the SaeboStep on, I knew it was an improvement over the Orthomen I had been wearing. My biggest complaint with my prior AFO was foot numbness and the pain it caused by rubbing against the back of my heel. Due to the style of the SaeboStep, I did not foresee either of those being an issue.

The first thing you need to do is insert the eyelet hooks into your shoes. The SaeboStep comes with tiny screws and a mini Allen wrench to do this. It is not necessarily a difficult task, but if you struggle with fine motor skills it may be more time-consuming than you think. Multiple sclerosis made handling the tiny tools difficult. I struggled and dropped the screws and wrench a few times. I sat on the floor so nothing would manage to roll too far away. It was not impossible. I managed. It did take a while, though.

Unlike most other AFO devices, the SaeboStep does not insert into your shoe. Instead, a cuff velcros around your ankle. Sometimes I would find the cuff rubbing against my ankle in an uncomfortable way, but the issue was always resolved with a quick adjustment. There is a cord that connects the cuff to the eyelet hooks on your shoe. This cord helps keep the front of your foot lifted.

I fell in love with it. At the time, my foot drop was not nearly as bad as it is now. I could still manage short hikes and walks. Every now and then, I would stumble as my toes failed to lift as I took a step forward. The SaeboStep easily corrected that. Another benefit was how less fatigued I was when I used it. I had not realized how much energy I had been using to walk. The SaeboStep did some of the work for me, and it was a noticeable difference.

The SaeboStep began going on every hike and dog walk with me. It was not a miracle cure for my foot drop, but it day save me from a lot of tripping. I ordered an extra set of hooks so I could connect it to my work shoes. It was discreet enough that it was mostly covered by the bottom of my scrub pants. On days I wore it, I noticed a huge difference in how fatigued I was at the end of the day. It also kept me from having embarrassing stumbles.

Overall, I was very impressed with the SaeboStep. I still own one and continue to use it intermittently. It stopped being my full-time brace as my foot drop worsened. One of the nice things about the device is the ability to adjust the tension on the cords by simply turning a dial. The tighter you twist the cords, the more lift you get. Unfortunately, I was getting to the point where I needed the cords extremely tight. Having them pull on the front of my shoe was causing a lot of foot pain and numbness. Something I had not previously experienced with this AFO. Another plus for the SaeboStep was how easy it was to release the tension, though. At work, as soon as I would sit down, I would reach down and pull the dial outward. This would release the cords and allow me to stretch my ankle. Before standing again, I would push the dial back in and turn it until the cords were tight again. This was never an issue, even with the problems I have with my hands and fingers.

In the end, I would recommend the SaeboStep to anyone with mild foot drop. Mine worked great until my foot drop worsened beyond what the device was meant to hold up to. It worked wonderfully for walking around the neighborhood, hiking, and being on my feet all day at work. I appreciated that the device did not have to be inserted into my shoe. That prevented a lot of issues that I was having from my prior AFO. The cord on mine eventually did break, though it lasted a lot longer than I had expected it to. It was easily changed out while watching an instructional video.

I did not like the limitations when it came to switching the SaeboStep from one shoe to another. The device does not work without the eyelet hooks to connect the cables to. You can purchase extra eyelet hooks from their website for about $8. They also offer a hole puncher to make spots for the hooks on shoes without laces.

If your foot drop is mild, give the SaeboStep a try. If it is more moderate to severe, speak with your healthcare provider about being referred to an orthotist for an AFO appropriate for you. That is where my journey took me and in my next and final post about AFOs I will tell you about finally finding the one that has worked for me for nearly a year now.

*Since I purchased my SaeboStep, they have since released a newer model. My experience is with the older model.