BraceAbility Sleeping Stretch Boot - Plantar Fasciitis Night Foot Splint Adjustable Achilles Tendonitis Brace for Fascia, Tendon and Calf Stretching, Heel and Bone Spur or Arch Pain Treatment (Small)

This semi-orthotic device worked wonders for my kid. He is 17 and was having issues with pain, due to his flat feet and wearing shoe inserts. The surgeon said it would go one of two ways, this simple device would work if he wore it on each leg (taking turns) for 30 minutes...forcing his foot to stay extended upwards as much as tolerable. My son used it for about one month and he went for a negative 15 degrees bend/flexion to a neutral zero. An improvement of 15 degrees. He needs to get to positive 10 and is well on the way. He already says standing all day no longer bothers his knees and ankles. So, a win-win...depending on your circumstances. It does what it was intended to do.

Great product, I tried for Achilles tendinitis to stretch my calf and Achilles. All cut of blood flow as the pull of my foot eventually became centered around painful pressure points this one (due to the hard cover) dissipated the weight evenly.

In my experience, plantar fasciitis may be chronic, or it may manifest as only as the stabbing foot pain that greets one’s first steps of the day; but if you have the former, you’ll certainly have the latter. For me, this product is highly effective in greatly reducing, abd sometimes eliminating, the sharp morning pang, and general mobility is much improved. It hasn’t entirely cured the PF, however.First, some good points about this particular product, as opposed to some others. It came completely assembled and is quite intuitive in use, two things that could not be said about a competing product which I recently reviewed (negatively) and returned. Second, it comes with instructions which are very well done, with clear illustrations and verbiage in straightforward NATIVE ENGLISH – not to be taken for granted in modern times.In use, it is relatively quick and easy to put on and take off, given the quick-release buckles for the three retaining straps across the foot and calf. These need to be adjusted only once to fit the individual, and Velcro makes that easy. The lateral tension straps on each side set the angle of the foot with respect to the leg and thus the stretch of the plantar fascia; as the instructions make clear, start easy and adjust for greater tension as the days pass. An additional adjustment is the triangular foam block that Velcros into place at the very front of the foot, raising the toes and ball of the foot. (See attached photo.) This is optional, but I recommend it, as it adds tension to the plantar fascia without making the angle between the foot and calf more acute.There is the general issue of comfort, and this will be highly individual, as other reviews here will show. Constraining the angle between any two articulated body parts can be itself a source of discomfort – think of your leg in a cast, which is what this is, sort of. For my part, the boot itself does not become uncomfortable through the night, but my calf muscles may be “fatigued” the next day if I have had the boot on for too long. This isn’t plantar fasciitis, but rather the effect of this treatment. Hence, it has become my practice to have the boot on for only the first four or so hours of the night, and then give the leg some mobility for the remainder.This is nevertheless enough treatment time to prevent the sharp pain of the day’s first steps, and general mobility has been improved, hence the four stars. I no longer limp visibly. But in itself it has not “cured” my PF – it has only made a useful improvement. Perhaps Dr. Scholl and his insoles will get me across the finish line.Some reviewers have complained about the boot’s hardware getting tangled in the sheets, etc., but this has not been a problem for me. On the other hand (or rather foot), I will admit that it is not the most romantic of personal accessories. Ahem.About daytime wear, the instructions are clear that the boot is “not for walking.” Yes, you can stump comically around the house as breakfast or nature might require, but don’t try mowing the lawn or marathoning.I do have an indoor suggestion, however. When one is on the couch, say, and casually relaxing for conversation, reading, TV, or writing an Amazon review, the natural angle of the foot is exactly wrong for a PF sufferer: foot extended downward and at an open angle with the calf. In this case, just laying the leg and foot in the boot, without even fastening it on, puts the foot at a good, near-90-degree angle and helps keep the PF away. (See second attachment.) Then when, for example, one gets up for another gin & tonic, one simply “walks away” from the boot – no time wasted on clacking buckles.

Showed it to my physical therapist, who said it needed to be at 90° angle, which its not. She stretched it (as much as you can stretch plastic). For me, the buckles are difficult to use and handle. I'm a size 8, the medium was way to big, this small fits much better.

I could use a slightly larger size

I had high hopes for the BraceAbility Sleeping Stretch Boot, hoping it would be the solution to my plantar fasciitis and heel pain. It’s clear that this brace is built to last—it’s sturdy, well-made, and feels like a quality product. But unfortunately, that’s where the good ends for me.The biggest issue? The straps. They’re so uncomfortable that they actually make wearing this brace painful. They dig hard into the top of my foot, to the point that I end up adjusting them throughout the night, and even loosening them doesn’t make much of a difference. For a product meant to help with foot pain, the discomfort from the straps feels counterproductive. It’s frustrating because the brace does seem effective in terms of stretching, but it’s hard to get those benefits when the pain from the straps makes it impossible to sleep.I ended up missing the return window, which I regret, because I’ll be searching for an alternative that’s less painful to wear. It’s a shame because the quality is there, but for anyone who’s sensitive to pressure on the top of their foot, you may want to keep looking for a splint that’s both effective and truly comfortable.If they ever update this with softer or padded straps, I’d be interested in trying it again. But as it is, I can’t recommend it for those needing all-night relief without added discomfort.