US Patent 9504592 Ankle-foot orthosis

An Ankle-Foot Orthosis, or AFO, has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion joined together. The horizontal portion is fixed to a shoe, which is selected by a user, by separating at least part of the sole such that the horizontal portion can be adhered near or between a midsole of the sole of a shoe. The horizontal portion provides the necessary structure needed to connect a shoe to the vertical portion of the AFO such that a user suffering with a weakness or deformity can walk with a more normal gait. In an alternate embodiment, the AFO is removable from a shoe such that it can be replaced onto the same or a different shoe.