A silicone orthosis is a device moulded to measure directly on your own foot, at the appointment, to solve a very specific toe problem: a toe riding over another, rubbing that produces hard skin always in the same place, a clawed toe hitting the shoe, or a gap between toes where the skin becomes macerated.
It does not correct the shape of the foot: it protects, separates or redistributes pressure where needed, and that is why it relieves discomfort quickly. It is particularly useful when a deformity is not going to be operated on —or not yet— and what is needed is to walk without pain. It is made at the appointment itself and adjusted at reviews, because wearing it shows where there is too much or too little material.
When it is used
- Toes that overlap or hit the footwear.
- Hard skin or corns that always return to the same spot because of rubbing.
- Separating toes when the skin between them becomes macerated.
- Protecting a painful area while the cause is being addressed.
- Supporting a broader treatment, such as insoles.
Does one toe rub in every shoe, or does a corn always appear in the same place?
Book an appointmentFrequently asked questions
- Do I have to wear it all day?
- Not necessarily: you wear it when you are in the footwear that causes the problem, which is when it is needed. If the rubbing appears with your work shoes, that is where it belongs; if the trouble is your sports shoes, wear it when you train. At home, barefoot, it often does nothing. At the start it is best to build up gradually, as with insoles, so the skin gets used to having something resting on it. And a piece is not shared between both feet: it is moulded on one specific toe and will not fit the other the same way.
- How is it cleaned and how long does it last?
- With water and mild soap, and dried thoroughly before storing. No bleach, no alcohol, no very hot water: silicone dries out, becomes brittle and eventually splits where it bends most. Keep it somewhere cool and not inside the shoe, where it stays damp. They last a good while, but not forever: they are replaced when they lose their shape, when they crack, or when the toe has changed and they no longer fit. And if you see it torn, stop using it: a hardened edge pressing on the same spot does exactly the opposite of what is intended.
- Will it correct the shape of my toe?
- No, and it is worth saying plainly so you do not buy something else. In an adult foot the deviation of a toe lies in the bone and the joint, and a silicone piece does not straighten it: what it does is protect it, separate it from its neighbour or spread the pressure, which is why it relieves the discomfort quickly. That is no small thing — it lets you walk without pain and stops a friction callus from breaking open — but it is not the same as correcting. In a growing child’s foot the approach may differ and is assessed separately. And if what you want is to correct the deformity, that is surgery, and it is decided with a specialist.
