Glass Fiber Shoe Plate Flat | Indications for use
When would I choose to use a Glass Fiber Shoe Plate?
How do I use a Glass Fiber Shoe Plate?
Glass Fiber Shoe Plates are one of our more popular shoe insert products. Used to stiffen the shoe, Glass Fiber Shoe Plates are great inserts that have a number of unique applications. How do they stack up compared to our Molded Turf Toe Plates or our Spring Plates? Let's take a look at what I consider to be the indications for a Glass Fiber Shoe Plate.
First, I look at the Glass Fiber Shoe Plate as a fundamental part of the shoe. What I mean by that is that the Glass Fiber Shoe plate ought to be placed deep within the shoe, under any existing insert. Basically, the Glass Fiber Shoe Plate ought to act to supplement the shank of the shoe. The shank is that stiff portion of the shoe that reinforces the arch and limits flex of the arch. The Flat Glass Fiber Plate really does need to have a cover of some sort, preferably an arch support or orthotic.
What are the indications for the Flat Glass Fiber Shoe Plate? Indications include:
- Midfoot arthritis
- Midfoot injury (Lisfranc's fracture or dislocation)
- Arch strain or arch pain
- Midfoot fractures
- Cuboid Syndrome
- Metatarsal stress fractures
To manage forefoot pain including capsulitis, plantar plate tears, metatarsalgia, Freiberg's infraction, and Morton's neuroma, I tend to prescribe more Spring Plates. The rocker sole on the Spring Plate works much better to accommodate forefoot pain. And for turf toe and hallux limitus or hallux rigidus? That's when I defer to the Molded Turf Toe Plate or the Flat Turf Toe Plate.
One last note on Flat Glass Fiber Plates - we have a number of customers who have told us that the Flat Glass Fiber Plate has really saved the day on construction sites. Nail and screw punctures are a common injury on construction sites. The Flat Carbon Plate is a lightweight measure of protection from puncture injuries.
Remember, the Flat Glass Fiber Plate is part and parcel of the shoe. It needs to go under an insert like a Pedag Sport or a Pedag Viva Full Length Arch Support.
Jeff
Medical Director
Myfootshop.com
Updated 3/23/2021