Aircast AirSelect Walker Brace/Walking Boot (Elite, Short and Standard)

Broke my ankle, was issued a boot made by United Ortho. I prefer this one, but I think that preference is largely personal depending upon your injury, foot, etc. As far as I can tell, Aircast and United Ortho seem to be the most reputable makers of these boots.I purchased two of these Aircast boots. The first in order to wash the boot liner issued to me, the second to not have to wear the boot issued to me. I rotate the boot every day so they don't smell as bad or need to be washed as frequently.I think this boot is worth the additional money over the United Ortho version. The dual air bladders keep me locked in place, and it is nice to be able to undo one or the other if the swelling becomes too great.I also like that this boot is completely enclosed compared to the United Ortho boot. I feel a little more secure when I bonk into things.It is more difficult to wash the lining on this boot than on the United Ortho boot. I don't know why the "footbed" is glued into the back of the boot lining while being secured with velcro on the front. It could be velcro-ed in both spots to make it easier to remove in order to wash the liner.Despite being harder to wash, this boot is so much better on my foot shape than the one I was issued I'm giving it five stars.

I rarely write reviews, but this deserves one. I bought this after having ankle surgery to remove the lower portion of my fibula and reconstruct the tendons and ligaments to attach to the remaining fibula, a procedure that requires at least 6 weeks of no weight bearing on my right ankle. My doctor had fit me in a typical boot which was okay, but it felt like a lot of weight was pulling on the ankle joint itself. I just could not get comfortable despite adjusting the straps and air bladder at least 100 times a day but I could not get comfortable and by the end of the day, my leg was exhausted and achy just from the weight of the boot. I ordered the elite version of this boot and it have had it on about 4 hours and I can already feel how much my ankle discomfort has improved! As there is a solid piece over the foot area, there is no longer any pulling on my ankle joint and I am about as comfortable as a person could be with a torture device on. I love that there are separate pressures in each of the regions so I can make tiny adjustments in tightness around my ankle, making sure it can’t move, but in a much more controlled way so that it doesn’t squeeze my leg. I spent $350 for the one provided by my physician (and only about $60 on Amazon), and $100 for this one. In addition, it is not as bulky and is easier to move around. It is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made in terms of how much better it is than the standard version. My recovery is going to be much less painful, irritating, and awkward due to this awesome boot!! If you are having ankle surgery and know you will need a tall boot, I would recommend purchasing prior to your surgery so you have it with you when you go in for the procedure. The only bad thing was that I couldn’t use my HSA card to pay for it.

Urgent care gave me a splint, and it was like living in a medieval torture device. I had to wait a week to get into an orthopaedic specialist, but my friend is a PTA and recommended a boot. I chose the standard to save a few dollars, and it is soooooooo worth it. I felt like a new person the night I put this on.Next day, (after sleeping with it on) the swelling and inflammation was down, and several days later, I feel so much safer and comfortable. Ortho approved it for the duration of my healing and will be wearing it for the next 6 weeks.Completely changed everything- 10/10 would recommend.

Update: received replacement and it was fine. Yay.So, overall the boot itself feels significantly better than the first boot I bought (United Ortho Short Air Cam Walker) which caused me tortuous pain and had defective pumps/wouldn't hold air so will be returning. That boot weighted 2 pounds, this one, supposedly less than a pound (for the small size/short version--both.)THIS boot, the Aircast AirSelect Walker Short version feels great EXCEPT for the footsole/pad extends a little over a half inch from the end of the boot which causes discomfort to my toes and ultimately for them to go numb. Following the size guide online for this boot/this company, I bought which says a women's size 7 would work with the size small which is supposed to fit size 5-8 women's, I'm just going to hope that the fit issue is due to the obvious defect via the overhanging sole pad.As you can see clearly from my pictures the padded sole extends beyond the edge of the boot and as such causes my toes to go numb. It's uncomfortable and I cannot see me dealing with this for weeks/months until my 5th metatarsal heals. I'm going to attempt a return/exchange and hope for the best. If the next product sent to me does not appear defective like this and in turn, lends to greater comfort, I will update my review. Based on the pictures in the ad and in comparison to other customer pictures with reviews here on Amazon, I haven't seen any others with the overhanging sole like the ones sent to me have. This is why I don't think this is normal. It sure doesn't feel normal. If the small is supposed to fit women's size 5-8, then my size 7 foot should fit just fine. The sizing for medium supposedly is 8-11 women's which I really think will be too big for me. Now as it compares to the other boot I mentioned that has thousands of positive reviews, I can only say that it could be a toss up how these walking boot play out for each person. I'm also suspicious that some of the reviews for the United Ortho might have been fake, but who knows. We can only hope for the best. Problem is, when you are in pain from a foot/ankle injury, playing around with orders due to lack of quality control sure puts your patience to the test because it's not like you can go without wearing a walking boot.