Adaptive Shoes for Toe Walking: Sophie’s Story Came to Jacksonville 💜
- faithovercp
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
Faith Over CP® at the Uptown Civitan Club of Jacksonville — June 23, 2026
SophWear™ by Faith Over CP® creates adaptive shoes for toe walking that open wide, support from inside the shoe, and help families walk with more comfort, confidence, and dignity. Some days you build a company. Some days you just remember why.
On June 23, 2026, we had the honor of standing before the Uptown Civitan Club of Jacksonville to share the story of a little girl named Sophie — our daughter — and the shoe a stubborn dad ended up inventing because nothing on any shelf would fit over her brace.
For many families, putting on shoes is not simple.
A child may have tightness. A foot may point downward. The toes may curl. The ankle may resist. A regular shoe may not open wide enough. And bulky external brace setups can make something as simple as getting out the door feel like a battle.
That is exactly why SophWear™ by Faith Over CP® was created.
SophWear™ is the adaptive footwear brand of our nonprofit, Faith Over CP®. Our current footwear products are SophTop™ and GabeTop™ — stylish adaptive high-top shoes built for children and families who need easier entry, better comfort, and more confidence in everyday movement.
But SophWear™ is not just another shoe.
It is a different way to think about support.
Why Sophie’s Story Matters
If you have followed us for a while, you know the beginning.
Sophie was born with cerebral palsy. And like every parent in that situation, we started with a simple, impossible question:
What does she need today, and how do we get it for her?
For us, one of those needs was something almost laughably small.
A shoe.
A shoe that would fit over her brace and let her just be a kid — run, stumble, get back up, play, and feel like everyone else.
We went store to store looking for it.
Nine stores.
And it did not exist.
So we made it.
What started as a pair of hand-modified orthopedic sandals on our kitchen table eventually became InvisaBrace®, InvisaSole™, ToeLift™, and the SophWear™ footwear line.
SophWear™ was born from real life — from watching what worked, what did not work, and what families were missing.
The Problem with Traditional Brace-First Thinking
For decades, many families have been given large, bulky braces that reach high up the calf. These devices may be useful in certain medical situations, and families should always follow the guidance of their doctors, therapists, and orthotic professionals.
But for everyday life, many parents know the struggle.
Bulky braces can be hard to fit into shoes. They can make footwear look different. They can make a child feel restricted. They can be difficult to put on. And in some cases, they may limit the natural movement families are hoping to build.
SophWear™ was created from a simple question:
What if we could support the step from inside the shoe instead of building everything around a bulky external brace?
Adaptive Shoes for Toe Walking: Why SophWear™ Starts at the Forefoot
Every step begins at the foot.
That is why SophWear™ focuses on a toe-first support pathway.
Instead of only thinking about holding the ankle and calf, SophWear™ uses a combination of:
Wide-opening adaptive footwearHidden internal supportInvisaSole™ comfort layeringToeLift™ forefoot supportBuilt-in InvisaBrace® support inside the shoe
The goal is simple: help families create a smoother, easier, more natural support experience inside a shoe a child can actually feel confident wearing.
The Wide-Opening Zipper Matters
SophTop™ and GabeTop™ are designed with a wide-opening zipper system that opens all the way around.
That matters because many children with tightness, toe walking, or a spastic foot position cannot easily slide into a normal shoe.
With SophWear™, the parent can open the shoe wide, guide the heel in first, help the toes move forward, and zip slowly without forcing the foot.
That means less fighting the shoe.
Less stress for the parent.
More comfort and dignity for the child.
The Support Is Hidden Inside
One of the most important parts of the SophWear™ design is that the support is built into the shoe system.
The back of the InvisaBrace® support is placed inside the rear of the shoe for added heel and rear-foot support. This helps create a more stable internal support structure without requiring the child to wear a large external brace.
Then the ToeLift™ goes under the InvisaSole™ at the front of the shoe.
This layering matters.
The correct setup is:
1. SophTop™ or GabeTop™ shoe2. Built-in InvisaBrace® support in the rear/heel area3. ToeLift™ under the toes/forefoot area4. InvisaSole™ placed back on top of the ToeLift™5. Child’s foot rests on the InvisaSole™
The ToeLift™ should not sit directly under the child’s foot.
It belongs beneath the InvisaSole™, hidden inside the shoe, creating a smoother and more comfortable support pathway.
What ToeLift™ Does
ToeLift™ is designed to gently lift the toe and forefoot area.
That small change can help support a better starting position for the step.
Each SophWear™ pair includes two 10-degree ToeLift™ uplifts — one for the left shoe and one for the right shoe.
The 10-degree setup is the Step Starter position.
Families can also use the ToeLift™ angle guide to understand different support pathways from 10° to 30°, including pathways associated with mobility needs such as cerebral palsy, toe walking, drop foot, stroke recovery, hypotonia, traumatic brain injury, spina bifida, diabetic neuropathy, and more.
This guide is educational. It is not a medical prescription. Every child is different, and left and right feet may need different support.
The message is simple:
Start slow. Check comfort. Watch movement. Follow professional guidance when needed.
Built for Natural Movement
SophWear™ was created around the idea that children should be supported without being held back.
A child needs practice.A child needs confidence.A child needs to feel normal.A child needs shoes they actually want to wear.
By lifting the toes, supporting the heel from inside the shoe, and allowing the body to move through a more natural pathway, SophWear™ gives families another option — one that is lighter, easier, and more confidence-building for everyday life.
This is not about telling every family to stop using medical bracing.
This is about giving families a new nonmedical adaptive support option that can help bridge the gap between comfort, confidence, and movement.
Tested Through Sophie’s Journey
We later took Sophie’s design through a gait lab to actually measure what it was doing for her.
Those results are Sophie’s results. Every child is different, and results will vary.
But seeing the data confirm what we were already seeing in our living room was a moment we will never forget.
In early comparative testing from Sophie’s own journey, the hidden-support approach showed promising performance compared with her traditional AFO setup in key movement measures.
Along the way, we asked specialists for honest feedback — and that feedback helped make the design better.
The mission became clear:
Create support that children will actually wear, so they can keep moving, keep practicing, and keep building confidence every day.
Why Jacksonville Mattered
That is the story we brought to Jacksonville.
And here is the thing about the Uptown Civitan Club: for more than forty years, this is a community that has shown up for children, seniors, and families living with disabilities.
That is exactly who we serve.
So standing in that room did not feel like a pitch.
It felt like finding people who already speak our language.
Thank you to Regina Edwards and the entire Uptown Civitan Club of Jacksonville for opening your room and your hearts to Sophie’s story.
We are grateful for every question, every conversation, and every person who took the time to understand why this mission matters.
Why This Matters
When a child feels different, they know it.
When shoes are bulky, they notice.
When a brace makes them stand out, they feel it.
SophWear™ was created so adaptive footwear can look like footwear again.
Stylish.Supportive.Easier to put on.Built with purpose.Designed for confidence.
This is why we say:
Small Lift. Big Step.™
Sometimes one small change at the toes can change how the entire step begins.
Nonmedical Adaptive Support
SophWear™ products are nonmedical adaptive support products for everyday use. They are not a substitute for medical care, prescribed bracing, therapy, or professional clinical guidance.
Families using AFOs, SMOs, Botox, therapy programs, or other medical interventions should always make decisions with appropriate professional guidance.
SophWear™ is here to provide another pathway.
A more wearable pathway.A more normal-looking pathway.A pathway built by a family, for families.
Final Message
SophWear™ by Faith Over CP® created SophTop™, GabeTop™, InvisaBrace®, InvisaSole™, and ToeLift™ to help families walk with more comfort, more confidence, and less daily struggle.
The support is hidden.
The shoe opens wide.
The toe lift starts the step.
The child gets to move forward with confidence.
We started Faith Over CP® on a simple belief — faith over fear — that the hardest road can still lead somewhere good if you refuse to quit walking it.
Every child deserves to just be a kid.
That is what we are trying to give them.
If this video moved you, here is how you can be part of it:
Learn more and get involved: FaithOverCP.orgShare this with a family, clinic, therapist, or community whose world touches cerebral palsy.Follow along as Sophie keeps showing us what is possible.
Thank you for walking with us. 💜
— Mike & BrittanySophWear™ by Faith Over CP®Walk With Confidence™
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