The ‘Darby’: Calgary woman with cerebral palsy inspires line of shoes – CBC.ca

Darby Lee Young says her new shoes by the Canadian company Fluevog Shoes are a game changer when it comes to buying footwear.

ACalgary womanwith cerebral palsy will no longer have to constantly replace her shoes, after a Canadian footwear company created a new line for her and others with the condition.

Darby Lee Young says for the first time in 37 years she finally has a pair of shoes that will last her more than a month.

She told theCalgary Eyeopenerbecause her cerebral palsy affects her gait, shedrags her toes.

Because of this, Young saidshe wears down allhershoes at the very front, which is difficult to get repaired.

"If I get them repaired they don't necessarily look like they used to," she said.

She saidthis is a common issue those with cerebral palsy come across.

"It isfairly common with people with different disabilities. We all wear shoes out differently some in the heel some in the toe.It's just the manner of how the gait works," she said.

Young added her shoes are not covered by medicaremaking it a big expense since her shoes will range from lasting a day to a month.

"For me if I find a pair of shoes that I like, I'll go to the Shoe Company or something and I'll buy like five or six pairs of the same shoe in the same size," she said.

Two years ago, Young said she came across a pair of Fluevogsthat she loved to wear to social events. However, after about a month, they were worn out.

"I only wore them to certain events, I didn't wear them every day," she said. "I reached out to FluevogShoes and said 'Hey, can we fix this?Is there a way of mending these shoes so that I can keep wearing them?'"

Instead, Fluevog proposed to Young that they create a pair of shoeswith a sturdy, easily removed soleandname them "Darby," after her and her story.

"I like almost fell off my chair when I got the original e-mail two years agothat said, 'Hey, we we want to help you with this,'" said Young.

This in turn led to a collaborationwith Darby, who helped create the shoe.

"They have a really thicker bottom around the toe, so as I wear them out I can just go back to the store and they can replace them," she said.

As well, this year it's the shoecompany's 50th anniversary, which makes Young even prouder to be a part of the new line, she said.

She said itshowed somebody actually listened and understoodthat people with disabilities have different needs when it comes to footwear.

The "Darby" shoes are now available in stores and will be featured on the company's website next week.

With files from theCalgary Eyeopener.

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The 'Darby': Calgary woman with cerebral palsy inspires line of shoes - CBC.ca