The above Boots were made for Mr. Murray and have a 4.5" raise at the heel and a special cork insole to support the foot.
Mr Murray first needed corrective footwear after a motorcycle accident in the bad Smogs
(smog a mixture of smoke and fog).of Londonin the early 1950's.
He was riding his motorcycle to work when his front wheel got caught in a tram line resulting in a collision with a tram. He was then taken to hospital where they discovered that he had suffered multiple fracture to his left femur one along the site of and older fracture, the leg was reset set in a plaster cast and after 9 months it had not healed so the surgeons decided that the best thing for it was to cut away the damaged bone and join two good clean sections of bone together.
This resulted in a 5" shortening of the leg, it was then decided to carry out a rare cosmetic operation which involves shortening the ligaments and tendons in the back of the lower leg so that the foot points permanently downwards so that he would walk permanently on tiptoe of the left foot.This technique was pioneered br a surgeon called Mr O'connor in the early 1930's and was not often used due to the patient suffering with other foot deformities later on due to walking on tiptoe permanently.
a custom made shoe is then made known as the O'connor Extension after the surgeon, the shoe under trousers it looks more like a normal shoe and is less noticeable due to the way it is raised.

 

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