Back in September of 2007, I was in downtown Atlanta and I saw a guy walking with crutches that had ankles that bend to keep the tread firmly parallel to the ground. I had to know where he got them. I interrupted the phone call in his earpiece to beg him to tell me, and he sent me to Thomas Fetterman.
I had been buying crutch tips every month from CVS or Walgreens for about $5 a pair, and I nearly died of sticker shock when I realized the Tornado RT (rain tip) was $44/pair, plus $7 shipping. But I've only had to replace them every 18-24 months on average. Even if they only lasted a year, they're still cheaper.
Price is a good reason to buy these crutch tips, but performance is an even better reason. Since buying these tips, I've seen my wife walk confidently on a variety of surfaces that would have skinned her knee with drugstore crutch tips. The "cheap" tips will ruin your clothing with mud and blood.
Now, there are some surfaces that just hate people who use crutches... like greasy tile floors in diners that get mopped just enough to spread the grease evenly. If guys standing at the urinal gradually assume a wide stance without meaning to, spreading from lack of traction, there's no crutch tip in the world that's going to keep you from slipping. But in 99% of the situations I've observed, these tips have better traction than my shoes.
Their customer service is really good. I ordered the most recent pair this weekend, too late to mail them until Monday, and chose the cheapest shipping option (USPS, still $7). The crutch tips came by Priority Mail on Wednesday morning, about 1,000 miles from the company.
And that sticker shock back in 2007 when I paid $44? The price is now $46, which is effectively cheaper than it used to be (6h21m at minimum wage, down from 7h31m). Trust me, you'd be happier in a $50 pair of shoes than a $5 pair of shoes, and crutch tips are no different. I'm happy to have been a customer this long... and I'll buy another pair in a year or two. :) read more