AOPA 2026: The O&P Community Gathers in Las Vegas — and Ideastep Will Be There

The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association’s National Assembly is the definitive annual event for the O&P profession. This year, from September 9–12, over 2,000 practitioners, lab directors, researchers, and manufacturers will converge at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas for four days of education, collaboration, and hands-on exploration of the latest innovations shaping patient care.

At Ideastep, we’re not just attending. We’re exhibiting — and we’re bringing our full capabilities to the show floor.

Why AOPA Matters

AOPA’s National Assembly offers something no virtual meeting can replicate: the chance to handle products directly, ask questions in real time, and build relationships that extend beyond the exhibit hall. World-class education sessions and expert speakers provide clinical and business insights. The exhibit floor turns those insights into action — connecting practitioners with the tools and materials that bring treatment plans to life.

For a manufacturer like Ideastep, it’s also a rare opportunity to listen. To hear from clinicians about their day-to-day challenges. To understand what’s working in their labs and what isn’t. To let their feedback shape what we build next.

What We’re Bringing to Las Vegas

We’re curating a product showcase that reflects the breadth of our custom orthotics manufacturing and the depth of our material expertise.

Four Custom Orthotic Fabrication Methods

Every patient presents differently. So should their orthotics.

🔵 3D Printing Foot Orthotic Built layer by layer from patient scan data, our 3D printed orthotics utilize lattice structures to achieve variable stiffness within a single device. Firmer under the arch, more forgiving under the metatarsals — one continuous structure, graduated support. Breathable by design. Ultralight by nature. Ideal for active patients and cases requiring nuanced pressure redistribution.

🟤 Custom Functional Orthotic (CNC-Milled EVA) The proven standard. Medical-grade EVA blanks precision-carved by CNC milling. Multi-density options allow the practitioner to specify firmness zone by zone. Durable. Consistent. The reliable choice for everyday orthotic therapy, from general support to targeted correction.

⚪ Vacuum Forming Custom Orthotics When space inside the shoe is limited, thin matters. Vacuum forming pulls heated material over a positive foot model, creating a shell-like orthotic that follows the plantar contour with minimal bulk. The result is a low-profile device that fits dress shoes, athletic footwear, and pediatric cases — wherever volume is a constraint.

🟠 Custom Diabetic Orthotic Purpose-built for the at-risk foot. Full-contact geometry distributes pressure evenly across the plantar surface. Targeted offloading zones protect high-risk areas. Structural deformities — hammertoes, bunions, early Charcot — are accommodated in the design. Every element serves one purpose: reducing the risk of ulceration and supporting long-term foot health.

All four methods start the same way: with a patient’s 3D scan data. All four end the same way: with a finished orthotic shaped to that patient’s unique anatomy.

EVA Materials — In Your Hands

Alongside finished orthotics, we’re bringing a comprehensive sample kit of our medical-grade EVA formulations. Attendees can handle and compare multiple density and hardness combinations — evaluating surface finish, compression behavior, and milling consistency directly. For labs operating in-house CNC equipment, this tactile assessment is worth more than any specification sheet. We manufacture EVA to our customers’ exact requirements: density, hardness, color, and dimensions. Come tell us what you need.

Let’s Connect in Las Vegas

The education sessions will be excellent. The networking will be invaluable. But the moments we’re most looking forward to are the conversations at our exhibit — when a practitioner picks up a sample, asks a clinical question, or shares a manufacturing challenge they’re trying to solve.

If you’re attending AOPA 2026, we’d welcome the chance to meet you. Bring your questions. Bring your difficult cases. Let’s talk.

Not able to make it to Las Vegas this year? Our team is available through our website — reach out anytime to discuss how we can support your practice or lab.