The Best Non-Weight Bearing, Hands-Free Mobility Device

A woman and a child walking on a beach. The woman is wearing a freedom leg brace

The Freedom Leg Story

Freedom Leg was established in 2008 after Joel, a former aerospace engineer at Boeing, found himself searching for a better mobility solution when his wife Patty suffered a knee injury. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional crutches, Joel set out to create a better mobility solution. Drawing on his engineering background and experience with recumbent bicycles and mobility devices through his company Forward Mobility, Joel developed the Freedom Leg prosthetic. The device transferred weight onto the upper leg, allowing Patty to stay active and continue her work as a gymnastics coach hands-free while remaining non-weight bearing.

What began as a home prototype quickly gained national attention. In 2009, the Freedom Leg Brace earned Joel the “Newpreneur of the Year” award from Inc. Magazine and Alibaba.com. As demand for a better alternative to crutches grew, Joel committed to refining the Freedom Leg design through extensive testing, feedback from medical professionals, and real-world user experience. The result was a highly functional, patented product that empowers people to stay active and independent while recovering from lower limb injuries.

Now in its third generation, the Freedom Leg has helped thousands regain independence during recovery, even including medics who used it in Iraq to aid injured soldiers. What started as a personal solution has become a nationally recognized innovation, built on a foundation of practical solutions, thoughtful design, and a mission to give people the freedom to move forward.

Our Values

Patient-Centered Progress

Every decision we make is guided by one goal – to improve the recovery experience for the person wearing the Freedom Leg. We consult with Freedom Leg users and medical professionals to continuously support patients in finding hands-free freedom during their recovery.

Innovation with Purpose

We are driven to solve real-world problems through inventive, functional design that improves lives. For over 17 years, we've improved and iterated on our brace variation to create a design centered upon our users needs and feedback.

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Quality & Resilience

We are committed to designing and producing durable, high-performance mobility solutions that users can rely on. The Freedom Leg is designed to perform in real-life conditions sturdy enough to keep up with daily life and recovery.

Freedom Leg awarded $50,000 and Newpreneur of the Year award

About Joel Smith

Founder, Freedom Leg

Joel Smith is an accomplished engineer, designer, and inventor with a passion for developing practical solutions that enhance everyday life. With a background in mechanical design and a career spanning various industries, including aerospace, biomechanics, and medical devices, Joel has built a reputation for bringing complex ideas to life with elegant, user-friendly design. His hands-on approach and dedication to solving real-world problems have led to multiple successful innovations.

As the founder and chief innovator of Freedom Leg, Joel leads product development and design. He is the creative force behind the company’s flagship product: the Freedom Leg brace, a hands-free mobility aid designed for individuals recovering from lower leg injuries. Joel’s role includes everything from prototyping and testing to working directly with healthcare professionals to ensure the brace meets both medical standards and daily functionality. His goal is to help users move more freely and comfortably—without relying on crutches.

Outside of his professional life, Joel is an avid sailor and a builder at heart. He once spent two years constructing a partially finished 35-foot trimaran sailboat, combining his love of the sea with his passion for design and innovation.