Orthotic lab · Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Custom orthotics, printed to the prescription.
Réalta Labs is a podiatrist-run SLS lab. Every shell is designed individually from a 3D scan, with posts and heel raises printed into the device, then hand-finished and checked by clinicians who prescribe orthotics every week.
- Printer
- Formlabs Fuse 1+ SLS
- Material
- PA11 bio-based nylon
- Layers
- 110 micron
- Turnaround
- 7-10 working days
Why clinicians switch
A lab that reads prescriptions the way you write them.
Réalta was built inside a busy MSK podiatry practice. The lab exists because the devices coming back from outsourced labs did not match the assessment that went out.
Designed individually. Never templated.
No stock shell library bent to fit. Every device starts from your patient’s scan and your prescription, and is designed from scratch.
Posting printed in, not glued on
Rearfoot and forefoot posts, heel posts and heel raises are part of the shell. Nothing to compress, peel or fall off.
Checked by people who prescribe
Every order is read by a podiatrist. If something in the prescription looks off, we call you before we print.
Name embossed
Every shell carries the patient name, so pairs never get mixed up in clinic.
Solar-powered lab
Printed on renewable energy in Co. Down from castor-bean derived PA11.
Scan-only workflow
Digital scans only. No foam boxes, no plaster, no posting delays.
Watch a shell print · scroll
How it works
Scan to dispatch in 7-10 working days.
01Scan
Capture the foot with the Réalta 3D app or any recognised scanner (.stl, .obj, .ply).
02Prescribe
Shell, posting, cover and additions on one structured form. Every order is read by a podiatrist.
03Print
Designed individually, then sintered in PA11 on the Fuse 1+ at 110 micron layers.
04Finish & dispatch
Depowdered, blasted, covered by hand, QC checked and boxed with a patient care leaflet.
The range
Four builds. Endless prescriptions.
Every build starts with the same individually designed PA11 shell. Choose the finish, then add met domes, reverse Morton’s, sesamoid windows, heel pads and more.
- 110µm
- Layer height on the Fuse 1+
- PA11
- Castor-bean derived nylon
- 7-10days
- Working days, scan to dispatch
- 100%
- Solar-powered production
Built by a podiatrist who prescribes
The lab was built so the device that comes back is the device that was prescribed.
Paul McMullan
BSc (Hons), MSc, FRCPSGlasg, HCPC Reg.
Paul is an MSK podiatrist and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He still treats patients at The Lower Limb Clinic in Belfast, where Réalta devices are prescribed and fitted every week.
Our story →How long do Réalta orthotics take to make?
7-10 working days from receipt of a complete scan and prescription. Every device is designed individually, never templated, which takes a little longer than a stock-shell lab but is worth it. Express turnaround is available by arrangement.
What scans do you accept?
Digital 3D foot scans only. The Réalta 3D scanning app is our preferred method, and we also accept .stl, .obj and .ply files from any recognised foot scanner. We do not accept foam impression boxes or plaster casts.
What are the orthotics made from?
Every shell is printed in PA11 bio-based nylon (Nylon 11) on a Formlabs Fuse 1+ selective laser sintering (SLS) printer. PA11 is derived from castor beans, has high fatigue resistance and stays consistent pair after pair.
Are postings and heel raises glued on?
No. Rearfoot and forefoot posts, heel posts and heel raises are designed into the shell and printed as one part. Nothing to peel, compress or detach over time. Top covers and pads are then added by hand on the bench.
Who can order from Réalta Labs?
HCPC and CORU registered podiatrists, physiotherapists and MSK clinicians in the UK and Ireland. We supply clinics on a partner account basis. Patients should ask their clinician to prescribe Réalta orthotics.
Prescribe it. We print it exactly.
Open a partner account and send your first scan. Individually designed shells, dispatched in 7-10 working days, with a podiatrist on the other end of every query.