Blog Entries in Shoes
A Shoe With An Open Heel Counter
Posted in Shoes
The new Aetrex shoe The Edge is now available. I used to make a modification to footwear in the past when I needed to ease the donning and doffing of the shoe. Especially when the client had an A.F.O. I would take my knife or hacksaw and cut right down the middle of the heel counter, re-sew the edges, make a velcro strap and buckle, attach the said buckle and strap then make sure it would be strong enough to be able to keep the A.F.O. or foot in place. The Edge has this modification already done for us. The shoe is deep, comes in widths and has a variety of colours to choose from. And yes it comes in ladies or men's. It has a strong nylon type material upright on both the medial and lateral sides that will ensure the foot or A.F.O. stays in place. You could use the shoe for any fitting problem that is applicable. You decide!
Just thought you should know about this shoe.
Kerry
Shoes, Shoes, Shoes
Posted in Shoes
I have spent countless hours with hard to fit clients trying to get them that "perfect fit" for their feet. How many of you have had a customer tell you that "I am a size 6 narrow with a quad A heel". Only to find when you measure them that the actual size is a 7 and 1/2 extra wide!! They will tell you that the shoes they are wearing are very comfortable, and cannot explain to you why their feet hurt so much. As we get older our feet do get larger. Along with our noses and ears I might add. Fitting shoes today is challenging to say the least.
Shoes are manufactured all around the world and the size 7 we get from China may not fit the same as the size 7 we get from a manufacturer in Spain. There is no real global standardization of shoe sizes. That leaves us with the problem of trying to decipher our stock sizes and to be able to provide clients with a proper fit.
What I found works well is actually trying on all the shoes in your size and getting a "feel" for the stock. A New Balance 9D does not translate into a 9D in an Etonic Pro III walker, the Etonic is a little more generous in the width. It is a matter of taking the time to know the stock and be able to identify which shoe from each manufacturer fits what way. Encourage staff to do the same to get to know the fit of every shoe style you keep on hand.
I have also found that not everyone's feet are the same size. I even had one client that had a size 9 right foot and a size 10 left foot. This presents another kind of dilemma in shoe fitting. By using various fitting aids that are readily available we can alter the fit of a shoe quickly and easily. You could add a full length insole to the smaller shoe or add a "cheater" to the forefoot of a shoe to take up some of the room. Add a tongue pad to keep the foot back in the heel counter (you should also remember that a tongue pad is the first option to try to prevent heel slippage). You can also use a variety of stretchers to accommodate abnormalities in foot structure. (bunions, hammer toes, prominent naviculars etc.)
A shoe should feel comfortable before the client leaves the store. How many times have you heard a sales associate say to a customer in a store "don't worry the shoe will stretch as you walk around in it". Now if the shoe is leather and you get it soaked in water while out in the rain it may "form" to your foot but a shoe should feel good on our feet before we walk out of the store. I have friends that have gotten blisters on their heels while waiting for the shoes to be "broken in". I think that we are not waiting for the shoes to break in but we are waiting for our feet to get used to the ill fitting shoes.
I have taken shoe fitting seminars and have been fitting shoes on some of the most hard to fit feet. If you would like me to come to your facility and give a hands on demonstration for staff, please do not hesitate to contact me and we will arrange a time and place.
Thanks
Kerry