I am often faced with the challenge of providing my customers with the best shoe options which are compliant with the recommendations of their podiatrist or other health care provider. Unfortunately, in many cases what is CLINICALLY BEST for an individual’s foot  does not always “fit” some of their other needs such as their lifestyle or work requirements; and we all know what happens if the shoe does NOT fit…

This is why we work to “balance” of ALL the needs of our customers in regards to shoes and try to provide options which fit their feet AND their life so they can be more comfortable, take better care of their feet and be more compliant with their doctor’s recommendations.

I had a customer in one of our stores a few weeks ago, who wears custom orthotics in her running shoes, and they are working great for her. She proceeded to tell me that she wears dress shoes (mostly pumps) to work five days a week and she needed shoes she could wear in a professional office setting which would provide more support and comfort than what she was currently has and her Asics with the orthotics is simply NOT an option. She ended up with two pair of pumps and a pair of ballet flats, all of which have features to provide better comfort and foot function. In this case she ended up with 3 pair of new “work” shoes including two pair of pumps to which her reaction was “I had no idea you could buy pumps that felt this good”.

Speaking strictly from a CLINICAL standpoint, I can’t say that any of these 3 shoes are THE BEST option for her feet. However, from a PRACTICAL standpoint, they fit her LIFE, and are much BETTER for her feet than what she was wearing. I am sure her podiatrist would like her to not wear pumps five days a week, but if she is going to wear them, I would bet the doctor would less unhappy with her choosing these options, than something with NO support or cushioning.