A few years ago, my friends and I would meet once a week for coffee. I remember one week in particular…the house, the coffee and the conversation. We were at my friend Nancy’s house. Nancy has a fancy coffee maker that brews one very special and delicious cup at a time. What was our conversation topic that day, you ask? The Pedorthist at Schuler Shoes.
At the time, I had been to Schuler Shoes only a handful of times and had never been to the store when this “foot guy” was working. I had no idea what my friend was talking about. I didn’t even know how to pronounce “Pedorthist”.
So, here’s how the conversation went down. My friend Becky was telling us about how her son was having foot and ankle issues. What should she do? My friend Nancy, who has battled foot and ankle issues herself said, “stop into Schuler Shoes”. She went on to tell us about the Pedorthist and how he offers free foot evaluations. Nancy then picked up the phone and called the Schuler Shoes store and found out when he would be available. At the time, I think we all were under the impression that a Pedorthist was a foot doctor.
Fast-forward 5 years later, with 6 months focus on the Schuler Shoes Medical Marketing business and I can tell you this, a Pedorthist is not a foot doctor. So, what is a Pedorthist and what are they doing at Schuler Shoes, right?
Now that I work here, I know that the Schuler Shoes goal is to get people into proper footwear, so they can lead healthy, active lives. The In-store Board Certified Pedorthists at Schuler Shoes studies the pathologies of the foot with a focus on footwear. They know feet and they know shoes. They are trained in foot function and specialize in the use of footwear and over-the-counter orthotics to address foot and ankle conditions. So, when someone comes into the store with foot and ankle issues, our Pedorthists can recommend specific shoes to alleviate pain, recommend over the counter orthotics, or in severe cases recommend customers on to a doctor.
The free in-store foot evaluation performed by our Pedorthist generally takes about 15-20 minutes. The evaluations are on a first come, first serve basis and are performed at Schuler Shoes locations around the Twin Cities. The Pedorthist schedule can be found at https://blog.schulershoes.com/FootHealth.aspx?pg=schedule. Our Pedorthist will take time to evaluate your feet (flat feet, high arches, bunions, etc), discuss any pain you may be experiencing, factor in any diagnosis you may have received from a physician, your daily activity level (do you exercise), work (are you on your feet all day) and more. Based on the evaluation, our Pedorthist can then recommend specific shoes that will better support your feet and body.
Schuler Shoes also partners with hundreds of doctors in the Twin Cities. Doctors diagnose the foot issue and then send their patients to work with our Board Certified Pedothists for recommendations on footwear and alternatives to custom orthotics.
As my Mom and I were shopping in the Maple Grove store the other day, she overheard our Pedorthist Dan Husom talking to a customer. She leaned over to me and said, “I want to talk to that guy. He knows what he is talking about.” My Mom is a very good judge of character, so if she is impressed, he must be good!
If you are experiencing foot pain or have seen a doctor and have questions about footwear, stop in and visit with our Pedorthists. We would love to see you! Check our website for our Board Certified Pedorthist schedule and stop in and see us!
