Handmade shoes can help.
Are you suffering with painful or problem feet? Having a pair of shoes made specially for you by an expert shoemaker could be the answer
Custom-made shoes with built-in orthotics are guaranteed to be a great fit, and will make you look and feel better. These shoes are lightweight and stylish and are really smart and fashionable, even though they are called orthopaedic shoes. After all, anyone with foot problems wants to go out looking just as smart and fashionable as people who have no problems with their feet.
It all starts with a free consultation in a specialist London shoemaker’s shop, often over a cup of tea and a biscuit. Or measurements can be taken in the comfort of your home. When an expert shoemaker sees a customer, they will do a biomechanics assessment, gait scan, take photographs and videos and make a foam impression. Next, the shoes or orthotics will be made up for a fitting stage. The process takes four to eight weeks. But if needed quickly, shoes can be fast-tracked at no extra charge.
To create each shoe, a last (wooden model) is created to build it around, so that it can be made to look as smart as possible, but with enough room for the wearer to slip it on comfortably.
Visitors can go downstairs to the workshop and pick out a shoe design and material from more than 20,000 skins, patterns, leathers and suedes. The wide range of colours includes oranges, tans, reds and blues. And colours and materials can always be ordered in. There is also the option of ultra-soft leather, which is kind to sensitive toes. Almost any style of shoes can be made, with popular fastenings including a strap or Velcro fastener, to avoid having to use fiddly laces. A buckle is often added to this kind of fastening, to look ultra-stylish.
Bespoke orthotics, such as arch supports, can also be made on-site within two to five days. These are foot supports that reduce stress, particularly on the back, knees and ankles. And adaptations can also be made to existing footwear. Once made, the customer then tries the shoes or supports for fit and when it’s right they are finished off and can be taken away. If a customer later needs adjustments to their shoes or orthotics, there will not be any extra charge.
