How do you feel about your feet and the shoes that you wear?
I rarely meet a customer who believes their feet are “normal”. But what is “normal” where feet are concerned? In my experience “normal” doesn’t exist. Each and every one of us is different and so are our feet.
The size of your feet are what they are! We can be tall and slim, but have short, wide feet. We can be short and not so slim and have long, narrow feet. Or anywhere in between! But it is not unheard of for a customer to insist they are one size smaller, as they don’t like the size of their feet!
You may have other conditions that impact the footwear you wear – one foot a different size to the other, bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis, knee, hip and back problems, diabetes - to name a few. This may make you feel that you cannot wear the shoes, sandals and boots, that make you feel like you.
The shoes that you wear can make you feel confident or inadequate; they can enable you to do a certain function such as running or be completely inadequate for the task in hand. Shoes can provide you with the support and comfort you need or potentially leave you in pain and, at the very worst, injured.
And then we come to your style. Each of us have our own style and differing opinions on the shoes we’d like to wear. To some a certain style may, in their heads, be suited to someone of a different generation to them, but to another customer of a similar age, that shoe may be the one they have been dreaming of. A shoe in a bright colour may send one customer into a spin as it would make their feet too obvious, whereas for another it will be his/her way of standing out and finishing off their outfit.
Hands up! I most definitely don’t have “normal” feet – they don’t conform to the standard dimensions shoes are generally made to, my toes don’t touch the ground and my feet are very wide. This meant when shopping for shoes, before I opened SoleLution, I would often receive withering looks from sales assistants when I asked to try shoes on – did I really think I was going to be able to fit my feet in those?! This did nothing for my confidence and made me feel downright miserable and a bit of a freak every time I needed a new pair of shoes. But through my training with the Society of Shoe Fitters, I soon realised it didn’t need to be this way - I can wear stylish shoes that feel comfortable and make me feel confident in myself, I just needed to understand what fitted me well.
Each and every day, we meet customers who feel embarrassed by their feet, fed up with being in pain, have been advised to wear shoes for a specific condition that just aren’t their style or simply frustrated they can’t find the shoes they are looking for. Quite often it’s a mix of all these issues.
At SoleLution we do understand that the shoes you wear can affect how you feel both on the inside and out. As Jimmy Choo said “The right shoe can make everything different”.
Each member of staff is trained to fit shoes. They will listen to concerns you may have about your feet and shoe problems, passing no judgement, and then advise you on the best options. And we will also never take offence if you don’t like what we have to offer! If on the other hand, you’d prefer to just browse, then that’s fine too.
You can browse our website, book an appointment at either of our shops or simply pop in store (we are now welcoming walk-ins). And please don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help!
It really puts a smile on our faces, each time a customer walks out with a smile on theirs. We don’t just advertise the fact, we truly are here to help you find the right shoe for your sole, and your soul!