Foot Solutions Reaches 200
Retailer specializing in solutions for the feet opens 200th location with store in Australia. Also opens 37,000 square foot Retail Center facility in Marietta, GA with complete on-site lab.
Marietta, GA (PRWEB) October 9, 2006
With baby boomers ‘marching on’ longer, a retailer specializing in keeping feet healthy has reached its 200th milestone. Foot Solutions opened its 200th store at the end of September in Victoria, Australia.
Foot Solutions has a unique footing in the marketplace, falling between the comfort shoe store and a medical/orthopedic outlet. Says founder and CEO, Ray Margiano, Foot Solutions attracts a wide variety of people from all walks of life. But, he says they all come with a common goal: to improve their balance and strength and to improve the care of their feet.
“We are so accustomed to looking at shoes as a fashion accessory that we overlook the incredible impact they have on our feet and health,” adds Margiano. “Shoes should be more than covering for your feet. They should provide support, balance and protection.”
The human foot is often called “the mirror of health,” and with more than a quarter of the body’s bones located just below the ankle, there is a lot resting on heel to toe. A survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) predicts that nearly half of Americans will experience a foot ailment at some point in their lives. And APMA adds that many older Americans are likely wearing the incorrect shoe size. “Getting the right shoe with the right fit is critical,” says Margiano.
Footwear is a long term interest for Margiano. He founded the Heel Quik shoe repair and shoe modification services franchise in 1984 which grew to more than 700 stores in 34 countries. Margiano worked on the Foot Solutions concept for several years before opening the first store in 2000. While each retail location carries a wide array of footwear, Margiano emphasizes that Foot Solutions isn’t a traditional shoe store. “Our focus is on providing our customers with solutions whether it falls in a shoe, sock or custom orthotic. Our associates spend time getting to know your feet, including a computerized foot scan which maps out the curves and bumps that make up the individual foot.”
To provide the customized service in creating orthotics, Foot Solutions uses internal resources. Margiano has created a service facilities center to provide his retailers with product as well as the customized orthotics. And as the chain continues its growth, so too will the service center. Later this month, Margiano plans to open a new 37,000 square foot World Headquarters and Retail Center facility in Marietta.
“This new facility will have a complete on-site lab and Modifications Center providing foot mapping, gait analysis and comparisons for athletes,” adds Margiano. “Our name says it all when it comes to our focus.” The innovative computer technology being added has been used in the Olympics and by sports teams worldwide. Using a video camera and special computer programs, the technology allows the Foot Solutions staff to video the client while he walks, jogs or runs on a treadmill. While reviewing the video and using this unique software, the Foot Solutions trained pedorthist can determine the type of gait the client exhibits. The video of the unbalanced foot can be overlaid and then compared with a balanced foot.
“This technology can be used by our professional staff to look for limb length problems, gait abnormalities coming from the foot, ankle, knee or hip,” says Margiano. “It enables our pedorthic department to construct an orthotic, do special shoe modifications or do a combination of both, providing true foot solutions for our customers.”
Margiano adds Foot Solutions hopes to use this technology and more to optimize the approach used to help customers achieve a more comfortable life style, improved performance, reduced risk or injury, and help reduce recovery time for athletes. The technology will also be used to teach all Foot Solutions franchisees to recognize foot and leg problems and when necessary refer the client for specialized medical care.
The 200th store in Australia is a first for that country, but Margiano says 20 additional stores are planned for the area. And in the U. S., Foot Solutions is currently opening 4 - 6 stores per month and has commitments from 4 other countries for continued International expansion. “The average person takes more than 8,000 steps a day which can add up over a lifetime. Add in factors such as our longer life span, weight issues, jobs which keep you standing, and fashion which keeps many women on their toes, and it is not difficult to see the need for solutions to help our feet.”
FOOT SOLUTIONS is a privately owned international company based in Atlanta, Georgia; USA. FOOT SOLUTIONS is the only retailer where scientifically trained fit-experts properly fit each foot with products specifically designed to accommodate your feet and alleviate and prevent foot problems. For more information, visit www. footsolutions. com.
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