FOOT HEALTH
Fitting matters..... By Cheryl T
aylor I
nternational recognition for the Society of Shoe Fitters’ Courses is growing fast. Two students from China attended the SSF’s last workshop in November. This follows a report in Footwear Today in July about new SSF Member, Karen Feltham, who opted to take the Society’s course in
order to be better qualified to sell shoes at her shop in South West France. One of the first things that excited Rosie Walker-Chen when she moved
from Kent to Taiwan ten years ago was the number of shoe shops. The sheer variety of shoe styles and colours displayed amazed her. However, some years down the line, being a new mum to a daughter who had just started to walk, she was becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of shoe fitting and the untrained staff working in children’s shoe shops. This included shops that carry certain European and American well-known brands. “I was aware that poorly fitted shoes could harm my daughter. As there
are no podiatrists in Taiwan I knew that I had to get correctly fitted shoes from the start. My worry drove me to the Internet, where I came across the Society of Shoe Fitters website. I learned that the shoe fitting course was distance learning and that I could go at my own pace and that finalized the decision for me to enrol. “I had no idea how in-depth the course would be and all the different
factors needed to take into consideration to fit shoes. It really isn’t as straight forward as knowing your size and ordering a pair of shoes on the internet. The course material is extremely interesting and well laid out in an easy to understand format. As an adult who hasn’t studied for quite a while, I was a bit daunted at first, but with my tutor’s guidance and encouragement I have been able to throw myself in. Rosie attended two SSF workshops in November 2012. During the last
workshop she studied shoe construction and visited the DB Shoes Factory in Northampton and commented to “The workshops have been eye-opening as well as backing up what I have learnt in the course. I’ve realized that even the shoes that I wear do not fit properly and I have been making do for the sake of fashion. “I’m so pleased I made the decision to take the course because I know
now that regardless of where I am in the world, I can fit my daughter’s shoes. I’m now planning to open my own children’s shoe shop that offers a professional fitting service. It’s only in the embryonic stages and I have yet to decide on which brands to carry. But, if I can put a few other mothers’ worries at ease in a country that may or may not be their own and ensure their children are well shod, I shall be happy.” “The second workshop of the SSF course kicked off with Adult Shoe
Fitting/Adaptations (The Art of Shoe Fitting). For me, being tremendously green to the industry, this really helped to back up the course work and demystify the Brannock gauge and ‘heel to ball’ fitting. The way the tutor, Karen Little, presented the material was extremely helpful and practical. She was very approachable and answered any questions which arose helping to further our understanding. Being a small group that had mostly met at the previous workshop, it was a good chance to bounce ideas off each other and learn from each other’s experiences. We were also made aware of a few tricks of the trade that aren’t included in the course material, and a few things on the retail side, but would definitely be something to consider and use in the business. “The afternoon session was Shoe Construction. Firstly, Mr Charles
Denton of D.B. Shoes gave us an introduction to the shoe making process, from materials used to how all the different components are put together. We were also made aware of different manufacturing defects. All the time Mr Denton was really happy to field any questions we had and didn’t bamboozle us with science. We were then led onto the factory floor after
Mr Denton first made us aware of the health and safety rules, I think they were basically “DON’T TOUCH!” This was fine by me because I wanted to be able to drive home with both of my arms intact. “We were shown every step of the shoe making process and came into
close contact with all of the machinery. It was fascinating to being able to get a good look at what actually goes into making a shoe. The amount of work put into one pair of shoes is amazing. After our guided tour we were led back to our little ‘classroom’ and Mr Denton answered more of our questions about his factory and D.B. Shoes, shoe making and the industry. “After attending both workshops, I feel they were both exceptionally
worthwhile. All the tutors have been very willing to give of their time to help and answer any questions we have had. Additionally, I feel quite honoured to have had the opportunity to actually visit a shoe factory in action. If I have the opportunity to attend again for a refresher, I definitely would do it.” It was a similar story for Shamsa van Keulan. Shamsa’s shop in Hong
Kong, called apple&pie, was reviewed in Retailer of the Month in our November edition. On a personal level, having grown up in London, Shamsa van Keulen had
always had her feet measured on a regular basis and she wanted her children to have the same experience in China “After all, their feet are the only pair they have for the rest of their lives and it is important to look after them so that they do not suffer unnecessarily from other problems as they get older”, she says. Shamsa explains: “It was important for us to find a way of becoming more
knowledgeable about shoe fitting, particularly if we were going to sell shoes! There is very little experience/knowledge of shoe fitting services in Asia. Children are rarely 'fitted' for shoes. I looked at several websites, but it was only the SSF website that offered a comprehensive course that suited our needs. “My experience of SSF has been consistently good. The Secretary LauraWest, has been helpful and supportive with every query/concern offering solutions to any hurdle. The tutors are supportive and responsive which is very helpful when it comes to ‘distance learning’. They have in depth knowledge of shoe structure, foot physiology, selling and buying shoes. “The knowledge and experience gained from undertaking the course
gives customers a sense of reassurance that they are dealing with someone who is informed and knowledgeable about their trade, it is not just a commercial venture, but a true passion. We are keen to share our knowledge with our staff and help to train them to provide a better service to our customers. I would recommend every shoe retailer take the course – it definitely helped to distinguish us from our competitors.”
If you would like to join us and would like access to our help and support, contact us now… (
www.shoefitters-uk.org or Email:
secretary@shoefitters-uk.org)
30 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JANUARY 2013
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