Footwear Retailer of the month Cheryl T


aylor talks toLisa PrestonofShoeMed


How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background? I emigrated to South Australia aged 21, having never worked in footwear before.


I eventually secured employment with a Company


called Comfort & Fit, who had an opportunity for me to open a store for them in Adelaide.


I am pleased to say the store is still open in


Melbourne Street, North Adelaide after 18 years! I underwent two weeks training and was thrown in the deep end of specialist comfort/orthopaedic shoe fitting.


Tell us more about your training? Over the 20 years I was in Australia, I did further training with the


Australian Pedorthic Medical Grade Footwear Association to a certified retail level. Pedorthics is essentially a copy of the USA method of training. It is a qualification for reading prescriptions from health professionals, measuring of feet, fitting of shoes, modification of shoes, i.e. rocker soles, flares, wedges for orthopaedic purposes.


It is not for


custom making of shoes, however there is a higher pedorthic qualification which is available for this. I am only certified to retail level of pedorthics under the Australian qualification system.


I have, however, on arriving in England, undertaken


and passed the Society of Shoe Fitters examination. As I had over four years shoe fitting experience I did not have to do their course work.


30 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JUNE/JULY 2013


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44