SOCIETY OF SHOE FITTERS
NEWS from The Society of Shoe Fitters and Children’s Foot Health Register
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f we had a £1 for every person who said ‘they’d bought a gauge online, but when they used it in Tesco, Sainsburys, Primark etc. the size didn’t fit’ – in the words of Delboy ‘we’d be millionaires’! The public have no perception that gauges are calibrated differently, shoes are different shapes because of the Last they are made on, feet don’t conform to size they are shaped differently – even the materials and country of origin may mean they need a different size or style. Fact is, whatever electronic device, or computer aided technique, there is no substitute for hands-on personal shoe fitting and assessment. The public thinking they can measure and fit safely themselves, is dangerously misleading, goodness knows how many problems have been created for the NHS during Covid in the decades to come. Covid Toe has also been widely reported in the media. At first it was discounted, but it is too much of a coincidence that so many skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, rashes and extreme bruising
As a charity our helpline has been super busy since Covid hit. Young parents have been really worried about fitting their children, many of whom resorted to buying a gauge and footwear online, only to find that once the shoes are on their prince/princesses, they can see the shoes do not fit correctly and safely. The worrying thing is how many parents also ordered online, but didn’t notice that the shoes didn’t fit as they should, or could? No doubt some took it for granted that the gauge says X, so the shoes must fit okay.
etc. have suddenly manifested themselves in larger numbers than normal. Scientists have yet to prove the link, but everything points at these skin conditions being related to, or brought on by Covid. Covid Toe is particularly affecting younger people, and for some it is a discolouration around the toes (can be fingers too), for others it is itchy and painful with blisters and sores. One of our members (Sam at Shoedini near Milton Keynes) has referred 152 children for various foot health issues to local podiatrists already this year. Keeping a record is brilliantly helpful and informative, but how many more in Sam’s area don’t shop at Shoedini and are
10 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021
unaware their child has the start of a problem needing greater care or correction?
“Have I damaged their feet for life?” is the worry, but of course we reply “No it will be fine, you are aware that ill-fitting footwear is a hazard or you would not be calling us, so we recommend you visit X shop (SSF or CFHR member), and they will give you the benefit of their education and experience”. We also talk to parents about any hereditary conditions, the importance of socks/ hosiery and generally keeping feet clean and dry, toenails trimmed properly to avoid ingrown toenails etc., but it is frustrating when you know they have no perception of
how awful feet can look and how painful they can feel in later life because of ill-fitting footwear in their formative years. This is why we are still lobbying politicians to put a Government Health Warning on all children’s footwear, to make parents aware of the dangers. However, it is not just children’s feet/footwear that have suffered from shop closures. Bearing in mind only a third of the population have ‘average’ feet, many adults need extra care or adaptions to their footwear in later life to accommodate some very problematic issues. SSF members are taught to make slight adaptions to shoes to improve the
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