sportstyle

28 • July 2021 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com WELLNESS FOR RETAILERS What does wellness mean to you? "Proper sizing. The majority of new cus- tomers need to be educated on the proper sizing and use of footwear (i.e. wearing old shoes to garden is not the best choice when it comes to overall wellness). Our staff thinks beyond the initial pair to the customer's life overall." Certified Orthotist and Pedorthist, Dan Sherwood, president, Foot Performance Center in Rochester, NY "My wife Laurie and I are both Board Certified Pedorthists. We determine a goal for every client. We examine their feet and perform a gait analysis, assess pathologies and discuss wellness goals (maybe walking more and with stability). A goal could be finding a comfortable walking sandal or involve a client who needs a custom orthotic." Thomas Peterson, Certified Pedorthist, owner, Foot Savvy in Greenwood Village, CO "The meaning of wellness changes based on a person's age. For a millennial, does it feel good? They look at it from an eco-standpoint too. For a baby boomer, how is it good for me and how can I still do the activities that I want to do? I say that our store is the wellness section. If it's not comfortable, we don't buy it." Jeff Seidman, Certified Pedorthist, founder, Ahh Comfort Shoes in Arlington Heights, IL How does your store market wellness? "We have small displays across the sales floor that are categorized by issues (i.e. plantar fasciitis, house shoes, compression socks). We believe the way to get positive results is to have your fitting and sizing done by one of our fitting specialists. Medical professionals refer their patients to us." Dan Sherwood, Foot Performance Center "We don't have a wellness section, but everything we do focuses on the wellness of the client. For example, we may notice corns or calluses and the client may see it as 'normal.' For us, that is an indication that something is wrong. Through shoe and gait analysis, we can address those issues." Thomas Peterson, Foot Savvy "On our website, we have lots of focus on wellness and finding solutions to problems. We have a step by step guide on how to prepare for coming to the shoe store. The issue with many brands is that they don't focus enough attention on the people who actually need their products most. You don't see a lot of ads with 60 year olds — I think brands are losing a lot of money here." Jeff Seidman, Ahh Comfort Shoes WELLNESS FOR BRANDS What does wellness mean to your brand? "Wellness speaks to overall foot health. The majority of our shoes carry the APMA seal of acceptance. Wellness for one person may include walking, yoga or walking to and from yoga. Wearing supportive, comfortable footwear can make the dif- ference between a good and bad day." Kitty Bolinger, EVP of sales, Dansko "Feet are the foundation of the entire body. Most consumers overlook how important it is to have good shoes, as the objective isn't always foot health, but rather style. The technology behind Xelero is meant to help people through recovery, which can affect the rest of the body and mind." Dan Werremeyer, CEO, Xelero Wellness is defined as the state of being in good health. It is complete physical, mental, and social well-being. For shoe brands, wellness starts in the feet. Brands in this space offer a variety of styles focusing on components including foot alignment, cushioning and proper sizing for both everyday living and active endeavors. As the term "wellness" and the importance of "health & wellness" continues to evolve in the mainstream beyond footwear, we decided to check in with some experts to get an understanding of where the category is right now — dissecting the wellness trend from several angles; with viewpoints of brands, retailers and health professionals. W E L L N E S S FEELING GOOD HOW FOOTWEAR IS THE KEY TO HOLISTIC WELLNESS. BY SUZANNE BLECHER

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