Almost anyone, at one point or another in their life, can relate to the issue of sore feet. So can Mike Carey of Lantana; but his solution went beyond the typical remedy.
“I used to run for exercise, but had to stop because my feet hurt so badly,” said Carey. “At the same time, while researching opportunities to open a business in this area, I found information about Foot Solutions. I soon visited Foot Solutions’ franchise headquarters and stores in Georgia. While there I bought new running shoes and inserts. At home, a week later, I was back running again and my feet haven’t hurt since.”
After becoming a believer, from a personal standpoint, Carey decided to open his store in Flower Mound in July of 2004.
“We are not doctors,” he said. “We are fully trained Pedorthists who are highly skilled in basic foot evaluation and proper fitting, and knowledgeable in recommending the best shoes for your feet.”
A Pedorthist has specialized training in how to modify footwear and employ proper supportive devices to address all kinds of common foot conditions.
“We take every customer through a foot and gait analysis and learn what specific problems they suffer from,” Carey said. “We then present solutions to address their specific needs.”
To Carey, what is most rewarding about his business is truly helping people eliminate foot pain.
“In some cases, our customers tell us we have even changed their lives,” he said. “I’ve had customers come up to me and say that they haven’t been able to do things like chase their grandkids in a very long time and now they can for the first time in years. Their feet feel great because of the solutions we have provided them.”
When customers walk into Foot Solutions, it’s always about evaluating their needs and about educating and informing them, as opposed to a hard sell tactic.
“We’re not going to just present a lot of shoes to you,” said Carey. “We have shoes and inserts on display. We listen to the customer and observe their issues. Then after our evaluation process we make suggestions. Sometimes, simply the right type of shoe, correctly fitted, can solve a lot of problems.”
Alongside Carey is a professional, knowledgeable staff, one of whom, Sandy, has been with him for 10 years. And Krystal, a 10-year experienced Pedorthist, has just joined the team. Carey employs three fulltime Pedorthists who ensure Foot Solutions takes care of their customers, not just their feet.
On July 1, the store celebrated its tenth anniversary. Carey recalled back then, after six months of studying and absorbing knowledge about his new business, nothing quite fully prepares someone for that first customer.
“Once I turned the key in the door in 2004, I had the usual butterflies and was thinking ‘what the heck have I gotten myself into,’” Carey said with a chuckle. “Then when the first customers walked in, and we saw how much we could help them, we knew we had started something very special for us, and most importantly, for our customers.”
Ten years later, Carey and his staff try to make feet happy, one customer at a time, with professional expertise and genuine care for the customer’s well-being.
“It is very rewarding to hear a customer tell us that the shoes we’ve helped them select are the best shoes they’ve ever had,” Carey said.
Please visit http://footsolutions.com/flowermound/ for more information, directions and hours of operation.
