“ Patients always reported better treatment results with the right shoes under their feet .”
As a podiatrist and physiotherapist , footwear couldn ’ t be separated from my treatment if I was to provide the best care to my patients . I needed to get their foundation ( footwear ) right . But the options of comfort shoes were ghastly . The day a patient nearly cried when I showed her some comfort shoes that would be great for her treatment , I decided to see if I could design my own styles .
How did you turn your idea into reality ?
I ran a footwear store within our podiatry clinics for seven years prior to developing FRANKiE4 , so I had a good handle on women ’ s preferences in footwear . To get my idea off the ground , I called a shoe manufacturer in Sydney , told him my idea – and met him the following week . About 10 prototypes later , and lots of wear testing , I signed off on my first two styles to sell in our podiatry clinics . Selling directing to my patients was the perfect way to gauge feedback and tweak my designs .
What is the biggest obstacle you ' ve faced along the way to success - and how did you overcome it ?
My husband and I met with a well-regarded businessperson who advised us to walk away from FRANKiE4 , saying it wasn ’ t a viable business ; there was no such thing as a successful privately owned footwear business ; and the bigger footwear companies would cripple us . interview continues overleaf ...
© Dietitian Connection Infuse | March 2018 21