Even if your feet only bother you on occasion and you don’t think you need to see a doctor, a Certified Pedorthist can help you. You can see a C.Ped without a footwear prescription, and they can give your feet the attention they deserve. They can help you reduce heel pain (the most common foot-related issue) and pain from a wide variety of other foot and ankle problems. 

What is a Certified Pedorthist (C.Ped)?

A Certified Pedorthist, or C.Ped, is a specialist in using footwear — which includes shoes, shoe modifications, foot orthotics and other pedorthic devices — to solve problems in or related to the foot and lower limbs. When the Shoe Fits has two Certified Pedorthists on staff, and its sales team have all been trained in the use of pedorthic procedures to modify footwear and employ supportive devices to address conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs.

When a foot requires medical attention, footwear often becomes a factor in the patient’s treatment, recovery or rehabilitation. It’s a team approach: While the doctor treats your foot, the C.Ped addresses your corresponding footwear needs.

When appropriate, doctors refer patients to specialists. Certified pedorthists are specialists in using footwear and orthotics to address lower-limb-related problems and pathologies. C.Peds understand the properties of footwear products and the interaction between the patient’s foot and shoe. They also are skilled at evaluating feet and fitting you with footwear that best address your needs. If your physician has determined a specific condition that requires special footwear or orthotics, a C.Ped at When the Shoe Fits can fill your prescription.

The C.Ped can select and modify shoes and inserts (or make them, if necessary) to help people maintain or regain as much mobility as possible. When your ability to walk is affected, so is everything that surrounds, touches or otherwise interacts with your foot. That includes foot orthotics, shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, socks, hosiery, bandages, braces, partial-foot prosthetics and other devices. Footwear adjustments can be made inside or outside a shoe to accommodate specific needs.

Foot orthotics (specially designed shoe inserts that help support the feet and improve foot posture) are an important component of footwear that can accommodate, support or relieve specific conditions, as well as improve the foot’s function.

In addition to designing and fabricating an appropriate orthotic, a C.Ped can provide you personalized attention in selecting, fitting and modifying shoes so that you can wear the orthotic effectively.

C.Peds follow up to make sure your footwear functions as your doctor prescribed. A footwear prescription, like any other prescription, takes into account your medical history, activities of daily living and treatment goals.

A Board Certified Pedorthist is an individual who has studied foot anatomy and pathology, biomechanics, shoe construction and modification, foot orthotics fabrication and materials, footwear fitting and patient/practice management, and who abides by ABC’s Code of Ethics outlining responsibilities to the patient, the physician, the public and the profession. For most C.Peds, hands-on training in the field is also part of their learning process.

What Qualifies Someone to be a C.Ped?

People coming in to the field of pedorthics study a great deal about the foot and lower limb anatomy. The areas they are required to master include:

• foot anatomy
• pathology
• biomechanics (human locomotion)
• gait analysis
• footwear fittings
• foot orthotic design, fabrication and materials
• shoe construction and modification
• patient / practice management

In addition to these disciplines, they often seek non-academic experience under the supervision of a certified pedorthist to familiarize themselves with pedorthic approaches, terminology and techniques. They attend specific pedorthics courses which are prerequisites for their certification examination. C. Peds maintain their certification by following continuing education and renewal requirements. 

Come in to one of our four locations to get expert help in custom fitting an appropriate pair of comfort shoes.