We came to Step Ahead to look for a foot solution to my problem: heel spurs, achilles tendonitis,…read moreand plantar faciitis. I saw some Hoka shoes on sale at Ross in my size but my husband encouraged me to get my feet looked at by someone before just buying shoes, that way I know what my issues are and how to resolve them.
My husband had gone to Step Ahead in the past and got fitted for Oofos, realizing he should have been wearing a size down actually.
We walked in, and Patti, the owner, was helping another customer but said she'd be with us as right away. As promised, she hurried over and got to work assessing my feet.
I told her my problems, and she took a print of my foot to see where my pressure points were and to measure my arches - this is a service I was hoping for and WOULD NOT get at Ross or the Ultimate Foot Store in Pearl Ridge!
She was extremely apologetic for not having any shoes in my size and made that very clear more than once - she didn't try to sell me shoes in another size like another Yelper claimed. I never once got the feeling she was trying to scam me into a shoe that didn't fit. I think she's eager to find a solution that works for folks and also passionate about educating people on why they have aches and pains and how proper footwear and arch alignment can help.
She fit me with an orthotic that was shaped to my foot. Was it custom tailored exactly to my foot? No, but it was the right size to support my arch, which I appreciated. When I go to other stores, I have to guess what insert might work for me and probably guess wrong. I appreciated her measuring me and recommending the right solution.
I ended up getting the harder, more supportive insert for my shoes at home. She told me that Hokas, etc. are great, but they are essentially just padded shoes. You can put all the padding you want in a shoe, but until you get the right arch support, you aren't going to fix the problem. The telling point for me was when she took the sole out of a Hoka and put the insert in there for me to try on! (It was a size too small for me, but I was able to try it on to try on the insert).
I appreciated her honesty, and it put my mind at ease about "getting the perfect shoe."
The price for the orthotic was $200 - yes, on the pricey side, but honestly, a pair of Hokas is around that and doesn't provide the arch support I need to fix my problems.
Also, they have a 2 year guarantee so if they crack you can come back and she will replace them. But she said they could last a lifetime if you take care of them. To me $200 is much more reasonable that custom made inserts that can run in the thousands and just a bit more than pricey padded gym shoes.
My husband also got a pair which she gave us 50% off. She measured his arches too and said the inserts will help with his walk, which currently his feet sort of flare out to the sides when he walks.
There was another customer in there too who said he's been wearing his for 5 years and even pulled them out of his boot to show us! He says they really work to alleviate pain.
She gave us wearing instructions and talked us through everything else like how many hours to wear on a graduated scale, how long it will take to build up our arch muscles, etc.
I am only dinging a star because she has a limited inventory of shoes and slippers and keeps beating herself up about it. I'm sure it's tough to stock all the sizes, but people are hungry for good supportive footwear as well as inserts, so I recommend her stocking up on more sizes. Unfortunately folks just won't want to part with $200 bucks for an insert, even though it's more advantageous, and would rather buy a pair of gym shoes.
Overall, I'd come back here for my foot needs. Her personalized service and attentiveness is reallllly hard to find nowadays. The fact that she can run this store for so many years amongst the competition and Amazon, etc. should be a testament that her products really work.
