Good Feet(R) has successful Doctor Day event

To mark their first anniversary in Avon, the owners of Good Feet®, Your Arch Support Store, held a Doctor Day event March 14. Area residents received free foot evaluations from podiatrist Dr. Scott Lindsay of Valley Ankle & Foot Care in Farmington and free consultations from Good Feet® staff members, who provided information about foot care and the value of proper arch support.

“It’s all about alignment. Improper arch support can cause pain not only in the feet but also the legs, hips or back,” store manager Michael Gallagher said. “Our products show a 98 percent success rate in reducing pain, and come with lifetime warranties.”

Good Feet®’s arch support products, also called orthotics, help people with the full gamut of foot diseases, the most common plantar fasciitis. They can slow the progression of bunions, Gallagher said, and have prevented surgery for people with both conditions.

Roland Glover of Manchester, who has plantar fasciitis, came with his wife, Angel, for Doctor Day. They were both evaluated by Lindsay and received advice from Gallagher, then left the store with a bag full of products.

“I’ve been here to Good Feet® before, driving from Manchester to Avon,” Glover said. “When you have foot pain, you’ll go any length to get help. I’m on my feet all day as executive chef at Manchester Memorial Hospital and I have knee and back pain also. Good Feet®’s orthotics definitely help.”

Other Doctor Day attendees included three generations of women who came to be assessed: Claire Palmer of East Granby, daughter Debi Garfield of New Hartford and granddaughters Jordan and Andrea Garfield.

“Dr. Lindsay told me that if I don’t do something I’ll end up needing leg braces,” Garfield said. “I’m on my feet all day.”

Both she and Palmer were measured for orthotics by specially trained and certified arch support fitter Caroline Olsen, who helped the women choose arch supports that best fit their individual lifestyle and the shoes they commonly wear.

Same-day custom fitting is done at Good Feet®; no molding or casting is needed for the technology they use. And unlike other arch supports that only fit athletic shoes, Good Feet® makes products for all types of activities and shoes.

The Avon store is one of two Good Feet® franchises owned by Gallagher’s father, Joseph Gallagher Sr. and uncle, Brian Gallagher. Their first store opened in North Haven in 2010, and they plan to open five more stores in Connecticut.

In addition to orthotics, Good Feet® sells a variety of foot-related merchandise such as shoes, compression socks, diabetic products, foot creams and toe warmers, as well as back support equipment for sitting and sleeping.

Good Feet® is located in the Fairway Shops Plaza at 70 East Main St. (Rte. 44), Avon. For information, call 860-677-0151.

Photo captions:

1. Store manager Michael Gallagher speaks with Roland and Angel Glover of Manchester about the benefits of Good Feet®’s products.
2. Dr. Scott Lindsay of Valley Ankle & Foot Care in Farmington evaluates Roland Glover’s feet.
3. Claire Palmer of East Granby is measured for orthotics by certified arch support fitter Caroline Olsen.
4. Dr. Scott Lindsay discusses a foot evaluation he did on one of the Doctor Day guests with Good Feet® certified arch support fitter Caroline Olsen.
5. Claire Palmer of East Granby holds up one of the orthotic products she is purchasing.
6. Debi Garfield of New Hartford slips one of her new orthotics into her shoe.
7. Dr. Scott Lindsay shows Jordan Garfield of New Hartford the bone structure of a foot while discussing her problem bunions.
8. Dr. Scott Lindsay talks to Andrea Garfield of New Hartford as he points to her feet, which have low arches.
9. Free consultations are always available at the family-owned Good Feet® store in Avon. From left are members of the Gallagher family: Brian, Michael, Linda and Joseph.