04/02/2026    Joan Oloff, DPM

When Did Buying Arch Supports Become a Medical Visit? (James Whelan, DPM)

I would like to thank Dr. Whelan for taking the
time to shine a light on what has become a
significant problem for many patients in my area.
There is a Good Feet Store close to where I
practice. As a result, I frequently see patients
who share their experiences in the store.

As Dr Whelan stated, the salespeople in their
stores are trained to confuse the public into
thinking they are medical professionals. These
salespeople are the sole evaluators and
“prescribers” of the treatment plan. Patients are
“prescribed” 3 OTC arch supports (which they are
told are individualized for them) and a pair of
Brooks sneakers. The total cost of this
“treatment” is $2,000. I had one lady come in to
see me and started crying in the treatment chair.
These patients are embarrassed when they realize
they were scammed.

I have no issue when a shoe store sells OTC
inserts to their customers. It is not unreasonable
to try OTC treatments before seeing a physician
for a more comprehensive evaluation. What concerns
me is this has progressed to diagnosing and
treating, inappropriately claiming to be experts
who can diagnose and prescribe treatments
(selling) to their customers. I am not anti-
retail. I grew up as the 3rd generation in the
retail shoe business. I refer many patients to
local shoe stores. Many support podiatrists in
their communities.

The Good Feet store chain is cut from a different
cloth than a shoe store. Their charges are
outrageous. By posing as medical professionals,
they will justify these outrageous costs to
consumers. They have hired an orthopedic surgeon
in my community as their marketing director. They
use her image and credentials to pretend to be in
the medical community. I had begged her to walk
away, but she chose not to. They provide
sponsorships for national medical meetings she
produces. They compensate her well.

Dr. Whelan awakened my concerns with this company.
I hope we can move forward as a profession to
address these problems we should no longer ignore.
You have my support and sincere gratitude for
revisiting this problem. I believe we may be the
only group that can effectively address and fix
this ongoing problem that continues to harm the
consumer.

Joan Oloff, DPM, Los Gatos, CA

There are no more messages in this thread.