The Good Feet Store Launches Its First Shoe on Black Friday
The Good Feet store is kicking off the holiday season with a big first.
The retail company — which manufactures and sells customized arch support systems intended to help reduce foot, knee, hip and back pain — is launching its first footwear style on Black Friday.
Richard Moore, CEO of The Good Feet Store, said that his team spent a year and a half developing the shoe in partnership with its medical advisors, to be a perfect complement to its Relaxer arch support.
“So many of our customers have said, ‘You know, I’d wear the Relaxer if I actually had a shoe to wear around the house. And so we’re starting with that,” he said.
The debut look is a slip-on style with a neutral suede upper and sturdy rubber outsole that allows the shoe to be worn around the house or out running errands. It will be available starting Nov. 24 at most Good Feet Store locations, retailing for $110.
Previously, the retailers has offered a limited selection of shoes in-store from outside brands such as Brooks, New Balance and Hey Dude.
Moore said that the company is now exploring whether to build more “sister shoes” to contain its insoles and is open to working with an outside manufacturing partner on the project. However, he stressed that arch supports will remain the foundation of The Good Feet Store. “Our goal was not to become a shoe brand,” he said.
And arch supports have been good business so far. In recent years, the retailer has been undergoing rapid growth. In early October, it marked the opening of its 250th location, in College Station, Texas.
The Good Feet Store has been bullish on brick-and-mortar despite the consumer shift to online. In a statement, the company said that by year-end it will have opened 30 new doors in 2023, with at least 30 more expected next year, resulting in more than 300 stores by the end of 2024.
Moore noted that by year-end, the company will be in all major DMAs (designated market areas) in the U.S., with new stores in the New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Miami areas. He credits that growth to the commitment and hard work of the franchise owners. “Our franchisees are saying, ‘We believe in this brand, we believe in the long-term viability because it is a product that our customers need. So they’re looking to grow into these markets,” he said.
In turn, Moore and his team have spent the past few years developing multiple tools to support the franchisees — including now launching a shoe.
“What I ask the franchisees is, what helps you be even better at meeting the needs of your customers?” said Moore. “If it’s a shoe they can get anywhere else, that’s not as exciting. So what we wanted to do is develop a shoe that you can only find at The Good Feet Store, that’s developed by the franchisees and our medical advisors, and is the best for the products that we sell.”