Caroline McCulloch, a qualified Podiatrist and Physiotherapist with a love of footwear, and founder of Australian label FRANKiE4 Footwear, refused to accept that women should feel they have to compromise on their style just because they hit that age when their feet start to hurt. Her range has revolutionised the way fashion footwear are made.
Foot pain affects approximately 1 in 3 people aged over 55, so it’s no surprise that Podiatrists have their hands full treating the feet of this age group.
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Ageing is a fact of life. After your feet have carried you the millions of steps you have taken through your life, they can eventually ‘wear down’, ‘change shape’, and not feel as ‘resilient’ as they used to.
As you age, you can lose cushioning and soft tissue fat in the pads of your heels and balls of your feet that are designed to reduce the impact your joints experience with each step.
Bone deformities, such as bunions or arthritis, are more common, so is the pain that comes with it! Nails also become more brittle, thicker and harder, making them difficult to trim and prone to ingrown toenails, fungal breakouts and other infections.
When considering what is the right shoe for you, look for a style that has properly designed heel and arch support. It should feel nice and comfortable under your foot from the first step. Footwear should feel soft but stable.
The fit is crucial, if it doesn’t feel good when you’re trying them on, they aren’t your sole mate, move on. This doesn’t mean you have to trade down to flats or ‘nanna shoes’.
McCulloch started from the ground up, and re-engineered the way fashion footwear is constructed. She has created a range of fashionable footwear that accommodates the needs of the foot when fat pad cushioning is reduced, when aches and pains are becoming more prevalent, and when your foot has become that little bit trickier to fit because of the change in shape.
FRANKiE4 designs feature a unique and patented Custom Fit assembly to accommodate varying foot shapes. All that is needed is included in the box.
McCulloch, a Podiatrist who has also owned and operated her own footwear stores and podiatry clinics since 2003, saw first-hand what her female patients and customers needed in a shoe. Cushioning and support is strategically placed in the designs to where the foot needs it by taking into consideration the foot strains, stresses and pressures.
The label’s new AW19 range features boots high and low, brogues, monk straps and flatforms – so there is truly no compromise on style! The collection sees something for everyone, while maintaining the signature comfort and support that FRANKiE4 is known for.
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