Circling the Planet Four Times Takes a Toll on Your Feet

ATLANTA, April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The average person takes approximately 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of 115,000 miles over their lifetime or enough to travel around the planet over four times.  So it comes as no surprise to FootSmart, the expert foot health and comfort outfitter, that approximately 80 percent of the U.S. adult population suffers from one or more painful, sometimes debilitating foot ailments. A pioneer of lower body and foot health since the late 80s, FootSmart has been on a mission to keep consumers moving in comfort.

"When your feet hurt, or are not properly cushioned or supported, your entire lower body can be negatively affected, including a bevy of knee and hip pain and spine alignment issues," says Alan Beychok, president and CEO of Benchmark Brands, parent company of FootSmart.  "These conditions are not limited to those living a sedentary life, but as often, people who lead active lives and make less than comfortable, often compromising footwear decisions."

As America Ages
The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests that only a small percentage of the population is born with foot problems.  While it's never been said that your feet are the first things to go, New York City podiatrist and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, likens it to dieting.  "Wearing shoes in your 20s, you can get away with anything, but in your 30s and 40s, that isn't the case."  For the first time, those demographic limitations apply to the entire Gen X generation who has unceremoniously exited their 20s in 2012.  For an aging population consumed by growing waistlines and visible crow's feet, neglect and lack of proper care of feet, including ill-fitting shoes, can wreak havoc on the entire lower part of the body due in part to improper movement, weakened joints, poor circulation and overworked legs.

Along Steps FootSmart
As the largest direct retailer of foot and lower body healthcare products in the United States, FootSmart offers more than 3,000 pain-relieving products and comfort footwear to help alleviate a variety of conditions. Beyond its depth of retail products, FootSmart is an authoritative resource in the selection and recommendation of the best comfort footwear. The company offers a unique Shop by Condition feature on FootSmart.com through which consumers can learn about specific foot conditions and view recommended products and footwear based on their ailment.

More than an ecommerce destination for shoes, FootSmart designs, develops and works with leading footwear manufacturers to source many of its products, utilizing a broad set of industrial and footwear designers, podiatrists and marketing research resources to set new comfort standards. In addition, the company lends its foot health expertise by partnering with organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and The Podiatry Institute to sponsor mission trips to diagnose and provide free treatment for lower body health problems of children living in underdeveloped parts of the world.

"Having a profound understanding of how living with a foot condition can affect a person's foot comfort, health and shoe selection, we focus all efforts toward providing our customers with proprietary and name brand products to best meet their healthcare, lifestyle, comfort, and style needs," adds Beychok. "We didn't set out to become America's largest direct retailer of comfort footwear and foot health products.  But in our quest to offer the consumer a range of comfort-related products that meet their lifestyle and workplace needs, size matters."

SOURCE FootSmart