InStep

InStep

Written by Candace Birkelbach Friday, 22 August 2008

After realizing Austinites were missing a place where they could find shoes comfortable enough to support active lifestyles, Laura Moore decided to open InStep, a comfort shoe boutique in central Austin.

With the success of the original store, which opened in 1993, Moore opened the second location in Northwest Austin five years later. She said it just made sense to open a comfort shoe store in a place with the proper climate for sandals and people focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Moore’s husband, Stephen Sadler, joined the business in 1995 and became a certified pedorthist in 1999.

At first, the store carried only the Birkenstock brand because Moore found the Birkenstock concept to be unique and amazing. She was originally interested in general health and wellness, but also realized the importance of foot comfort. Moore started her shoe career by working at a Birkenstock store while she was in college in the ’80s just as the brand was becoming popular. Though Moore admitted to feeling embarrassed when caught wearing the not-so-stylish Birkenstocks anywhere in public besides her job, she finally stopped caring because the shoes were so comfortable.

Most people do not even realize that putting your foot into a shape that’s not natural might be causing some of their foot pain, Moore explained.

“Over time I realized Birkenstocks were not necessarily the answer for everybody’s feet, but comfortable shoes were. There are other great products with the same idea: mimicking the shape of the foot, giving arch support and putting the foot in a more natural position.”

The store then started offering other specialty brands and working closer with doctors to provide prescription shoes. Over time, Birkenstock and the other comfort shoe brands updated their styles, which allowed InStep to offer more options to suit customers’ needs.

“A lot of our shoes are prescription-only, but others are for people who are self-diagnosing themselves for a healthy lifestyle,” Moore said. “Most people don’t come willingly, because if your feet don’t bother you, you’ll continue to wear cute, cheap shoes.”

InStep has certified pedorthists on staff to create special shoes and inserts for customers. A pedorthist performs the same role a pharmacist would by filling a doctor’s prescription. That expertise is what makes InStep stand out from other shoe stores — customers can find what they need much easier when trying on shoes with someone who knows and wears the shoes themselves, Moore said.

“Sure you can help yourself to shoes on a rack at a self-serve store or buy shoes online, but you’re missing something when you don’t have someone really knowledgeable helping you,” Moore said.

Two of InStep’s managers each have more than nine years’ experience helping people find comfortable shoes based on their physical needs, activities performed and style desired. A positive aspect of being a small and local store is that the owners of InStep are available to assist customers on-site and really care about the people, Moore said.

She has received feedback from customers whose feet hurt from standing all day at work due to wearing shoes or heels that cramp the toes and put pressure on awkward points.

Moore has even had customers with injuries who were able to avoid surgery after finding the right shoe. Some even regained their ability to walk. Moore described one customer who was crawling from his bed in the middle of the night to get to his baby’s crib. InStep solved the problem by finding a comfortable sandal that the man could slip on easily at night to check on his baby.

“Pressure on the feet can affect the entire body, including the back and knees,” Moore said. “I think of it like a mattress sometimes. A good mattress is a foundation for your body for many hours a day, and footwear is the same thing.”

Brands Sold at Instep

• Acorn
• Aetrex
• Birkenstock
• Birki’s
• Born
• Chaco
• Clarks
• Croc’s
• Dansko
• Earth
• El Naturalista
• Footprints
• Healthy Toes
• Hobo International (bags)
• Indigo
• J-41 Keen
• Lynco
• Matt & Nat (bags)

• MBT
• Mephisto
• Naot
• Ocean Minded
• Papillio
• Pedag
• Privo
• Sanita
• Tatami
• Think!
• Tsubo
• UGG Australia
• Wolky

InStep also sells travel bags and specialty comfort socks.

InStep, 9901 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., 346-4400, Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., www.instepaustin.com