Arch Supports and Why they Really Don’t Work, and the Scam that Goes with them.
For years, the public has had the idea that if their feet hurt, the simplest thing to do to take care of them was to get a pair of arch supports or insoles. This is a myth. I hope that after reading this book, you now understand that contrary to everything you have ever been told, “supporting your arch” is not the answer, or even the proper treatment for most real foot problems. Sure, arch supports can make you feel better by cushioning the arch. However, they do not take care of any of the basic problems of the muscles, ligaments, bones or tendons of the foot, which are the real reasons for most of our foot and body pains. Every year millions of people buy arch supports only to find out that their foot problems do not get any better, and they have wasted their time and money. If this was not bad enough, most foot doctors (including myself) have seen numerous patients with foot problems that have been made worse by these inferior arch supports.
Moreover, a Morton’s Toe Pad or a Shoe Insert at 1% of the cost, can treat most foot problems as well if not better than any of those overpriced arch support or insole
DR. DUDLEY MORTON ON ARCH SUPPORTS
As far back as sixty-five years ago, Dr. Dudley Morton knew that arch supports were of doubtful use to treating foot problems.
As I wrote in Chapter 10, of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, in January 1942, Morton presented a paper at the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in Atlantic City, where he stated that 90% of the arch supports that prop up thousands of feet ought to be thrown out the window. He also said that fallen arches are not the cause of most foot problems, but rather the real problem is due to poorly distributed weight across the five metatarsal bones (Morton’s Toe ). He also noted that the real reason for most foot problems, including fallen arches, is due to problems of the first metatarsal bone.
FRAUDULENT CLAIMS
” You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time” Abraham Lincoln,
There are big big bucks to be made in selling pre-made arch supports and insoles. It is an industry that makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year. They are sold everywhere from special chain stores that sell nothing but arch supports and insoles, to a guy selling them out of the trunk of his car. The one common denominator is that these “things” are sold based on false hopes and fraudulent claims. The people selling them have as much knowledge and training about the human foot and why you really hurt as the nice person who asked you if you want paper or plastic at the grocery checkout counter. The one thing they have been trained to do is repeat the script they were taught to sell these “things” to the hurting public. The truth is that if you are hurting, it does not take much to convince you to buy something that you hope will give you relief. The worst part of this story is that once you buy these arch supports or insoles, you are stuck with them regardless of whether you paid ten bucks or hundreds of dollars. However, the public and state authorities are catching on , as you will see shortly.
During the summer, there is a monthly street fair in my home town of Panama City, FL. Thousands of people attend. It is a very popular event with music, food, old cars and vendors selling all types of merchandise. The last time I went, there was a booth selling something called “massaging insoles” for $39.99. Hanging in the booth was a large banner saying that these insoles gave relief from heel spurs, low back pain, burning feet, fibromyalgia, Morton’s neuroma, plantar fasciitis, bunions, calluses, and varicose veins. The only thing it did not claim to treat was “E.D.” These claims are absolutely ridiculous and outrageous, and are not based on anything substantial. I examined the insoles and found there was nothing therapeutic about them. In fact, this same insole or something very similar can be bought for about four dollars through a catalogue or online. Go to a discount store and you can buy them for about six to eight dollars.
THE ARCH SUPPORT CHAIN STORE OR
THERE IS NO MAGIC ARCH SUPPORT
The biggest change in the way arch supports and insoles are marketed is with the recent invention of stores that sell nothing but them. Not that long ago, you could go into any drug store and buy a pair of arch supports or insoles for about three to five dollars. But that was before someone came up with the lucrative idea of reinventing and repackaging arch supports and charging hundreds of dollars for them. Because of that, we now have franchised chain stores across the country that specializes in selling pre-made, off-the-shelf arch support or insoles. There is nothing special about these arch supports; there is nothing magical about these arch supports except for the way the buyer is being uniquely ripped off. You see, the same arch supports or insoles sold in these chain stores for $200 to $400 can be bought by anyone for about ten to twenty dollars at pharmacies, discount stores, or through catalogues. If you go online, Dr Scholl’sTM is selling the same or a similar arch support for about nine dollars. You can even buy them from the T.V. for $19.95 (plus shipping and handling). The only difference is that in the chain store they put on a “Dog and Pony Show*” to convince the buyer that they need their overpriced insoles. This Dog and Pony Show consists of having the customer walk on a mat that makes an imprint of their foot. It looks impressive to the customer but in reality, it means nothing. They then tell the “customer” (sorry, you are not a “patient”) that their arch has fallen and they need an arch support. Again, this is garbage only being said to con you in to buying one of the stores’ overpriced products.
The chain store arch supports are mostly made overseas. They are all mass-produced, based on standard shoe sizes (not on your foot). The wholesale cost to the chain store is about three to five dollars per pair and then it is marked up about 100 times! It has to be considered one of the greatest mass-marketing ploys of recent times. Imagine taking a three-dollar item and selling it for $300! This is America, and if you want to pay $300 to $400 for a hard plastic or rubber arch support from China that certainly is your right. The major problem arises when the arch supports or insoles do not work as advertised and the customer wants a cash refund from the chain store, but they are totally refused one. I will tell you more about this swindle shortly, but first I must tell you about the background of the salespeople selling you these overpriced insoles and arch supports.
SALES PEOPLE
Like 99% of people who sell arch supports and insoles, the salespeople in the chain store have no medical background. They CANNOT explain to you why you have fallen arches and why your feet really hurt because they have no clue why they hurt. In addition, it is illegal in all fifty states for them to do so.
The sales people CANNOT determine for you if your arch/foot pain/problems were or were not due to a serious systemic disease such as diabetes, arthritis, bursitis, poor circulation, nerve damage, back problems, or gout.
The salespeople CANNOT tell you if your pains in your arch or foot are caused by a bone that is broken, an abnormal bone growth, or a bone tumor.
When you buy arch supports from these stores, you have no idea of the background of the salesperson with whom you are dealing. For or all you know, they could have been selling mobile homes before this job. Did I say “mobile homes?”
Yep, Another True Story
Throughout this book, I have told you numerous true stories. In many ways, the following story is the most important one. In this part of the United States, mobile homes are a very popular form of housing. Several years ago, I went with a friend who was shopping for a doublewide mobile home. A young salesman showed us different models. We started to talk and eventually the young salesperson admitted to me that he was starting a new job the following week. When I asked him about it, he said that he was going to work for a national chain of stores that sold nothing but arch supports. He indicated that his friend worked in Tallahassee, Florida store and was making a “killing” from the commissions on these things. I asked him if he had any experience in selling arch supports or any medical background. He said no, but that the company would teach him what to say and how to sell them. I did not voluntary to tell him I have spent the last 25 years looking at feet everyday.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
The salespeople in the arch support stores are not there to help you. They are there to help themselves, by making their commissions. The point is that for the same hundreds of dollars you would be spending for a pre made arch support you could be seeing a doctor who would really determine the reasons for your painful feet. So the choice is yours. You could either go see a podiatrist/foot specialist who has years of experience in treating the foot, or a man or woman who has years of experience in sales. Finally, there is another bonus in getting the proper care. Insurance companies would never pay for the arch support from the chain store, while (depending on your policy) they should pay for you to see your local podiatrist to find out why you are really hurting, and then pay for the proper treatment. Like I said above, do not assume you need an arch support just because your feet hurt. You need to find out the answer for certain.
I will now show you the national press and web reporting, that document the scam/rip-off going on across the country when most of these chain stores make fraudulent misrepresentations about their products, and then absolutely refuse to give any refund when these overpriced arch supports don’t work.
THE NATIONAL RIPEOFF
Television stations across the country have ran numerous reports about complaints made by consumers concerning alleged fraudulent sales practices of these franchised arch support stores and their refusals to give ANY refunds to unhappy customers. Here are only some of them:
WISC-TV in Madison, Wisconsin ran an on-air piece called “Not So Good ‘Good Feet’”. It reported that state consumer protection officials are sending 41 complaints against the Good Feet Store to the Justice Department for investigation after allegations that the store’s infomercials are fraudulent representations of their products. Some consumers complained after spending hundreds of dollars on arch supports that did not work or made their problems worse. Then could not get their money back. Good Feet said its “all sales are final” policy is posted in the stores.
That is unreasonable, and just not fair ! If someone’s feet are hurting do, you think they are scanning the walls for a refund policy? I don’t think so.
My favorite part of the segment takes place in the first 30 seconds when the owner of the arch support store is in the back room of her store. What you see are endless row after row of incredible overpriced, pre-made, arch supports. There is nothing custom-made about these arch supports. But there they are, lined up like toy soldiers by the thousands, waiting to make the storeowner a truckload of money!
Here is the link for the full news story from WISC-TV about “Good Feet” that you can watch.
http://www.channel3000.com/video/4430559/detail.html
This is a great story but you may have to cut and past it into your url box
In Denver, KMGH-TV, the ABC affiliate also ran a piece exposing “Good Feet” called :
Do Good Feet’s Claims Of Helping Foot Pain Stand?
Doctors Say Sales People Can’t Diagnose, Treat Problems
This story was great because the TV station used hidden cameras to go into various Good Feet stores in the greater Denver area, uncovering the truth about their operations. You can read this great segment at
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4979919/detail.html
Here is a story from Reno, Nevada that was on the web site www.Complaints.com , where the person’s feet were made worse by Good Feet arch supports and they could not get a refund. The link is at
http://www.complaints.com/2006/december/29/Good_Feet_Store_10529.htm
Another person unhappy with the refund policy is at
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=26958
And finally another unhappy Good Feet Customer spent almost $700 and their feet are worse, and of course, they could not get a refund. You can read this for yourself at
http://www.complaints.com/2007/april/9/GOOD_FEET_STORE_INSERTS__126347.htm
People are not only unhappy with ”Good Feet’s” sale practices. Here is a web site containing over 150 complaints/comments about Walkfit, a mail-order arch support.
http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/walk_fit
Another chain of arch support stores called “The Ideal Feet Store” have also been beaten up on the internet for their sales practices.
The “Rip-Off Report,” a very aggressive web site, started its attack on the Ideal Feet store of Plano TX, by printing what this unhappy customer
wrote:
***Beware of buying these orthotic/arch supports***.
WARNING: The Ideal Feet Store sales people are con artists and will tell you anything to sell their arch support/orthotic devices at an outrageous price and there are NO REFUNDS or RETURNS. They are a Rip-Off! He goes on to say
“I paid over $400.00 for crappy pieces of plastic to go into my shoes that caused physical health problems and these people could care less! BUYER BEWARE.” This customer does not stop there. For the rest of his unhappy comments go to
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/293/RipOff0293423.htm
I saved the most important one for last. In another attack on the Ideal Feet Store posted on the “Rip-Off Report” a female customer from Tulsa OK wrote,
Thank you ma’am, I am very sorry of your situation. You are the exact reason why I am writing this in my book and posting it an my web site to let people know about this rip off
EQUAL TIME
Look, I am fully aware that there are lots of people satisfied with the arch supports or insoles that they bought from Good Feet, the Ideal Foot Store, or the trunk of some guy’s car. I am very very happy for you. That is great, but please allow me as a licensed foot specialist with a third of a century’s experience to make you aware of the following points.
1. Regardless of whether you paid $19.95 or $699, you overpaid for these things by a lot. Don’t believe me? Shop around and you can see for yourself. The same insoles you bought can be had for a fraction of the cost either at Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart or in catalogues. Trust me, (I hope you do by now) there is no major difference. Just ask the nice lady above from Tulsa who went to the Dollar Store after spending almost $700.00 at Good Feet .
2. Even if you feel wonderful with your supports or insoles, you are not treating the real reason for your foot/arch pain. The problem is not your arch but the ball of your feet and the metatarsal bones. The Toe Pad or Shoe Insert, which cost three to four dollars, is far superior to any arch support bought at any price. The reason is simple. As I explained to you earlier in Chapters 3 and 4, the real reason for your foot problem is not your arch falling, but that you have a Morton’s Toe. And it is the Morton’s Toe that is causing your arch to fall. If you treat the Morton’s Toe, your arch will not fall; hence, you will not need an overpriced arch support to start with. However, Dr. Dudley J. Morton, the leading medical expert on the human foot for the first half of the 20th century, who taught at Yale and Columbia Medical Schools, and who wrote seven medical textbooks, might be wrong. And the nice person in the arch support store, who was selling double-wide mobile homes a week before you met, may be right. It really is a close call.
3. How many times in your life have you heard of a whole industry refusing to give a refund on their products? Heck, people can even return underwear and socks to some stores after wearing them for a month, and get their money back. (I swear!) What is so scary is that these arch support stores refuse to give any refunds! Is it because they know that if they gave refunds, their doors would not stay open for long? Gentlemen, if you want the authorities and me off of your back start giving refunds like 99.99% of the rest of the civilized business world.
In my office, patients pay about $400 for custom-made orthotics. From what I can tell, this is a fair average of what most podiatrists charge for orthotics across the country. I only decide to make orthotics for a patient after I evaluate them and treat them for a while. Why do I wait, and not make it at once? The simple answer is that I am not sure orthotics will work for a patient until I see then several times and know they are going to work. You cannot determine if the patient will benefit from orthotics or even arch supports until you see how they are responding to treatment. Any good doctor will tell you the same. Besides, I am not going to ask someone to spend $400.00 of their money (or their insurance company’s money) unless I truly believe it is going to work. After I take a custom cast (impression) of the feet, which then goes to a laboratory that specializes in making orthotics. It then takes several weeks for the orthotics to be fabricated. Once they arrive back from the laboratory the patient is fitted for them. Regardless of the reason, it the patient cannot get the orthotics to work to their satisfaction or is unhappy for any reason I will offer them a full refund. This has happened three times in the last five years. I cannot speak for every doctor but the ones I associate with would do the same exact thing.
HERE IS THE LINK TO GOOGLE THAT HAS LISTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT GOOD FEET
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22good+feet%22+complaints&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
If this link does not work just Google “good feet” complaints, and see what you get.
