W H AT ’S SELLI N G
Comfort Specialty
ZFEET COMFORT SHOES & ORTHOTICS
W
Charlotte, NC
HEN KEN ZELIN turned 40, he went to the doctor for his annual physical complaining that his feet had been killing him. The doctor ruled out anything severe but recommended purchasing a “good pair of shoes,” to which Zelin questioned what exactly that entailed. “It was a real eye-opener when I realized doctors don’t necessarily know anything about the technology behind a good comfort shoe,” Zelin remarks. Serendipitously, that discovery came during a fork in the road at his stuffy corporate job, leading Zelin to make a career leap to becoming a pedorthist. After a brief run as a franchisee, Zelin decided to go it alone with the opening of Zfeet in April 2015. The 1,200-foot-shop features a tight selection of key comfort brands, including Naot, Saucony, Taos, Aetrex, Brooks and Vionic. In addition, orthotics by Aetrex, Orthofeet and Saluber, as well as custom-made options are in the offering. Zelin is focused first and foremost on finding the perfect shoe (i.e. fit) for each customer. Call it the Zfeet advantage as its two certified pedorthists—Zelin with 10 years experience and his partner Paul Henderson with more than 30 years—know plenty more about fit and foot health than the average 19-year-old store employee or a consumer searching online for answers. “We apply our expertise and really put hands on feet,” Zelin says, adding, “This is where we can make a difference in brick-andmortar as opposed to some sort of online diagnosis service where the foot can’t actually be analyzed.” —Emily Beckman
come into our store and say, “Just make me comfortable so I can go to work.” Once she finally gets put in the right pair of shoes, it makes such a difference.
What are your top-selling brands? Our best-selling brand is Naot. The removable footbed allows us to make modifications and they offer many style options that are well-constructed and last a long time. Naot is also moderately priced, which our customers appreciate. Other top brands are Vionic and Taos.
What is the most effective way to reach potential customers? Word of mouth. But we are doing a little more advertising than we used to, mostly in newspapers. I’m thinking about where and how to get into social media. The majority of my clients, however, are not the type to be looking at their phones all day. They might have a Facebook account, if anything.
Any new brands added of late? I just started bringing in Aravon. They make a solidly constructed shoe that comes in multiple widths. Their sandal line, for example, comes in at least three widths, sometimes four. The styling is also much better, which includes some with two-inch heels while still providing a lot of support. I also brought in some new spring styles by Taos, which feature a very wide base with a three supportive straps and a back strap. In general, it’s important that the styles we carry are able to accommodate a variety of widths. Who is your clientele? Anyone whose feet hurt! We help athletes to the elderly. We get many referrals from doctors, even pediatric cases that don’t necessarily need new shoes but simply new insoles to help with flat feet and other issues common in children ages 5 to 17. That said our most common customer scenario involves nurses. Coming out of school, she still wants to look good and will walk concrete floors for years in trendy shoes. But by the time she’s married and has had children, her feet will have changed, and she’ll 38 footwearplusmagazine.com • april/may 2017
What are you looking for in a brand? Quality of construction. Whether or not the shoe has a shank, strong heel counters and a broad toe box. Not a lot of women with bunions are getting into pointy toe shoes. How important are orthotics to your business overall? We do a pretty big business in over-the-counter orthotics as well as custom-made, which we make in the shop. With the over-the-counters, we carry brands that we’ve expertly selected based on their high-quality support. While there are cheaper brands you can buy in supermarkets or Walmart that provide relief for 15 minutes, we only offer our customers brands that have arch support and heel cups that work. What’s the biggest challenge currently facing your business? Online competition. The Internet is a wonderful place, but it can also be an awful place. Just Google plantar fasciitis, for instance. Your search will result in more than 9 million hits of “the perfect cure.” However, about 8,999,992 are wrong for you. The fact is everybody’s foot is different. Take, for example, Dansko—arguably one of the most comfortable shoes in the world. But only if they match your arch. If they don’t fit correctly, then you need to take into consideration aspects like motion control. That’s where we step in, and it’s amazing when people who have been searching for help come into ZFeet. Oftentimes, they might be skeptical, but once we talk to them, bring out a model of the foot and explain where it hurts and why, we immediately see that customer grow more trusting.
What about doctor referrals? There are a lot of orthopedic surgeons in the Charlotte area that know what we can do for their patients. On the other hand, there are a couple podiatrists that won’t work with us because they view us as competition. In my opinion, let them diagnosis, let them cure, even let them make the orthotic. But at least let us put that patient in the right footwear to complement their orthotic. What’s the most difficult business decision you’ve made in the past year? I finally got out of the diabetic shoe business with Medicare. The program is just absurd. It was a major part of my business, but it just wasn’t worth it anymore. That will be my biggest challenge: trying to replace that revenue. What do you love most about your job? When someone recognizes me, shows me their shoes and says thanks. That’s happened even three or four years after I’ve sold them shoes! It feels good to know you’d helped people find relief.