Kintec Footwear
Admittedly, this weather has been flip-flopping between good and bad weather. But when the weather was decently good, a couple of weeks ago, I accepted an invite by Kintec Footwear to take my Mom and myself to check out some sandals. Given my recent interest in capris (short pants, not short enough to be shorts, but not long enough to be pants), I think sandals do provide a great way to feel comfortable.
I will fully admit that before visiting Kintec Footwear (and despite having done a PhD thesis focused on leather and footwear and having a degree in leather science), I rarely thought of how well footwear fits. Particularly in times when money has been tight, I’ve focused on buying whatever footwear is discounted. So I really loved the refreshing honest approach that Mike (the manager at Kintec Footwear) took.
He described how Kintec Footwear focuses on improving the condition of whoever comes into the store. The customer may not have the cash to spend in a $300 shoe, and in that case, they provide alternative measures that may mitigate the condition that the customer may have. That honesty is definitely refreshing, instead of focusing on selling you the most expensive footwear, they tell you what you may need and some alternative measures if you can’t afford the highest-priced item. I don’t think I’ve seen this approach in many retail stores.
I chose to go with sandals, and I chose one from the broad selection that Kintec had. I went through their 5 step process (and was admittedly fascinated with the computerized approach, more than anything because it reminded me of the research centre where I used to work in Mexico). I had realized how my feet sometimes seem to get tired (this was, probably, due to the fact that as a child I had flat feet).
It wasn’t until I engaged in this conversation with Kintec Footwear that I realized that I probably need to pay a lot more attention to my footwear and maybe not so much at the price, or try at least to find something that will help me structurally rather than just taking a cosmetic approach and use the sandals that look pretty. Instead, I am now using sandals that were fitted to my feet by Kintec Footwear.
And I have walked quite substantially long distances, still feeling well and not tired. I’ll definitely come back for a set of well-fitted shoes for the fall term (when I teach 2 courses per term I think I need to pay WAY more attention to whether I’m feeling tired or not).
Disclosure: My set of sandals, and my Mom’s, were compliments of Kintec Footwear. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this blog entry is just to describe and document my experience with the sandals and the whole process that Kintec Footwear uses with every customer, not only with the media. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
