Finding My FOOTING
As most of you know, I'm not a huge birthday person, but this year feels different. It marks the 25th anniversary of my longest committed relationship: my Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) VIP membership! My love for shoes started with those teen trips to DSW. I’d spend hours analyzing every pair—picking them up, bending them, and even considering their ROI (return on investment): could I wear them for more than one season or outfit? (Side note: if I do get married, that dress is getting worn more than once!).
Reflecting on being a teenager in a shoe store, I realize my career began long before my first patient. It started with a lifelong, almost instinctive habit of analyzing every product’s design and its potential. As a board-certified podiatrist with over a decade of experience in sports medicine, I've had a unique perspective on human movement, and my passion for the product side of the industry never faded. Some things are just meant to be. I didn't plan it this way, but my love for shoes led me to my career as a foot doctor, bringing my two passions, style and foot health, into perfect alignment.
This year, I decided to take it a step further and was accepted into a sports product management program at the University of Oregon. My plan was to juggle my private practice with the classes, which ran four days a week. Before accepting admission, I was given the contact of a Nike Sports Engineer and University of Oregon professor, Brad Winn. His passion for the industry was so contagious, and his advice to follow my True North convinced me to accept admission.
A week later, I got the call that the online program would be dissolved this cycle. While it was an unexpected setback, I decided to take Brad’s advice to heart. Building on the momentum of the case studies I had created for my admissions portfolio, I launched FirmFooted. After a lifetime of loving shoes, I've finally found my footing.
And today, I'm thrilled to officially announce the launch of FirmFooted, a site born from this journey! I'm creating this platform to be a key resource for both you and the footwear industry, blending my professional expertise and personal perspectives. My blog, Sole Insights, is where I'll dive into everything from clinical analysis to in-depth shoe reviews and share a bit of my personal perspective along the way. Can’t wait to start this new adventure with you! Thanks for reading. -Shyshyout
P.S. Shout-out to my high school bestie Sarah Wheeler for gifting me that early 2000s blue eyeshadow pictured above.