Thinking About The Good Feet Store? Read This First

The Good Feet Store advertises everywhere — TV, radio, billboards — and if your feet hurt, the promise of walking out of a store pain-free is understandably tempting. People in the Charlotte area ask us about them regularly, usually in one of two ways: "Should I go?" or "I went, and I'm having second thoughts." So here is our attempt at a fair, clear-eyed guide, written by people who admittedly sell foot care too, but who will try to give Good Feet its due.

How the Good Feet model works

The Good Feet Store is a national franchise selling premade — that is, prefabricated, not custom-molded — arch supports. You come in, a staff member measures your feet and walks you through a fitting, and you're presented with supports, often as part of a multi-piece "system" with different supports for different times of day or activities.

The fitting experience is genuinely part of the appeal. Someone pays attention to your feet, which is more than most shoe retail offers. And to be plain about it: arch supports work. They genuinely help many people with heel pain, arch fatigue, and overpronation, and some Good Feet customers report real relief. If everyone left the store helped and happy, there'd be nothing to write about.

What the criticism actually says

The recurring issue in public reviews is price. Reported pricing runs roughly $399 to $599 per pair, with averages around $450 to $500 — and the multi-pair systems can run far higher. Podiatrists have publicly described patients spending thousands of dollars at Good Feet, and their criticism is pointed: these are prefabricated supports, available in similar form elsewhere for far less. That's not our claim to make about any specific product, but it is a criticism made openly by foot doctors, and it's worth weighing.

The second theme in public reviews is sales pressure during consultations. This connects to something factual rather than opinion-based: the people fitting you at Good Feet are trained salespeople. They are not podiatrists, and they are not certified pedorthists. That doesn't make them dishonest — plenty are surely well-meaning — but it does mean the person diagnosing your arch type and recommending a several-hundred-dollar solution has a sales role, not a clinical credential. When the product being fitted costs as much as a car payment, that distinction matters.

The pedorthist alternative

Here's the comparison we'd ask you to make, because it's the one we've built our business on. A board-certified pedorthist is a credentialed professional in footwear and orthotic management — the certification exists precisely so there's a clinical standard behind the person assessing your feet. Paul Henderson, our pedorthist, has more than 35 years of experience, and local doctors refer their patients to him. His foot evaluations are free, with no purchase required. If your feet don't need anything, he'll tell you that, and the visit costs you nothing.

If you do need support, there's a ladder of options rather than one expensive system. For many people, a quality over-the-counter orthotic does the job at ordinary retail prices — our Aetrex orthotics, including the Premium Memory Foam line with its antimicrobial CopperGuard lining and models matched to arch type (there's a version specifically for flat feet and overpronation), typically cost far less than a premade "system." When a foot genuinely warrants more, we make true custom orthotics fully in-house from plaster molds of your feet — actual custom devices, not premade inserts, and you keep the molds. Both routes are HSA/FSA eligible. And because the underlying problem is often the condition rather than just the arch — plantar fasciitis being the classic example — the evaluation looks at the whole picture, not just what insert to sell you.

The short answers

How much does the Good Feet Store cost? Public reviews report roughly $399 to $599 per pair of arch supports, with most people paying around $450 to $500, and multi-pair "systems" running far higher. We have no way to confirm current pricing; ask for it in writing before the fitting starts.

Are Good Feet arch supports custom? No. They are prefabricated supports chosen from a range of sizes and shapes during the fitting. Custom orthotics are made from a mold or scan of your own foot.

Are the fitters podiatrists? No. The people fitting you are trained sales staff, not podiatrists or certified pedorthists.

Do podiatrists recommend the Good Feet Store? Some podiatrists have publicly criticized it, mainly over price and over patients spending thousands of dollars on prefabricated supports. Ask your own doctor before you go.

What is the return policy? We can't speak to their current terms. Get the written policy before paying, and check whether it offers a refund or only store credit.

What is the alternative? A free evaluation by a board-certified pedorthist, then the least expensive thing that works. For many people that is a well-matched over-the-counter orthotic in the $60 to $100 range; for feet that need more, true custom orthotics made in-house from a mold of your foot. Both are HSA and FSA eligible. Our Comfort Guarantee is simple: if it doesn't feel right, call us and we'll make it right with an exchange or a refund.

The bottom line

This isn't a takedown. If you went to Good Feet and their supports helped you, that's a good outcome and we're glad. Arch supports are legitimate; the debate is about what they should cost, and whether the person recommending them should be a salesperson or a clinician.

Our suggestion is simply about sequence. Before committing hundreds — or, per the podiatrists' accounts, thousands — of dollars to prefabricated supports, get a free evaluation from someone with a board certification and no commission riding on the answer. It costs nothing and tells you what your feet actually need; what you do with that information is up to you. We're at 924 Park Center Drive Ste 101 in Matthews, open Monday through Friday 10–6 and Saturday 10–4, and you can reach us at 704-846-0301.