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Bill Foster (centre) with managers Sam Weir (left) and Joe Kidd (right)
at orthopedic surgeon's meeting circa 1967
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here to enlarge |
• 1953 Foster's Shoes founded in Toronto as first children's specialty
shoe store by partners William S. (Bill) Foster and Thomas Henry (Hank)
Newby.
• Working with local manufacturers the partners design and create
special lasts (the forms or shapes that shoes are made on) that are
better suited to children's growing feet.
• 1960 Foster's opens store in Winnipeg Manitoba
• Foster's gains support of medical community leading to advances in
children's pediatric footwear to treat a wide range of congenital and
acquired foot problems.
• 1970's Further medical advances diminish the need for specialty
pediatric footwear. This combined with strong market change to canvas
running shoes brings abrupt change to Foster's core business.
• Through their research efforts Bill and Hank are in forefront of
bringing specialty adult pedorthic footwear to the Canadian market for
those with foot problems.
• Among the first Canadian pedorthists to use heat molded "soft tissue
supplement" insoles with these shoes for diabetic and arthritic
patients.
• 1980 Bill helps create the Canadian Prescription Footwear Assocition
(now The Pedorthic Association of Canada)
• Bill's sons John and Edward (Ted) enter the business and later become
the principals of the company
• 1990's John and Ted attend weekly foot clinics in Toronto hospitals
working with doctors
• John and Ted become Certified Pedorthists earning the designation C
Ped. (U.S.) and C Ped (C)
• 2000's Foster's changes from a strictly pedorthic business to add
lines of contemporary comfort shoes such as Kumfs and Xsensible that
are more stylish to complement the pedorthic footwear
• Pedifix Footcare Products added to pedorthic repertoire that includes
RX footwear modification, off the shelf and custom accommodative foot
orthotics. |
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