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Testimonials from happy students:

 

I appreciate your willingness to give each of your students the very best of yourself. I love that you love what you do so well.

- Jo C.

 

I can't thank you enough for all you have taught me. You have great patience.

- P. P.

 

Thank you for teaching me a new skill. I appreciate your passion for life.

- J. L.

 

I've taken six classes at J. C. Campbell. They have all been good. This one was the best!

- B. R.

 

I wear the boots I made in your class all the time. I made my husband a pair, 8" high boots. He loves them!

- N. C.

 

We all love the stitchdown method. It has changed us and now all our shoes are done this way.

- W. M., Amish friend, shoemaker

 

Thanks for sending me a box of your shoes. They are "awsome". The workmanship rivals my own, and I've been doing this for 35 years! I've had several orders for the shoes you taught me to make!

- L. S. Bingham, master bootmaker

 

Thanks for sharing your many secrets with me. I really like the shoes we made while I was there. You should make videos.

- Sharon Raymond, shoemaker, author, friend

 

 

Foot Health

… My #1 priority

Your feet are your foundation and means of movement. Foot problems are among the most common ailments in our country, right up there with flu and colds. Most of these problems are preventable with healthier shoes, or relievable with custom fitting. Why custom fitting? Every foot is unique. Even your own two are not twins! Unfortunately for your feet, most shoes are made/fitted to generic lasts. Even custom makers will choose generic lasts, based on a few simple measurements. But feet have many shapes these numbers do not reveal. If your feet don’t “measure up”, you’re out of luck. 75% of foot problems are caused or made worse by ill-fitting shoes.

photo of burn-victim's feet
The problem

Severely burned and deformed at age 17, this man has had trouble finding shoes at any price. His new, custom fitted shoes have enabled him to go back to work.

photo of burn-victim's shoes
The solution

photo of elderly man's feet
The problem

After only a few steps in his new shoes, this man threw away his cane!

photo of elderly man's shoes
The solution

I have always molded my shoes right on my customer’s feet, or upon exact duplicates taken from them – a practice it seems only top orthopedic shoemakers use. With this method, perfect fit is almost guaranteed, no matter what shape your feet are in.

Arch supports: If they are not custom-fitted, the chances are they are ill-fitted, and may be doing you harm. All my shoes contain thick, soft ortho-foam. Under your weight, it collapses into perfectly fitting support for your feet alone.

Heels on shoes are purely for fashion, and are not good for you. If you really want them, wedge-type heels up to 1/2″ are all I offer. Any more is asking for trouble.

Fresh air is our feet’s natural environment. My shoes, especially unlined, breathe well, so your feet will stay cool and dry, and will not emit unhealthy smells or harbor fungus.

Our heels all come in different shapes, too. Most shoes have hard plastic counters, which will not yield. My shoes have thick, but soft, leather counters that will conform and guarantee comfort as well as support.

Shoes that are stiff and hard should be worn as little as possible. If those 64 joints are not flexed, they will stiffen and lose range of motion. Your feet will atrophy. Flexible shoes (or none at all!) promote foot health.

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