A case study: The endorsement process

The start of the process

Grosby approached APodA late 2021 with some school shoes that they sought for  APodA endorsement. A pre-assessment was carried out, based on the technical data and a sample of each style. 

The initial feedback was that the shoes would not pass in the required criteria in their current form. Grosby was supplied with specific feedback on the key criteria that would need to be addressed before any consideration was made on future assessments for endorsement. 

Modifications are made

Grosby then made modifications to their school shoes, specifically improving the heel counter and torsional stability, and the modified shoe styles were resubmitted for full assessment in May 2022. 

The four styles submitted garnered strong results in six of the seven criteria, showing a marked improvement on the previous styles that were marketed for school wear in 2020/21. These styles are the Einsten Lace, Einstein Tab, Sunny 2 and Sunny T-Bar.

The four new and improved shoes were successfully endorsed and will carry the APodA Endorsed branding and have the potential to carry a price premium over their previous models of lesser quality. 

The benefits of endorsement

Point of sale material will focus on the criteria of assessment, to help educate consumers on the key requirements of good footwear. All marketing materials are required to be approved by APodA before being released. 

A process like this can encourage other manufacturers to similarly improve their products to match the Grosby improvements. Through endorsements such as this, the APodA brand will also gain greater recognition and deliver value to APodA members through better education around the  important role podiatry plays in the purchase of footwear, and foot health in general.