Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

Kiwi Kumfs - doing well over there

Discussion in 'Podiatry Trivia' started by Cameron, May 28, 2006.

  1. Cameron

    Cameron Well-Known Member

  2. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    I give students bonus brownie points in clinical exams if they can tell what country they are made in if the patient has a pair :rolleyes:

    It is good news given competition from Asian manufacturers that a manufacturer in a small country can compete on the world market. The NZ footwear market was one of the most protected in the world with tarrifs that made manufacturers so inefficent as they had a protected market and no competition -- the result being, expensive products for the consumer --- until the late 80's/early 90's when the whole economy was hit by the govt hell bent on competition - only the efficient survived and Kumfs are a result of the poilcy. .... many might argue that the cost to society was not worth the upheaval it caused.
     
  3. Cameron

    Cameron Well-Known Member

    Craig

    There was a podiatry connection , was the founder of the company not a podiatrist?

    I seem to recall a documentary from NZ on foot fetishism where father and son appear and talk about shoe comfort. I am sure it was the same doco that Murray (?) featured.

    Cameron
     
  4. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    The founder of the company (Adams & Robertson) was Podiatrist. If I recall correctly (and apolgies if I get this wrong), he passed away about 10 years ago. The company is still run by the family. The podiatry influence is strong still, esp the 'orthotic friendly' range of footwear.
     
  5. FionaJ

    FionaJ Welcome New Poster

    Wow... I never fail to be amazed by you guys...a finger on every pulse!! As a 2nd yr student I sometimes forget my name! however I confess to knowing where kumfs are made.... if only it was going to be in our exam... :)
     
  6. jan@harazda.com

    jan@harazda.com Welcome New Poster

    I am a nurse/massage therapist in Melbourne, Florida, specializing in Hoshino Therapy® which uses a special manual technique and specific exercises to rejuvenate the soft tissues in order to restore normal bio-mechanical function. I provide many of my clients with customized hard orthotics made by an old friend of Prof. Hoshino in Argentina and I make sure before they get these orthotics that they are willing to wear shoes that meet specific criteria. These include: a wide toe box, lace-up styling or strap with buckle or velcro over the instep, and a separate heel.
    Right now there are 3 Kumfs styles (available from Footsmart) that are among the very few shoes I highly recommend to my clients, because I have found that having a real, separate heel, not contoured, does make a difference in how the foot is used, and increases the benefit from these orthotics which have a good metatarsal component. This was definitely my experience as a nurse who worked 23 years in hospital med./surg. care.
    There is such an amazing dearth of nice-looking, quality shoes for women who need orthotics, I am not at all surprised that Kumfs is doing well. About 5 yrs ago I ordered a pair of women's navy Drew oxford wingtips, and it took 13 months to get them (made in China).
    I could go on and on about this subject...My view is that feet are not innately bad! but that the circumstances they have to deal with ARE!!! We in the so-called civilized world spend most of our time on unnaturally hard surfaces, and many of us add to this shoes that promote wrong bio-mechanical foot function. Then we wonder why we are suffering from knee, hip, low back, right-on-up-the-spine problems.
     
  7. jan@harazda.com

    jan@harazda.com Welcome New Poster

    Re-reading the end of my last message, I realize I am sort of preaching to the choir.
    However, the fact remains that there are too many American women who wear terrible shoes. I am one of lots of women who would love to have a great variety of healthy, GOOD-LOOKING shoes to choose from. Being an artist and interested in fashion as I am, and also passionate about helping people with many kinds of bio-mechanical problems, I am very motivated to start a U.S. company similar to Kumf's, only better. Anybody interested?
     
Loading...

Share This Page