It may be hard to believe but 30 years ago off-the-shelf wide fitting footwear for swollen feet simply wasn’t available. People with swollen feet had to either pay for expensive tailor-made shoes or rely on NHS prescribed footwear which was often bulky, heavy and unattractive.
In 1983, the founders of Cosyfeet recognised this gap in the market. They started as a ‘man-in-a-van’ operation which visited nursing homes around the Bristol area selling slippers and other useful products. They noticed that some residents were cutting large chunks out of their slippers just to make room for swelling while others were wearing slippers that were far too big for them just to get the width they needed.
It wasn’t long after that the Eliza bootee and Helen slipper were born. As well as offering a much wider and deeper fitting, they had the advantage of touch-fastening straps which could be adjusted to fit a range of swelling from minor to very swollen. Since then Cosyfeet has developed its range to include shoes, boots and sandals as well as socks and hosiery for swollen feet.
Footwear for swollen feet has come a long way since the 1980’s