Haus der Fußgesundheit Peter Blümel

Haus der Fußgesundheit Peter Blümel is a family-run specialist for foot health in Germany, and everything inside turns on one movement: walking. Orthopaedic shoemakers examine how your feet carry your body and how your shoes support every step. Under one roof you find a workshop, a comfort shoe shop, and advice that starts with your own feet.

Hans Blümel took the firm over from Otto Schauer in 1959. A decade later the business moved into its present premises and opened a shop for comfort shoes. When he died in 1977, his wife Inge kept it going. Their son Peter began his apprenticeship in 1982, passed his master examination in 1991, and took over in 1999. The specialists here handle consultation, measuring, insole making, alterations and repairs. An alteration means a shoe deliberately reshaped to suit one foot. Recognition followed as well: certification for orthopaedic diabetic-foot care in 2000, and ISO 9001 quality management in 2008.

Craft meets measurement in the Fussalis insole system. An electronic footprint comes first: measured values appear directly on a computer, showing pressure zones from different angles. The team makes each insole to that analysis, never to a standard template, after talking the options through with you. Different versions are available, among them Aktivstandard, Aktivsoft and Aktivflex. Extras range from stronger cushioning and a heel-spur recess to a raised heel that eases the Achilles tendon. Support along the inner or outer edge is another option. Such small changes can address knee problems or a difference in pelvic height. Work shoes under BGR 191 get Fussalis inserts as well, from prescription to fitting. Pumps and ballet flats take especially thin, flexible ones. One thing more for a day on foot: the shop takes part in the Nette Toilette scheme, opening its toilet to passers-by.