Some words and phrase have instant recognition.
If I said “Band-Aids,” you may picture images of the disposable skin-toned adhesive strip you put over cuts and bruises.
If I said
“Q-Tip,” again, you would conjure up the image of a disposable cotton-tipped swab commonly used to clean your ears.
If I said “Wheaties” you'd immediately recognize it as the “... Breakfast of Champions.”
These phrases and a host of other familiar brands and slogans have become a part of the American culture and lexicon.
So how come when I ask people about the “Brannock Device,” 7 out of 10 people will give me a blank stare and scratch their heads? I almost always have to offer them the “metal foot plate” hint.
Consider this for a moment:
€ It has been the standard foot-measuring instrument for the world's footwear industry for more than 80 years
€ A Syracuse native invented it
€ The device can size a person's true foot size (length, width and arch height) with 95 percent accuracy
€ The company has sold more than a million since first introduced in 1928
Back then, Charles Brannock believed in the small business owner, working downtown and making a product that lasts. Those “old-fashioned” work ethics were the foundation of what would later become the leader in foot measuring instruments.
In today's computerized, homogenized, sterilized and disposable world of “Here-Today-Gone-Tomorrow” products, who has time for the way “things used to be?” Most of the time buying shoes or sneakers, consumers are too busy getting to work or taking care of the family that they forget about minor details such as proper fit, form and comfort. For the business world, where each day is an exercise to keep the profit margin in light of increasing overhead cost, gone ... it seems ... are the days of personal customer service and product education.
But not too long ago, there lived a man from Syracuse who single-handedly revolutionized the way human feet are measured for footwear. As a young undergraduate student at Syracuse University and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house member, Brannock was obsessed with figuring out an accurate way to measure a person's foot for shoe gear. As an eager young entrepreneur, he spent his vacations and off time working at his father's shoe store, Park-Brannock Shoe Company, on Salina Street. Experimenting with nothing more than an Erector set, he designed and built what would later become the de facto standard in foot measuring instruments sold around the world.
His hard work and stalwart determination continued well into the 1980s where he showed up to work and helped steer the day-to-day operations. Before he passed away in 1993 at the age of 89, the reins were turned over to a businessman named Sal Leonardi who had to guarantee that the original design of the Brannock Device would not be changed. Today it remains virtually unchanged.
When one considers the ultra-fast paced culture that we live in and the evolution of mega department stores, it's no surprise that you can pick out a quick pair of shoes or sneakers just a few aisles down without getting your feet measured properly. Perhaps it's because we're faced with a staggering contradiction:
Recent data suggest that nearly 15 percent of U.S. youngsters and almost one-third of adults are obese. Estimates show that in 2001, there were about 222,000 fast-food locations in the United States, generating sales of more than $125 billion. Couple that statistic with the fact that according to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are 140 million Americans overweight or obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or higher. It's no wonder that more and more Americans are recognizing the need to get back into shape and lose a few of those unwanted pounds.
Activities such as walking and jogging have gained the interest of millions of Americans and with that increased activity comes the need for shoe gear to help them on their way. According to Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike, revenue in the three months ending Aug. 31 rose 8.6 percent to $4.19 billion from $3.86 billion. With that many athletic shoes being sold by just a single company, the American demand for athletic shoes is on the rise.
One would only hope that the people purchasing these shoes were properly educated on how to best fit their feet. The Brannock device provides the best possible foot-measuring device available today. It was true 80 years ago and it's true today.
So before you rush off and throw your credit card down or shell over that hard earned cash, get your money's worth and ask to have your feet properly measured and fitted with a Brannock device, and your feet will love you for it.
Dr. Daniel T. Ferreras, DPM, is a podiatrist at the Westside Podiatry Center in Skaneateles.
If I said
“Q-Tip,” again, you would conjure up the image of a disposable cotton-tipped swab commonly used to clean your ears.
If I said “Wheaties” you'd immediately recognize it as the “... Breakfast of Champions.”
These phrases and a host of other familiar brands and slogans have become a part of the American culture and lexicon.
So how come when I ask people about the “Brannock Device,” 7 out of 10 people will give me a blank stare and scratch their heads? I almost always have to offer them the “metal foot plate” hint.
Consider this for a moment:
€ It has been the standard foot-measuring instrument for the world's footwear industry for more than 80 years
€ A Syracuse native invented it
€ The device can size a person's true foot size (length, width and arch height) with 95 percent accuracy
€ The company has sold more than a million since first introduced in 1928
Back then, Charles Brannock believed in the small business owner, working downtown and making a product that lasts. Those “old-fashioned” work ethics were the foundation of what would later become the leader in foot measuring instruments.
In today's computerized, homogenized, sterilized and disposable world of “Here-Today-Gone-Tomorrow” products, who has time for the way “things used to be?” Most of the time buying shoes or sneakers, consumers are too busy getting to work or taking care of the family that they forget about minor details such as proper fit, form and comfort. For the business world, where each day is an exercise to keep the profit margin in light of increasing overhead cost, gone ... it seems ... are the days of personal customer service and product education.
But not too long ago, there lived a man from Syracuse who single-handedly revolutionized the way human feet are measured for footwear. As a young undergraduate student at Syracuse University and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house member, Brannock was obsessed with figuring out an accurate way to measure a person's foot for shoe gear. As an eager young entrepreneur, he spent his vacations and off time working at his father's shoe store, Park-Brannock Shoe Company, on Salina Street. Experimenting with nothing more than an Erector set, he designed and built what would later become the de facto standard in foot measuring instruments sold around the world.
His hard work and stalwart determination continued well into the 1980s where he showed up to work and helped steer the day-to-day operations. Before he passed away in 1993 at the age of 89, the reins were turned over to a businessman named Sal Leonardi who had to guarantee that the original design of the Brannock Device would not be changed. Today it remains virtually unchanged.
When one considers the ultra-fast paced culture that we live in and the evolution of mega department stores, it's no surprise that you can pick out a quick pair of shoes or sneakers just a few aisles down without getting your feet measured properly. Perhaps it's because we're faced with a staggering contradiction:
Recent data suggest that nearly 15 percent of U.S. youngsters and almost one-third of adults are obese. Estimates show that in 2001, there were about 222,000 fast-food locations in the United States, generating sales of more than $125 billion. Couple that statistic with the fact that according to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are 140 million Americans overweight or obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or higher. It's no wonder that more and more Americans are recognizing the need to get back into shape and lose a few of those unwanted pounds.
Activities such as walking and jogging have gained the interest of millions of Americans and with that increased activity comes the need for shoe gear to help them on their way. According to Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike, revenue in the three months ending Aug. 31 rose 8.6 percent to $4.19 billion from $3.86 billion. With that many athletic shoes being sold by just a single company, the American demand for athletic shoes is on the rise.
One would only hope that the people purchasing these shoes were properly educated on how to best fit their feet. The Brannock device provides the best possible foot-measuring device available today. It was true 80 years ago and it's true today.
So before you rush off and throw your credit card down or shell over that hard earned cash, get your money's worth and ask to have your feet properly measured and fitted with a Brannock device, and your feet will love you for it.
Dr. Daniel T. Ferreras, DPM, is a podiatrist at the Westside Podiatry Center in Skaneateles.
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