
Ohio Foot & Ankle Medical Foundation Annual Scientific Seminar

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How long are you waiting for custom foot orthotics? Six weeks? Eight weeks? Ten weeks? Longer?
The truth of the matter is that it shouldn’t take ten, eight, six or even four weeks to make a pair of custom orthotics.
At Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, our standard in-lab turnaround time is only five business days. Outside of extraordinary circumstances (e.g. peak COVID in spring 2020), we’ve been receiving, crafting and shipping orders for custom foot orthotics in five business days FOR DECADES. (NOTE: Standard in-lab turnaround time for polypropylene custom orthotics is 10 business days. Standard in-lab turnaround time for Superglass®, NCV® and Prescription Comfort® is five business days).
As one of North America’s most respected custom orthotic labs for nearly 60 years, NWPL doesn’t resort to utilizing inferior techniques/materials, passing off generic insoles as custom, outsourcing important processes or putting profits before people to save time (or cost). Further, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic (and into the present), we kept every employee on the payroll at full wages. Our longtime employees are still here, leveraging hundreds of years of combined experience to painstakingly craft industry-leading custom foot orthotics.
In the world of custom orthotics, faster doesn’t mean worse and slower doesn’t mean better. Faster AND better is possible when you partner with the right orthotic lab.
Are you a patient? Tell your healthcare professional that waiting months for foot pain relief simply isn’t acceptable.
Find a healthcare professional in your area who partners with Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
Are you a healthcare professional? If you’re ready to move beyond the excuses, delays, wasted time in your office and frustrated patients, we’re ready to partner with you.
Stop waiting and get started with Northwest Podiatric Laboratory!
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is an industry leader in custom foot orthotics and related technologies. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, the partners have built a company that utilizes proprietary production techniques and technology to produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory makes prescribing life-changing orthotics easier than ever with a recent update to its SmartCast® app that introduces the ability to scan patients using iPad Pro and iPhone models with Face ID.
With 58 years of orthotic industry experience and 10+ years crafting custom orthotics from digital scans, healthcare professionals rely on Northwest Podiatric Laboratory to minimize cost and complexity while maximizing positive patient outcomes.
Upgrading from plaster, fiberglass socks, impression foam, and dated scanners to a modern scanning system is a game-changer for practices of all sizes and only requires three software/hardware components:
Healthcare professionals with compatible iPad Pro and iPhone models can download and try the updated SmartCast app for free – simply search NWPL in the App Store.
The SmartCast app was recently added to the VA App Store, making custom orthotics from Northwest Podiatric Laboratory available to healthcare professionals at VA locations across the United States.
To learn more about how scanning with the SmartCast app and prescribing custom orthotics from Northwest Podiatric Laboratory can elevate your practice, visit www.nwpodiatric.com or call 800-443-7260.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is the leader in the design and manufacture of premium custom foot orthotics. Located off the beaten path in the far northwest corner of Washington State, we’ve always been a little outside the mainstream with obsessively high standards and outside-the-box thinking. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete, and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, we produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com
Our over-the-counter foot pain solution incorporates the heritage of our legendary custom foot orthotics. We designed Northwest OTC orthotics to be everyday workhorses – simple, medical-only devices that provide a compelling alternative to insoles sold at specialty retailers. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory’s OTC Orthotics feature a sleek and unobtrusive design that will easily fit into most shoes.
Visit https://nwpodiatric.com/otc to learn more about each line of Northwest OTC!
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is the leader in the design and manufacture of premium custom foot orthotics. Located off the beaten path in the far northwest corner of Washington State, we’ve always been a little outside the mainstream with obsessively high standards and outside-the-box thinking. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete, and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, we produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com
It is with profound sadness that Northwest Podiatric Laboratory announces the passing of beloved Founder and President Dennis Brown.
“Dennis has been the heart and soul of Northwest Podiatric Laboratory since 1964,” said Ruben Valle, CEO. “He lived and worked by a strict set of core values: responsibility, respect, honesty, integrity and fairness; all of us at Northwest Podiatric Laboratory are beneficiaries of Dennis’ vision and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Born in 1925, Brown lived a full and impactful life. He escaped desperate circumstances in war-torn London by joining the British Army in 1941 at the age of sixteen. A two-decade career in the British, and then Canadian Army ensued. Along the way, Brown’s athletic abilities afforded a scholarship offer for track and field and a spot on England’s Olympic Boxing Team (unfortunately, the army would not release him to pursue either opportunity).
Following his military career, Brown landed in Vancouver, Canada where his gift for solving problems and a chance meeting with a podiatrist would spark a passion that became his life’s work for the next 60 years. Beginning with the purchase of Northwest Podiatric Laboratory in 1964 and bolstered by the addition of renowned podiatrist, Dr. Chris Smith, in the 1970’s, Brown developed proprietary production techniques and technology for crafting biomechanically superior custom foot orthotics using advanced materials like carbon fiber. Identifying the need for more affordable foot pain solutions, Brown and Smith then established Superfeet to provide insoles to the public. In the decades that followed, Northwest Podiatric Laboratory and Superfeet established themselves as two of the most respected companies in their field.
Brown was responsible for more than 60 product patents and, staying true to his mantra of “Improve one-eighth of one percent every week,” he could be found in his research and development lab well into his 80’s. His curious mind and passion for invention never wavered.
Inspired by his own fight for survival in wartime London as a young man, Brown and his wife, Audrey, established numerous scholarship programs for deserving students. A man of legendary generosity, Brown touched an incalculable number of people – extending his reach far beyond the tens of millions of people who wear insoles and orthotics he developed or inspired.
Brown is survived by his wife, friends from around the globe and, hundreds of Northwest Podiatric Laboratory employees past and present.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is the leader in the design and manufacture of premium custom foot orthotics. Located off the beaten path in the far northwest corner of Washington State, we’ve always been a little outside the mainstream with obsessively high standards and outside-the-box thinking. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete, and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, we produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com
Children’s OTC Orthotics are over-the-counter insoles that align and support children’s feet to promote improved posture, balance, and stability.
Since 1964, Northwest Podiatric Laboratory we’ve crafted world class custom foot orthotics for well over a million children and adults. This experience is the foundation of our Children’s OTC Orthotics.
To create an OTC orthotic able to serve even the most active children, we began with our highly regarded custom children’s orthotic and distilled it down to its essential elements:
Many children experience improved function and reduced pain with a well-designed OTC orthotic, although custom orthotics made from a plaster mold, foam impression or 3D scan may be preferred in some cases.
At Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, we’re proud to do our part to keep children health, active, and happy.
— A deep heel cup and heel post for stability.
— Kid-friendly colors.
— A sleek design for great shoe fit.
— Seven sizes that grow with kids (ages 18 months to approximately 8 years).
— Rigid construction for kid-proof durability.
— Made in USA.
— A (Size 6)
— B (Size 7/8)
— C (Size 9/10)
— D (Size 11/12)
— E (Size 13/1)
— F (Size 2)
— G (Size 3)
For the next Northwest OTC option beyond Size G, select Premium or Elite Size 4/5.
(Note: Shoe sizes vary widely by manufacturer and the shape/size of every foot is different. Therefore, a child’s shoe size can only offer a rough approximation of which Children’s OTC Orthotic will provide the proper fit. Practitioners should always use a sizing Set to determine best size before ordering/dispensing.)
Learn more about what makes Northwest Podiatric Laboratory’s Children’s OTC Orthotics unique and effective from NWPL’s former Medical Director, Chris Smith, DPM.
Contact our knowledgeable Customer Care Team at [email protected] or 800-443-7260.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is only able to work under the direction of a licensed healthcare professional and is unable to work directly with patients. Specific questions or concerns should be directed to a healthcare professional.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is the leader in the design and manufacture of premium custom foot orthotics. Located off the beaten path in the far northwest corner of Washington State, we’ve always been a little outside the mainstream with obsessively high standards and outside-the-box thinking. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete, and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, we produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has invested heavily in proprietary manufacturing technologies to enhance the capabilities of its experienced craftspeople. Over the last decade, we’ve developed new 3D imaging innovations like the In-Office Foot Digitizer foot scanner and SmartCast® to help more healthcare professionals provide world-class orthotics.
SmartCast – a foot scanner using an iPad, 3D sensor and custom app – is truly a leap forward for podiatrists, foot and ankle surgeons, physical therapists and pedorthists seeking handmade quality and the ease of digital. From a practice management perspective, SmartCast is a win-win: speed and efficiency meet quality and unrivaled patient outcomes.
We get better data. Patients get better orthotics.
The patented SmartCast Foot Positioning System® helps healthcare professionals achieve perfect foot positioning every time. Great positioning and accurate 3D scanning ensure custom orthotics are crafted with unrivaled accuracy and function.
A superior experience.
SmartCast is quicker, more comfortable and less messy than traditional plaster casts or foam impressions. Best of all, the ease, convenience and speed don’t come at the expense of quality. With SmartCast, we’re crafting the best custom orthotics in our history.
Orthotics…faster!
Orders for orthotics are submitted digitally and received immediately at Northwest Podiatric Laboratory – there’s no extra processing, handling or shipping time. NWPL far surpasses the industry norm by crafting and ships custom orthotics in days and not months.
Handmade in the United States by people who truly care.
Our orthotics are crafted in Blaine, WA by skilled technicians with hundreds of years of combined experience. NWPL has earned its history and experience the hard way: through decades of work and dedication. With the same ownership since 1964, NWPL doesn’t need to create or fabricate a history; nearly 60 years of authenticity is built into every pair of orthotics that hundreds of thousands of patients benefit from every day.
Podiatry Today
Is Scanning More Effective Than Casting For Custom Orthoses?
Is 3D scanning Eclipsing Traditional Casting For Orthotics?
American Podiatric Medical Association
3-D Scan or Cast for Orthotics? That is the Question.
Contact our knowledgeable Customer Care Team at [email protected] or 800-443-7260.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is an industry leader in custom foot orthotics and related technologies. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, the partners have built a company that utilizes proprietary production techniques and technology to produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com.
Richie Braces is the “Northwest Podiatric Laboratory of custom braces.” Since the mid-1990’s, Richie Braces has perfected a range of custom braces renowned for their quality, biomechanical soundness and great patient outcomes.
NWPL’s PTTD/AAF custom orthotic is special because it can provide support and stability in a form factor that’s more “shoe-friendly” than most other foot orthoses. However, many patients simply require a higher level of support and stability than a custom foot orthotic can provide. The addition of Richie Braces to our product line up provides a “next level” solution for patients who need it most.
Finally (and most crucially), Richie Braces shares our values. Dr. Douglas Richie shares our passion for helping people by applying tried and true biomechanical principles to foot pain. In fact, Dr. Richie was a student of our longtime Vice President and Medical Director, Christopher Smith, DPM. The relationship between Dr. Richie and Dr. Smith extended far beyond podiatry school; Dr. Richie became a friend and trusted colleague of Dr. Smith’s for over 40 years.
Although we don’t craft Richie Braces ourselves, we can offer an elevated overall experience – the same consistency, innovation, and service you expect from NWPL.
Our purpose is to “best serve each other, our community, our partners and those suffering from foot pain, ultimately enhancing their quality of life” and Richie Braces are simply one more tool to help us fulfill this purpose.
— Richie Brace Standard – PTTD (mild-to-moderate), Lateral Ankle Instability, Peroneal tendinopathy and Cavo-varus deformity
— Richie Brace Dynamic Assist – Dropfoot, Peroneal Nerve Injury and Post-CVA
— Richie Brace with Arch Suspender – PTTD (mild-to-moderate) and Lateral Ankle Instability
— Richie Brace Restricted Hinge – PTTD (moderate to severe w/ subluxed TN Joint), Dropfoot (equinus Severe varus/valgus; weak calf), DJD (ankle or rearfoot w/ dropfoot & spasticity), Peroneal Tendinopathy (order with lateral arch suspender), Lateral Ankle Instability (severe; order with lateral arch suspender) and Peroneal Never Injury (fixed varus in hindfoot/ankle; order with lateral arch suspender)
— Richie Brace California AFO – PTTD (severe; stage IV), DJD (severe), Charcot Arthopathy, Ankle Deformity
— Riche Brace Gauntlet – PTTD (stages III and IV), DJD (severe), Hindfoot Deformity and Charcot Arthopathy
— Richie Brace Solid AFO – Dropfoot (fixed equinus; knee instability; spasticity; weak calf)
— Richie AeroSpring Bracing System – Achilles Offloading System (Tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon and Post-surgical and non-surgical management of the Achilles tendon rupture), Plantar Fascia Offloading System (Severe recalcitrant plantar heel pain syndrome), Midfoot Offloading System (treatment of sprain of the tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints and Treatment of degenerative arthritis of the midfoot joints), Dropfoot Stability System (neurologic conditions resulting in foot drop or loss of posterior leg muscle strength)
Whether you’re brand new to custom braces or have order Richie Braces for years, we make the process easy!
Cast patient (fiberglass socks), complete print Rx (enclosed) and ship to NWPL
OR
Scan with the new SmartCast® app (using brace/AFO scanning mode) and submit to NWPL.
Click here to learn more about casting and scanning for the Richie Brace
Click here to download and/or print our Richie Brace Rx Form
Please contact our amazing Customer Care Team with questions at [email protected] or 800-443-7260.
Northwest Podiatric Laboratory is an industry leader in custom foot orthotics and related technologies. Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier, elite athlete and natural-born inventor founded the company in 1964 and was joined by a pioneer in the biomechanics of the foot, Dr. Chris Smith, in 1974. With an exclusive blend of science, craftsmanship and innovation, the partners have built a company that utilizes proprietary production techniques and technology to produce orthotics with a unique shape and unparalleled performance. Northwest Podiatric Laboratory has helped over a million people suffering from foot pain to lead better, pain-free lives. Learn more at www.nwpodiatric.com.