~ By Jen Nonenmacher

Did you know that the human foot has thirty-three complex joints and four arches that are ever-changing from the time we are born? What about the fact that in an average lifetime, a person’s feet will carry him or her more than 150,000 miles? Did you know that distance is equivalent to walking around the Earth SIX times?! The folks at New England Comfort Shoes do — and this is why you should appreciate your feet as much as they do! With over 70 years of combined experience, the team at New England Comfort Shoes in Norwell is here to service you with their expertise and offer you the perfect fit for less…than perfect feet.

Tom and Christine Lagrotteria, who live in Scituate, opened New England Comfort Shoes at 263 Washington Street in Norwell in March of 2009. Coming from The Shoe Market in Hingham (which is owned and operated by Tom’s brother) the Lagrotterias saw that they had found their perfect niche and decided to branch off and focus on opening a new, more specialized store just down the street—one that focused exclusively on offering comfort casual footwear and orthopedically sound products to their customers. Joining Christine and Tom is Bob Monti. Some of you may remember him from his days at Merrill’s in Brockton. With over thirty years experience in the footwear and apparel industries, Bob joined New England Comfort Shoes about a year ago and brings a wealth of knowledge and professionalism to the table.

New England Comfort Shoes is a full service “sit and fit” store where you can expect the highest level of personalized service in a no-pressure environment. This is a family-owned and operated business and it feels like one from the moment you walk through the door. You’ll be greeted right away and offered the best, and most expert, personalized service and will never feel pressured or rushed. Every customer is given the time he or she needs and deserves to have a proper fitting and expert consultation. Try on the shoes. Walk around in them. Ask some questions. Then try on another pair. And then another. The important thing to the Lagrotterias is that you get what you need to be comfortable in your daily life at an affordable price.

New England Comfort Shoes has partnered with local podiatrists and medical professionals to offer their customers relief from ailments such as heel pain, bunions, hammertoes, and Plantar Fasciitis. They also offer comfort solutions for athletes of all ages and for folks who spend their days working on their feet. And if you or someone in your life is living with Diabetes, the folks at New England Comfort Shoes can expertly fit you with A5500-approved footwear (which means these are products covered by most health insurance providers)! For those of you who have trouble finding shoes at department stores that are designed to fit your feet comfortably, this shop carries sizes 4 narrow to 12 triple wide. And if you or someone you know suffers from arthritis, then New England Comfort Shoes should be your first stop while shoe-shopping. Forget the hectic mall and fighting for a parking space. Drive on over to 263 Washington Street where you can enjoy a stress-free fitting and productive shopping experience.

From slippers, sandals, sneakers, and casual shoes to a wide variety of orthotic inserts, New England Comfort Shoes carries only the best and most comfortable products. You’ll recognize brands such as New Balance®, Aetrex®, Foamtreads®, and Drew®. In addition, New England Comfort Shoes is an authorized dealer of SAS (San Antonio Shoes). SAS is a particularly popular brand of made-in-America casual footwear for men and women that specializes in comfort and long-lasting quality. This line of products is hand sewn, hand lasted and constructed from the finest leather, which is critical to maintaining a good fit over time. Orthaheel® is yet another brand of quality comfort products you will find here. Following Dr. Andrew Weil’s philosophy that, “Proper foot care promotes optimum health from the ground up,” the Orthaheel® line takes an innovative approach with technology features such as Tri-Planar Motion Control™ and podiatrist-designed, built-in orthotic support.

Not only does this store offer you the best, highest quality products, they also offer the technology to help you pick which products are best for YOU. With Aetrex’s patented iStep system on the premises, New England Comfort Shoes is utilizing the same tools your podiatrist and medical professionals have access to. Stop by the store and try out the iStep – a machine you step onto that almost instantly identifies your arch type, foot size, and pressure points. The iStep system evaluates these three essentials and then guides you through choosing the ideal Lynco orthotics. Are high arches or flat feet causing you discomfort? Not for long because in less than two minutes this machine will tell you exactly what you need to make your shoes fit perfectly.

The Lagrotterias are not only committed to their customers, they are committed to their community. On a local and global level, the Lagrotterias and New England Comfort Shoes raise awareness and funds for the causes closest to their hearts. Since the sister of one of Tom’s close high school friends was diagnosed with MS, he has worked with The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (www.nationalmssociety.org) on a yearly basis on different fundraising activities. Additionally, New England Comfort Shoes donates brand new overstock items such as sneakers, slippers, shoes, and socks to a foundation called Soles4Souls (www.soles4souls.org). This Nashville-based charity is responsible for delivering over 19 million pairs of shoes to people in need in over 125 countries with the help and generosity of retailers like New England Comfort Shoes.

So step into New England Comfort Shoes and check out the latest trends in men’s and women’s casual comfort. The breadth of fashions, colors and styles available will surprise you. With a full line of products ranging from orthotic inserts to slippers and sandals to casual footwear, this company will change your mind about what orthopedically sound footwear should look like. But as always at New England Comfort Shoes, it’s not just about how the shoe looks—it’s about how it fits.

NEW ENGLAND COMFORT SHOES

263 Washington Street, Norwell

781-659-7144

www.newenglandcomfortshoes.com

NEComfortShoes@yahoo.com