More on my July @LdnIncMag cover story about @SoleScience #LdnOnt
/You have to assume Colin Dombroski enjoys a good pun. The pedorthist named his foot treatment practice SoleScience when he started in 2002. It’s a clever name that hints at the more official description of what he does: provider of custom orthoses and pedorthic services.
Simply put, he and his growing team assess people’s foot pain and figure out how to treat it. He has a PhD in health and rehabilitation services, but he’s not a doctor in the sense that he would fix a broken toe, for example. However, most people who come looking for relief from foot pain have already eliminated broken bones as the cause. They need to understand why their foot hurts and what will make it stop.
The Dombroski team is comprised of 13 people, operating 18 clinics in 15 cities. London is home base. Among the 13 are Dombroski’s parents, his brother and his brother-in-law. His parents moved from Barrie to join the operation.
As you can read about in my London Inc. July cover story, the business recently moved into the refurbished Ironworks building on Maitland Street. There, SoleScience makes its own orthotics, ensuring speedy, personal service for its patients.
The large space is also home to Dombroski’s first serious foray into retail. He purchased J. Seigel Footwear when its third-generation owner, Jeff Seigel, decided to retire. Seigels by SoleScience occupies the front portion of the new location and offers a variety of shoes designed for people with foot pain.
Thousands of people had come to rely on Seigel for the shoes they needed to battle foot issues. Dombroski knew how important it was after referring patients there for years and seeing the emotional reaction of many to the news it would be closing.
So, he bought the company and the name and rolled it into his new one-stop-shop for foot pain assessment and treatment. It’s an impressive operation, combining the latest in technology with the ongoing personal touch for which SoleScience is known.