Shoes-n-Stuff is committed to all of your footcare needs. Founded by Ronnie Kirkman in 1987, he began the store as mostly athletic and casual footwear. After attending Northwestern School of Medicine in Chicago, Ronnie became a Board Certified Pedorthist, offering therapeudic footwear and accessories to the retail community.

Board Certified Pedorthists are trained in foot anatomy and construction of shoes and foot orthotic devices. The Pedorthist is part of the allied healthcare team who's concern is to alleviate foot problems caused by disease, over user and injury.

Ronnie was born in Mount Airy to Lassie and Carolina Kirkman and graduated from Mount Airy High School in 1967. He graduated from Surry Community College, attended the University of Alaska and Appalachian State University, and served in the US Air Force. Ronnie was first introduced to and learned the shoe business while working at Boyles shoe store and Rees Clothing.

With his experience and specialized education, Ronnie knows that painful feet can affect our ability to enjoy the most basic activities in our daily lives. Thankfully, many foot conditions can be easily prevented or treated by wearing properly fitting footwear or using the right over-the-counter foot care products.


Here are some interesting foot facts:

• 3 out of 4 Americans experience serious foot problems in their lifetime.

• The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles.

• 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of the body.

• Only a small percentage of the population is born with foot problems.

• It's neglect and a lack of awareness of proper care — including ill fitting shoes — that bring on problems.

• Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are partly to blame.

• Walking is the best exercise for your feet. It also contributes to your general health by improving circulation, contributing to weight control, and promoting all-around well being.

• Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet — so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.

• Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America. It limits everyday dressing, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or walking — for about 7 million Americans.

• About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which in severe forms can lead to lower limb amputations. Approximately 56,000 people a year lose their foot or leg to diabetes.

• There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet. Sweat glands in the feet excrete as much as a half-pint of moisture a day.

• Walking barefoot can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut.

• The two feet may be different sizes. Buy shoes for the larger one.

• About 5% of Americans have toenail problems in a given year.

• The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That's enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times.

• There are currently more websites on the Internet having to do with foot fetishes than with foot health.