Shoe Design In Grand Junction: A Holistic Approach To Fixing Foot Problems

Photo by Garrett Gross

Mario Calderone is passionate about helping people solve their foot problems holistically.

At his Shoe Design shop in Grand Junction, Calderone treats common complaints like bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis, hammer toes, heel, arch or hip pain, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis and calf muscle problems. “I also provide footwear for stability and balance,” he adds. Plus, he says he can help correct diabetic and arthritic foot problems.

“I remove the cause of the problem so you can heal,” he explains. “Until you remove irritation, pressure and friction, a corn, for example, will not heal. I’m all about helping people — improving the quality of life.”

The 59-year-old pedorthist (a person trained to manage and treat conditions of the foot, ankle and lower extremities through the use of corrective footwear, including modifications and adjustments) grew up in Grand Junction. As a child he began wearing corrective shoes because he had flat feet. His parents kept him in corrective footwear after his feet healed because they were better quality shoes, Calderone says.

At age 16, he started working for the late Bill Marek, who owned Marek’s Comfort Shoes in downtown Grand Junction. Calderone also apprenticed with two orthopedic surgeons. He bought Marek’s business in 1982, changed the name to Shoe Design and celebrated the business’s 39th anniversary in January 2021. The shop is located at 648 Main St. across from the Avalon Theatre in Grand Junction.

Not all his customers have foot problems; some people simply want to prevent issues. Others have hard-to-fit feet. People who are a size four or size 18 go to Shoe Design because they can’t find shoes anywhere else. Calderone carries half sizes and shoes of various widths. He can also fit a person with two different-sized feet.

And then there are athletes looking to enhance their performance and prevent injuries. Four people from Massachusetts who regularly run the Boston Marathon buy two pairs of shoes from him each year, he mentions as an example. He has customers from all over the country – some of whom he’s never met. Out-of-towners describe the problem and send paper tracings of their feet. From there Calderone says he can determine if they have a high or low arch, a bunion or hammer toe.

Sara Sphehar is a 36-year-old Grand Junction ortho-bionomist who noticed several of her clients experienced less body pain after switching to shoes recommended by Calderone. Then, about five years ago, she ended up with chronic foot pain due to collapsed metatarsals, which causes pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot. She describes it as a burning, aching constant pain. She went to see Calderone who advised wearing a particular shoe which he customized and adjusted for her. She says wearing the corrective shoes eliminated the pain.

“Mario and his shoes have allowed me to live pain-free,” she says. After she attempted to wear some “cheap” shoes the pain returned. Now she wears shoes only from Shoe Design. That includes work and tennis shoes and sandals. Shoe Design also carries hiking and work boots, plus running and dress shoes.

Another Grand Junction resident, Sharon Bruns, visited Shoe Design for the first time 25 years ago seeking relief for plantar fasciitis. She said she’d been given cortisone shots from a foot doctor, but it didn’t alleviate the problem.

“That’s when I went to Mario,” she says. “He customizes the shoes to you, then continues to make adjustments (if needed) until you’re pain- free — until they’re just right. It’s amazing; my feet haven’t hurt in years.”

Maya Corbin started buying shoes from Calderone after she suffered multiple fractures and two broken legs from a 2005 car accident. The injuries left her with a “leg length discrepancy,” she says.

“He’s helped me come a long way; he’s like a lifesaver,” Corbin exclaims. “He’ll explain things in layman’s terms. He doesn’t rush you out of there.”

Susan Crawley also uses the word “lifesaver” to describe Calderone. She, her husband and son have all switched to Shoe Design footwear. Robert Crawley had multiple foot problems when he first came to Calderone years ago. “I don’t know what I would have done without Mario,” he confesses. “I probably wouldn’t be walking much at all.”

Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue of Spoke+Blossom.