Home > Wellness > Weber Orthopedics

She Wanted Sandals That Felt as Good as They Looked. So Her Husband — a Podiatrist — Made Them.

By Sarah Mitchell | Published: January 31, 2026 | Updated: 2 hours ago

Sarah Mitchell covers wellness and thoughtful design for Wellness Weekly.

Dr. Robert Weber in his Portland studio with the sandals he and his wife Elizabeth designed together. (Photo: Wellness Weekly)

It Started With a Simple Question

Portland, Oregon — Elizabeth Weber loved beautiful shoes. She also happened to be married to a podiatrist.

For years, she'd come home with sandals that looked wonderful but left her feet aching by evening. The orthopedic alternatives? She refused to even try them on.

"She'd look at me and say, 'Bob, I'm not giving up on looking like myself just because my feet are tired.'"

It was a fair point.

And she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Every Thursday morning, Elizabeth met her book club at their local café. Over time, Dr. Weber noticed a pattern.

"Her friends would mention sore feet, achy knees. And when I'd suggest supportive shoes, they'd all say the same thing — they didn't want to sacrifice their style."

One evening, Elizabeth sat him down with a cup of tea and a sketch pad.

"She said, 'What if we just… made something ourselves?'"

The supportive footbed design that Robert developed with Elizabeth's input. (Photo: Wellness Weekly)

Two Years at the Kitchen Table

What started as a conversation became a project. Then a passion.

Elizabeth would pull sandals from her closet. "This shape. This color. This strap."

Robert would add what he knew from 30 years of caring for feet. "Wider toe box here. A little more arch support there."

Her taste. His expertise. Late nights and a lot of prototypes.

Elizabeth wore the first pair herself. After a few weeks, she mentioned — almost casually — that her feet hadn't bothered her once.

Her book club noticed too. Then his patients started asking about them.

"It was never meant to be a business. It was just Elizabeth solving a problem she and her friends all shared."

Over the years, Dr. Weber kept quiet notes. Most women who wore the sandals consistently told him the same thing: their feet felt better, and they actually enjoyed wearing them.

"That's what Elizabeth always wanted. Something you reach for — not because you have to, but because you want to."

Dr. Weber in his practice, where he shared Elizabeth's designs with hundreds of patients over the years. (Photo: Wellness Weekly)

Sharing What She Made

Elizabeth passed away three years ago. Dr. Weber, now 78, still keeps her sketches in his desk drawer.

"She put so much thought into every detail. The colors, the feel, the way they look on your foot. She wanted women to feel like themselves."

For years, these sandals were only available through his practice. Now, Dr. Weber has decided to make them available more widely — at a gentler price than what patients used to pay.

$59.99, down from the original $120.

"I'm not trying to build an empire. I just want more women to experience what Elizabeth created. That's the best way I know to keep her close."

There's a limited number available — once the current collection is gone, that's it.

"Every pair that finds a home makes me smile. I think it would make her smile too."

Comfortable feet. Beautiful design. Made with love by a woman who understood both.