Keith Card, DPM

As a teenager, I was fortunate to become acquainted with a custom hiking boot maker. I was fascinated with how he created functional and beautiful footwear, particularly the boots he made for a climber who had lost all his toes to frostbite.

Initially, I set out to become a boot maker specializing in shoes to help people with foot problems remain active in outdoor sports. My search to understand both healthy feet and problematic feet led me to the field of podiatry, particularly foot and ankle surgery. I realized that frequently I could best help keep my patients active by permanently fixing the foot rather than making a pair of corrective shoes.

“Being a foot and ankle surgeon isn’t generally about life-or-death issues but rather quality-of-life concerns. I find it most compelling to help people be active and enjoy their lives without having to worry whether or not they will be able to dance at their daughter’s wedding or keep their job that requires standing for a 12-hour shift on hard concrete floors. My goal is to give my patients the freedom to walk, work, dance, run, hike, ski, etc. without a thought to their feet.