Consultant Podiatrist & Clinical Director, Supplefeet
Fellow of the Royal College of Podiatrists in both Podiatric Surgery and Podiatric Medicine
Qualifications & Fellowships:
FRCPodS • FRCPodMed • FFPM RCPS (Glasg) • DPodM • PGDip (Pod)
Professional Roles & Appointments:
Board Member, Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow
Former Board Director, Royal College of Podiatry (2000–2021)
HCPC Visitor (Podiatry Partner) – working with universities to validate and review podiatry degree programmes
Trustee, Arch Support Charity (Registered Charity No. 1193688)
Trustee, Belling Educational Foundation – Enfield Council appointee
Local Councillor, Enfield Town Ward (Conservative)
Emma Supple : foot specialist, mother of three, writer, inventor, the creator of Supplefeet.com.
Inventor of SuppleArches (Full British patent. European Patent granted) It is a very long story that included USA patent applications, Australia and Canada and One Day will be an everyday product .
Inventor of "Central Band Mechanics", "Perfect heel height" And
Supple London The Mineral Foot Cream for supple soft feet Finally back into production thanks to Smink laboratories.
Supplefeet is my vision for podiatry clinics and services, inc physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, reflexolgy and reiki.
High quality, innovative and all- encompassing Supple footcare and Suppletherapy services.
A podiatry practice where clinicians and other professionals in the Supple London Clinical team work together for greatest benefit to the client.
Consultant Podiatrist & Clinical Director, Supplefeet
FRCPodS • FRCPodMed • FFPM RCPS (Glasg) • DPodM • PGDip (Pod)
Miss Emma Supple is a Consultant Podiatrist and Clinical Director of Supplefeet, with dual Fellowships in Podiatric Surgery and Podiatric Medicine.
A Fellow of both the Royal College of Podiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, she has served in leadership, education, and advocacy across the profession for many years.
Emma sits on the Faculty Board of Podiatric Medicine (RCPSG) and served as a Board Director of the Royal College of Podiatry from 2000–2021, completing her tenure as Vice-President. She is also an HCPC Visitor (Podiatry Partner), working with universities across the UK to validate and review podiatry degree programmes.
In addition, Emma is a Trustee of the Arch Support Charity (1193688), a Trustee of the Belling Educational Foundation (Enfield Council appointed), and an Enfield Town Ward Councillor (Conservative).
Emma trained as a podiatrist at New College, Durham, beginning her professional journey in central London. Her first NHS Senior II post was in Harlow, quickly followed by a move to the Bessborough Clinic in Pimlico.
Her early years, walking the Peabody Estates and Churchill Gardens on foot with her awkwardly shaped Mothercare box, were formative. Alongside podiatry, she also worked as an NHS Family Planning Clinic Clerk, learning the art of chaperoning and working across varied clinical settings.
During her time with Riverside NHS Trust, Emma cared for young men affected by AIDS at Westminster Hospital, an experience she describes as deeply moving and transformative. It also sparked her lifelong interests in Podiatric Rheumatology and Podiatric Surgery.
She later joined Enfield Primary Care Trust, where she spent over a decade as an Extended Scope Practitioner, and from 2005 to 2013 held a Consultant Podiatrist (part-time) role within the Trauma & Orthopaedics Directorate at Chase Farm Hospital — believed to be the first woman in the NHS to hold a substantive Consultant post in Orthopaedics as a Podiatric Surgeon.
Her surgical fellowship took place at West Middlesex University Hospital, followed by residencies in the United States, working at the Weil Institute in Chicago under Dr Lowell Weil Snr, and completing a surgical residency in Detroit.
Emma served for over 21 years on the Council of the Royal College of Podiatry, concluding her service as Vice-President in 2021.
During that time, she organised two national conferences — in London and Nottingham — including a memorable dinner and dance aboard the Dixie Queen under Tower Bridge (while David Blaine hovered above in a glass box!).
Her work helped guide the profession through significant modernisation, towards the vibrant Royal Collegecommunity of today.
Emma holds Master Surgeon accreditation in subtalar joint arthroeresis, trained directly under Dr Michael Graham DPM in Detroit. She also underwent the procedure herself (HyProCure by Gramedica) more than 15 years ago — and remains pain-free to this day.
She was the first British podiatrist interviewed on the U.S. podcast Meet the Masters, hosted by Dr Bret Ribotsky DPM, a platform renowned for its in-depth professional insight.
As an inventor, Emma developed and patented the Central Band Mechanic insole, now known as Supple Arches™.
Initially licensed in the U.S. under the name Comfiheels, she later regained control to bring the product home to the UK under the Supplefeet brand. Supple Arches™ remain a unique, transformative design that Emma regularly “lends” from her own shoes to relieve a patient’s discomfort.
Development continues with a 3D printing app and integration with Supple London footwear, a fusion of science, comfort, and style.
Emma has coined several phrases that have become part of modern podiatric vocabulary, including:
“Perfect Heel Height” – identifying your individual ideal heel level for comfort and alignment.
“Growing your own drawing pin” – describing a painful corn!
“Heel beaters” – walking patterns that overload the heel.
“Central Band Mechanics (CBM)” – her philosophy of optimal foot function.
“101010” – a conservative debridement management strategy for verrucae.
“Windswept bunions” – those Grade 3/4 hallux valgus moments we all recognise instantly.
World of Podiatry summarised: one bone in your thigh, two in your leg, and twenty-eight in your feet!
Throughout her career, Emma has combined clinical excellence with creativity and innovation — pioneering new products, ideas, and concepts that shape the modern world of foot health.
Inventor of Supple Arches™ – patented Central Band Mechanic insoles.
Creator of Supple London – The Mineral Foot Cream, designed to restore and nourish tired feet.
Coined the phrase “Perfect Heel Height”, helping people find their natural balance between fashion and comfort.
Originator of the “Medical Pedicure”, first launched as the PodPed™ — a clinical pedicure uniting science and indulgence.
Collaborator on the design of Yoga Sandals, encouraging natural foot strength and flexibility.
Advocate for equality in footwear, delivering a Parliamentary speech on #HighHeelsAtWork and championing freedom of choice — heels or flats.
These projects reflect Emma’s belief that innovation, comfort and confidence can coexist beautifully in every step.
With her eldest daughter now a graduate ballerina from the Central School of Ballet and her youngest also a dancer, Emma has become a dedicated BunHead parent and specialist in dance podiatry.
Her insight into the biomechanical demands of ballet has deepened through years of rehearsals, competitions, and backstage care , enhancing her expertise in supporting dancers’ feet.
Emma’s media career has spanned BBC and ITV Breakfast, BBC Woman’s Hour, BBC World Service, and Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies and Ten Years Younger, where she introduced the now well used term “windswept bunions.”
Her corn removal clip from Embarrassing Bodies has been viewed over 250,000 times on YouTube — though the unseen moment when her needle-phobic patient fainted remains the real story!
Emma has been widely featured in newspapers and magazines, discussing topics from foot surgery costs to shoe design. Supplefeet has hosted numerous film crews, helping elevate public understanding of podiatry and foot health.
For over a decade, Emma served as a Professional Partner on Fitness to Practise Panels with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Today, as an HCPC Visitor, she works with universities across the UK to validate and review podiatry degree programmes.
Her role supports the next generation of podiatrists — ensuring the quality, innovation, and growth of the profession.
In 2009, Emma addressed the Parliamentary Health & Safety Committee, highlighting the issue of women being compelled to wear high heels for work. Her speech inspired the national #HighHeelsAtWork campaign, later reignited by Nicola Thorp in 2016.
In 2017, Minister Caroline Dinenage MP famously declared in Parliament, “We are putting our collective foot down!”
Emma revisited the topic on BBC Woman’s Hour in 2019, alongside Victoria Moss of The Telegraph, discussing the rise of “comfortable shoes.”
Future plans include expanding Supplefeet / Supple London clinics, global distribution of Supple Arches™ and Supple London products, and continued lecturing, mentoring, and media work.
Emma is also a passionate advocate for Yoga Sandals, which she regards as an essential part of building stronger, healthier feet.
Her vision — and that of the entire Supplefeet team — is simple:
To help every person walk comfortably, confidently, and pain-free through every stage of life.
With best wishes,
Miss Emma Supple
Consultant Podiatrist
