Home
>About Dr. Scholl’s^®

WHO WAS DR. SCHOLL?

Learn more about our pioneering founder and our legacy of helping people move more comfortably and confidently.

Dr. William Mathias Scholl was born in 1882 in Indiana – the grandson of a cobbler and farmer. As a boy, he was fascinated by the biomechanics of feet and shoes. He began to learn all he could about foot care, even borrowing his grandfather's tools to repair shoes and earn extra money. As a young adult, he studied medicine at Loyola University Chicago, and while working in a shoe store he became interested in the field of podiatry.

In 1904, while still in school, he invented and patented his first arch support. To market and sell his invention, he founded the Dr. Scholl’s company and later worked with his brother Frank to expand the company overseas.

Vintage shot of Dr. Scholl’s Comfort Service store front

In 1922 he graduated from Chicago Medical School and began to practice medicine while continuing to run the company he founded. Dr. William Scholl's expertise in shoes combined with his medical background allowed him to develop many of the innovative solutions available today.

During his lifetime, he helped bring more than 1,000 foot-care products to people all around the world.

As the current makers of Dr. Scholl's^® products, we continue to advance the science of movement and foot care with the same enthusiasm that young William Scholl did all those years ago. Our mission continues to be helping people to move more comfortably and confidently through life.

the science of movement

Better movement means more movement. And more movement means better health.

LEARN MORE