Up to two-thirds of homeless people have serious foot issues, Dal research suggests

Dr. Colin Van Zoost knows the effects that homelessness can have on someone'shealth.

He runs the Walk in Our Shoes volunteer foot clinic at St. Andrews United Church in Halifax.

"When you're dealing with people who rely on their feet for their survival, a simple foot problem can soon lead into quite a significant issue," saidVanZoost, who's been working with the homeless for a decade.

He recently supervised a study that confirmedwhat he's been hearing over the years.

The study,by medical students at Dalhousie University, suggestedas many as two-thirds of homeless people have trouble with their feet but the issues go underreported.

"Partly because it's a difficult population to study, but also because they commonly go unnoticed," Van Zoost told CBC's Information Morning.

The study alsolooked at what interventions are out there to help people.

Walk in Our Shoes

Van Zoost started out trimming toenails, washing feet and giving out shoes at Sunday suppers at St. Andrews United Church while he was in medical school.

Nowa couple of nurses who specialize in foot carevolunteer their time as well at the clinic.

A small injury from poorly fitted shoes could lead to an infection or ulcerationand land someone in hospital. That's especially the case if someone's immune system is compromised, said Van Zoost, who works in internal medicine.

People used to donate used shoes for the foot clinic, but another initiative has since been started by Luke MacDonald, co-ownerof local shoe storeAerobics First.The program, called Fit-It-Forward, allowspeople to donate to the program, which supplies brand-new shoes for those in need.

'It's about seeing my friends'

For Van Zoost, it's a passion.

"Now when I go there it's not about providing foot care, it's about seeing my friends that I know," he said.

"When I walk down Spring Garden Road I'll be slapping high fives with lots of people. I know exactly where their shoes came from."

Walk in Our Shoes has also expanded from the church into communities, including Mulgrave Park and Eastern Passage.