The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has introduced a new rating system for footwear. The program is called the APMA Seal of Acceptance/Approval.
The APMA Seal of Acceptance and Seal of Approval are granted to products found to promote good foot health. The Seal of Acceptance is awarded to shoes, socks, insoles, materials, electronic health records/practice management software, and equipment.
The Seal of Approval is awarded to therapeutic products such as lotions, deodorizers, wound care treatments, regulated medical devices, and medicines. Products awarded the Seal of Approval may be available over the counter or by prescription only.
To earn the seal, each product is reviewed by a group of APMA podiatrists to ensure it promotes foot health. The committee also looks at information on the product’s safety, quality control, and other data.
APMA is not a testing laboratory and does not test all products on the market. Only products that are submitted to APMA are evaluated. Comparisons are not made between competitive products.
Companies may request a copy of the seal guidelines by e-mailing Sealinformation@apma.org.
