Dr. David Barton & Heather Smart: Podiatry Experts Authors
UK-trained podiatrists, medical device developers, and the clinical minds behind a new generation of offloading insole technology.
Foot health content is only as trustworthy as the people behind it. That's why FitVille works with practising podiatrists and clinical researchers — professionals who have treated real patients, designed real medical devices, and published peer-reviewed work on the science of pressure relief.
Dr. David Barton and Heather Smart are two of them. Their partnership started in a university lab, working on offloading insoles for diabetic foot ulcers, and has since produced commercial products across both the pharmacy retail and medical sectors.
Dr. David Barton: Podiatrist | CEO & Co-Founder, Kaydiar Ltd
David(LinkedIn — Dr. David Barton) is a UK podiatrist and the CEO and Co-Founder of Kaydiar Ltd, specialising in diabetic foot care and medical offloading technology. His work sits at the intersection of three disciplines that rarely overlap in one person: clinical podiatry, orthotic design, and medical device development.
That combination shapes how he evaluates footwear. A shoe isn't judged on comfort claims alone — it's assessed on how it manages plantar pressure, whether it accommodates a therapeutic insole, and how it performs for a foot that can't afford a blister.
Areas of Expertise
- Diabetic foot care and ulcer prevention
- Medical offloading technology and pressure redistribution
- Orthotics and therapeutic insole design
- Medical device development and regulatory-grade product innovation
Published Research
"A Novel Offloading Insole System Designed for Healthcare" — co-authored with Yajie Zhang, Heather Smart, and Sean Jenkins (Cumulus Conference proceedings, Ghent Academia Press, 2023). The paper explores an innovative approach to offloading insole technology designed for healthcare settings.
Heather Smart: Podiatrist | Co-Founder, ZeroSole
Heather(LinkedIn — Heather Smart) is a UK-trained podiatrist and Co-Founder of ZeroSole, specialising in therapeutic insoles and customisable offloading solutions for foot pain, corns, and calluses. She combines clinical podiatry practice with hands-on product development — the rare perspective of someone who both diagnoses the problem and engineers the solution.
Her focus on customisable offloading is particularly relevant to wide-fit footwear. Pressure problems are individual: two people with the same shoe size can need relief in entirely different places. Heather's work is built around that reality.
Areas of Expertise
- Therapeutic insole design and manufacture
- Customisable offloading for corns, calluses, and localised foot pain
- Clinical podiatry and plantar pressure management
- Foot care product development
Published Research
"A Novel Offloading Insole System Designed for Healthcare" — co-authored with Yajie Zhang, David John Barton, and Sean Jenkins (Cumulus Conference proceedings, Ghent Academia Press, 2023). The paper highlights innovative approaches to therapeutic insole design.
