Joyful Strides: Embracing Your Best Decade” puts foot health, style and confidence centre stage — with powerful stories from real women
What if your best decade was the one you’re walking into right now? That’s the powerful message behind DB Wider Fit Shoes’ new campaign, Joyful Strides: Embracing Your Best Decade, fronted by business entrepreneur and TV presenter Sara Davies MBE.
Launching officially today, the campaign challenges outdated ideas of ageing and style — championing comfort, confidence, and the right fit through every chapter of life.
Filmed at the elegant The Grange in Bedfordshire, the campaign features four inspiring women — selected from a high volume of entries to an online competition for loyal DB Wider Fit Shoes customers — each representing their 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s, and sharing how finding shoes that truly fit has transformed their comfort, confidence, and quality of life:
Meet the Faces of “Joyful Strides”
- Sara Davies MBE (40s) – Entrepreneur, TV presenter and busy mum, Sara reflects on entering her 40s with a renewed focus on balance, confidence and body awareness. Leading the campaign, she shares her own shift from style-over-everything to choosing pieces — including footwear — that truly support her lifestyle and wellbeing.
- Amanda Jones (50s) – A civil servant-turned-wellness advocate from Cambridge, Amanda’s journey through foot surgery left her struggling to find comfort until she discovered DB Wider Fit Shoes. Now walking confidently again, she shares how comfort became a catalyst for reclaiming her identity.
- Fiona Fernie (60s) – A design consultant from Hertfordshire, Fiona blends creative flair with daily 7km countryside walks. For years, narrow shoes caused discomfort — until she found DB. Now, she refuses to compromise on beauty or support.
- Rosemarie Brett (71) – A retired science teacher from Wolverhampton, Rosemarie had wide feet since childhood but squeezed into painful shoes for decades. The result: bunions, limited mobility and daily pain. Since discovering DB in 2019, she now walks pain-free — enjoying holidays, dancing, and finally feeling stylish and comfortable in her 70s.
All three women were surprised on set by Sara Davies herself, and each opened up about their personal journeys — from years of physical pain and body image struggles to newfound confidence, freedom, and pride in ageing.
“Foot health isn’t just about physical comfort; it’s about empowering individuals to live their best lives,”says Sara Davies MBE. “As someone who’s constantly on the go, I know first-hand the importance of well-fitted shoes. That’s why I’m proud to be part of this campaign once again — because everyone deserves to walk with comfort and confidence.”
The Research: Why This Matters Now
The research, commissioned by DB Wider Fit Shoes (2024) reveals a worrying trend:
- 72% of UK adults admit to wearing shoes that don’t fit properly
- 64% of women over 50 say foot pain has stopped them doing things they love
- 1 in 3 women have prioritised fashion over comfort and regretted it
- Nearly half (47%) are unaware their shoe size or width has changed with age
With many women reporting reduced mobility, confidence, and independence due to foot pain, the campaign is both timely and vital — reframing footwear as a wellbeing priority, not just a fashion choice.
Style Should Never Come at the Expense of Comfort — You Can Have Both
DB Wider Fit Shoes is challenging the long-held belief that wider or specialist footwear means sacrificing style. Through fashion-forward seasonal collections, ambassador-led storytelling and real-life case studies, the campaign proves that elegance and the right fit can absolutely go hand-in-hand — no matter your age or foot shape.
With an extensive size and width range (from E to 8E, and UK sizes 3–9 for women, 6–14 for men), DB Wider Fit Shoes has long been a go-to for those with bunions, swelling, diabetes, or simply hard-to-fit feet. But this campaign isn’t just about foot health — it’s about walking boldly into every decade with pride.
“For too long, the footwear industry has neglected the needs of individuals with wider feet,” says Charles Denton, Managing Director of DB Wider Fit Shoes. “With ‘Joyful Strides for Wider Feet,’ we’re not just developing a campaign — we’re creating a movement. One that celebrates diversity, promotes foot health, and empowers people to embrace their unique selves.”
Every Foot Deserves to Be Celebrated — This Is a Movement, Not Just a Campaign
Joyful Strides is more than a campaign — it’s a movement of empowerment, education, and inclusion. By embracing diversity in foot size and shape, sharing honest customer experiences, and reframing comfort as confidence, DB Wider Fit Shoes invites people to reclaim their individuality and walk proudly into their next chapter — supported, stylish, and seen.
The campaign launches with a hero video, short-form interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and digital storytelling across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and the DB Wider Fit Shoes website.
Join the conversation using #JoyfulStrides and explore how your own next chapter could be your best yet.
Find your perfect fit at www.widerfitshoes.co.uk
Visit the DB Fitting Centre in Rushden, Northamptonshire: www.widerfitshoes.co.uk/fitting-centre
