“I started out sweeping the floors,” he says. “Doing small jobs, working alongside the shoemakers, learning how shoes and orthotics are actually made.”
That early exposure proved formative. By working closely with the shoemakers, Barry developed a deep understanding of how footwear and orthotics must work together to achieve optimal results. Over time, he gravitated towards orthotics, drawn by their technical complexity and the opportunity to help a wider range of people.
“With orthotics, you can help more people,” he explains. “Insoles can make a real difference for so many conditions.”
Where Insight Becomes Craft
What Barry enjoys most is creating something from nothing.
“You see a problem and start with a blank canvas,” he says. “You take moulds, understand what’s happening, and build something functional for that individual.”
Each consultation begins with biomechanical assessment and gait analysis, allowing Barry to understand how the foot moves before translating those insights into hand-shaped and hand-finished orthotics through precise material selection, profile adjustment and detailed refinement.
Every orthotic begins upstairs in consultation with customers. Barry listens carefully to where a customer feels pain, what footwear they wear and whether orthotics have helped before.
“Where is your pain is always the key question,” he says.
From there, a detailed gait scan reveals dynamic movement, muscle and ligament coordination, and foot strike patterns before the process moves downstairs to the workshop. Moulds are taken, casts created and materials shaped by hand before being trimmed, finished and fitted precisely to the customer’s footwear. Throughout the process, Barry continually runs the prescription through his mind, revisiting and refining it as all the information he has gathered settles into a clear solution.
“It’s completely bespoke,” Barry explains. “Every orthotic is tailored to the person and the shoe it’s going into.”
Shoes and Insoles Must Work as One
Barry works closely with the shoemakers.
“The insole does fifty percent of the job and the shoe does the other fifty percent,” he says. “They have to work together.”
In some cases, the orthotic dictates the construction of the shoe. One complex case required building the shoe around a strong orthopaedic orthotic to achieve the right stiffness and support.
“We’re honest if something won’t work,” Barry says. “Function always comes first. Design follows.”
The Difference That Saved a Foot
Barry has worked with customers of all ages, from young children to those in their 90s. Feet change constantly and orthotics must evolve with them.
One case remains particularly memorable. An elderly gentleman with diabetes and severe pressure-related foot ulcers arrived with his son, a local London based surgeon. He had non-healing ulcers and had already lost toes. Further amputation was likely.
Barry designed a bespoke orthotic to offload pressure and improve circulation.
Months later, the son returned with a bottle of wine.
“You saved my father’s foot,” he said.
“They said amputation was no longer necessary.”
For Barry, moments like that define the craft he is so proud of.
“That’s not just an orthotic,” he says. “That’s someone keeping their foot. Their independence. It’s incredibly satisfying, for them and for me.”
More Than a Job
Barry is modest about his role, but proud of the environment he works in.
“We all care about what we do,” he says. “We enjoy changing people’s lives.”
At Gilbert & Lisson, that care is built into every stage, from consultation to final fitting. Adjustments are often made on the spot, ensuring comfort before a customer leaves.
After more than a decade, Barry remains deeply committed to the craft.
For him, the work is simple at its core: understanding a problem, shaping a solution and watching someone walk away more comfortably than they arrived.
Gilbert & Lisson extends this collaborative approach internationally, offering consultations that provide access to bespoke orthotics and orthopaedic footwear services without the need to travel to London.
Medical Orthotic Consultations Now in the Algarve
Following our successful initial visit in October 2025, we are returning to Portugal to provide our full orthotic and footwear consultation service to residents of the Algarve.
Date: 9th-12th March 2026
Venue: Top suite, Hotel Quinta Jacintina, 8135-025 Almancil, Portugal
Your appointment or consultation will cover (on a complimentary basis):
● Full biomechanical and electronic gait analysis (this will be recorded on video and discussed with you)
● A personalised footwear and orthotic consultation
● Review of any particularly medical or foot concerns such as bunions, dropped arches, hammer toes, fused bones, diabetic ulcers or imbalance
● Options for bespoke shoes, orthotic insoles and long-term support
Given the demand, these visits will take place bi-monthly, allowing customers in the Algarve to receive continuous care without travelling to London.
Limited private consultations available by appointment - click to book today!
For more information, please contact Gilbert & Lisson at +44 20 7486 4664 or info@gilbertandlisson.com.
Our address: 12 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 8UN, United Kingdom
By Gilbert and Lisson
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