Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting with Haley Ashman, a Certified Diabetic Shoe Fitter serving clients across the region. Ashman works from her office at 101 North Main Street in Bluffton, inside Jerry Flack Investments & Insurance.
From that location, Ashman provides diabetic footwear supplied by Mr. Comfort, along with custom inserts designed to improve comfort, stability, and protection for people living with diabetes. Because styles and features vary, she works one-on-one with clients to find options suited to their needs.
Her work grew from a local need for that specialized service. After Jerry Flack’s previous diabetic shoe representative stopped serving the region, Ashman’s step-grandmother, Julie Myers, stepped in. As Myers and Dan Wible became busier with their insurance work, they needed someone to meet the growing demand. Ashman embraced the opportunity, earned her certification, and began offering the service about three years ago.
Since then, the service has expanded considerably. Once reaching about 200 to 400 people annually, Ashman now serves approximately 600 to 800 clients each year through an expanded partnership with another company.
That growth has extended her reach throughout northeastern Indiana and beyond. Although based in Bluffton, Ashman travels within a roughly 75-mile radius—from communities near Michigan and Ohio to the Warsaw area and as far south as Richmond. She also makes home visits for clients who have difficulty traveling.
Wherever an appointment takes place, Ashman emphasizes that diabetic footwear is not one-size-fits-all. Shoes offer different levels of support, flexibility, cushioning, and stability, so she measures each client’s feet, discusses specific concerns, and recommends an appropriate fit. Available options include specialized diabetic inserts, heat-moldable inserts, and custom-molded inserts for clients who need additional support because of missing toes or other foot-related concerns.
That personalized process begins with listening. “I ask them a bunch of questions about their feet, and have them pick out a pair of shoes,” Ashman explained. “Depending on what they tell me, I will steer them towards one type of shoe or another.”
By pairing careful evaluation with the right products, Ashman aims to support each client’s comfort and mobility. She has also completed training in compression garments, including stockings and leg wraps, and continues exploring ways to expand the medical products and services available locally.
For Ashman, that expansion is part of a larger goal: bringing specialized care closer to home. As demand grows, she continues connecting area residents with personalized products and support that can make everyday movement more comfortable.
For eligible clients, Medicare coverage may help make that care more accessible. Beneficiaries may receive one pair of diabetic shoes and three sets of inserts each year at no cost. Coverage requires a qualifying diagnosis, supporting medical criteria and documentation, and a physician’s order, and eligibility must be confirmed individually.
To learn more, confirm eligibility, or schedule an appointment, contact Haley Ashman at 260-824-1618 or visit 101 North Main Street in Bluffton, inside Jerry Flack Investments & Insurance. At the recent celebration, Ashman cut the ribbon alongside family, friends, associates, and Wells County Chamber staff and Ambassadors.
Please view more photos from the event on our Facebook page.