Foot Solutions Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Foot Solutions is a retail franchise selling comfort and wellness footwear plus custom orthotics fitted through foot assessments. Franchisees run the stores, managing fittings, inventory, and customer service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FOOT SOLUTIONS franchise requires a total initial investment of $131K – $189K, including a $40K – $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2023 FDD, average unit revenue was $507K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 32.1% charge-off rate across 95 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $131K – $189K
- 13th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $507K
- Net sales4th pct Retail
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 6th pct Retail
- Units
- 46
- 19th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 32.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $131K – $189K including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $507K/year (median $464K).
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 29/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 32.1% across 95 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -22.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Foot Solutions, Inc.
- Parent company
- Foot Solutions Holdings Corp.
- Ultimate parent
- Foot Solutions Holdings Corp. (Delaware corporation)
- CEO title
- CEO & Chairman of the Board
- John Prothro
- CEO experience
- 23 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- GA
- HQ
- 223 Roswell St., Suite 202, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
- Auditor
- AGL CPA Group, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.2M
- vs $3.5M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- John Prothro
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2000
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 18
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 61% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $4K | $8K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $87K | $141K |
| Total initial investment | $131K | $189K |
Source: FOOT SOLUTIONS 2023 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $131K – $189K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $4K – $8K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Net Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 5.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $60K – $80K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 47% below the retail norm.
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$25K
5.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
15%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6.5 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one FOOT SOLUTIONS unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
15%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Avg gross sales
- $507K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $464K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Net Sales
- Sample size
- 30 outlets
- vs category median 47
- Range (low → high)
- $232K→$1.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2022
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2023
- Disclosed in the 2023 filing, covering 2022
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $507K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 3.2x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% (near the Retail average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -22.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Retail averages
How Foot Solutions Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 46
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 23.7%
- Company-owned
- 8
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 83%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -22.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -22.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 6
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 6.5%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 13.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 18 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
18
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 95
- Loan volume
- $13.5M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 32.1%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 67.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 38
- Defaults
- 25
- Typical loan rate
- 6.4%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 27.1%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 236
- 2.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 22%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in shoe stores, franchised businesses charge off at 27.1% vs 24.2% for independents — franchising is associated with 12% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Foot Solutions charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Foot Solutions franchisees
Showing 3 of 38 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Foot Solutions's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 15-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
A 32.1% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 32.1% — 100% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Foot Solutions presents elevated risk due to accelerating franchisee attrition, missing profitability data, and franchisor going concern issues that undermine investment thesis.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · AGL CPA Group, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 29 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count collapsed 19.1% YoY (46 units remaining) — indicates severe system contraction and franchisee exits
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 — impossible to validate actual profitability claims against $506k average revenue
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is False — suggests franchisor may have financial/operational viability concerns
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($130.8k-$189.3k) paired with declining unit count creates survivorship risk
- 05MINORModest 5% royalty does not offset customer acquisition costs typical in specialty retail foot care services
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | GA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 29 hrs
- Training location
- In-store with trainer and online
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Heartland Point of Sale System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Heartland Point of Sale System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
FOOT SOLUTIONS · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FOOT SOLUTIONS franchise?
The total investment to open a FOOT SOLUTIONS franchise ranges from $131K – $189K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do FOOT SOLUTIONS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the FOOT SOLUTIONS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $507K. The median is $464K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the FOOT SOLUTIONS FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the FOOT SOLUTIONS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is FOOT SOLUTIONS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, FOOT SOLUTIONS has a charge-off rate of 32.1% across 95 loans, meaning 32.1% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many FOOT SOLUTIONS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FOOT SOLUTIONS has 46 total units in the United States, including 38 franchised units and 8 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FOOT SOLUTIONS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FOOT SOLUTIONS as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 29 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.