William Scholl, creator of the Dr. Scholl's sandal, dies at 81

(LONDON) - William Scholl, who made foot care fashionable during the 1960s and 70s with a contoured wooden sandal designed to exercise the muscles, has died at age 81. <br><br>Scholl died March 15 from

Saturday, March 23rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(LONDON) - William Scholl, who made foot care fashionable during the 1960s and 70s with a contoured wooden sandal designed to exercise the muscles, has died at age 81.

Scholl died March 15 from a rare form of pneumonia at a hospice in Douglas on the Isle of Man, an island off the northwest coast of England, said his wife, Susan.

Scholl's ``Original Exercise Sandal'' _ known as Dr. Scholl's, the name of his family's foot care company _ was worn for nearly two decades by millions of women worldwide.

A Briton and an orthopedic specialist, Scholl brought a simple wooden sandal from Germany to the United States in the late 1950s, carved it to fit the foot, added a leather strap across the toes and sold it with the slogan, ``Looking good and doing you good.''

The clog _ still being produced and sold _ was designed to exercise the feet and legs, toning muscles and ostensibly preventing podiatric ailments. The touted health benefits, the sassy clip-clop sound and the simplicity of the style charmed the hippie generation.

``The miniskirt was in and the sandal just appealed to them,'' his widow said.

Scholl was born in London on Sept. 24, 1920, the third son of Frank Scholl. He majored in modern languages at Cambridge University and used his language skills as an intelligence officer in World War II, interrogating German and Japanese prisoners of war.

Scholl took Dr. Scholl's public in 1971, and it became a brand of Schering-Plough Health Care Products in 1979. He became president of Schering-Plough's international consumer products division and worked for the company until his retirement in 1984.

He is survived by his wife and their daughter, Lucy Jane; the children of his first marriage, Michael, of Berkshire, England; Paul, of Redding, Conn.; Peter, of Devon, England; Tony, of Cambridge, England; and Mary, of Gloucester, England.

His funeral service is scheduled for March 26 at St. George's Church in Douglas, followed by a private cremation.