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"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care."

– Theodore Roosevelt

Who We Are

We are a female-lead group of clinicians committed to changing the game for athletes, humans and informed movement professionals everywhere.

We provide high quality, cutting-edge foot education in a format that breaks through barriers to complex scientific information. We ensure that all of our content is accurate, in line with the latest scientific evidence, AND fun and accessible!

We’re a small but passionate company out to change the world one human sole at a time.

We’re brave enough to speak out against the rigid, dated standard of foot care, and passionate enough to ensure we see every individual in front of us as unique. We live by the motto that every case, every person, every answer is different. And we fully believe that any pro who wants to truly help people heal needs to do the same.

What We Do

what we do

What We Do

We treat the body as a whole functioning system through the lens of foot and gait mechanics.

We teach online courses and programs that help athletes and other human soles step beyond pain into efficient, effective movement they can enjoy.

We train pros and practitioners (online and in-person) to use our tools, assessments and strategies so more people can benefit from this work.

We use a combination of movement assessments, biomechanical analysis, gait analysis, corrective strategies and a range of tools like Correct Toes, proper footwear, and in some cases, foot orthotics when warranted.

This signature mix of treatment strategies, plus our heart-led mission to treat each human being as a unique individual, has allowed us to create a place where people can break through limitations and experience their own resiliency.

Leave your limitations behind

Our ‘Why’

Leading with our hearts means the reason we do this is to educate as many people as we can to help as many people as we can.

That means teaching our strategies, tools and methods to other health pros so they can help as many clients as possible. That also means working directly with people struggling with foot pain and difficulty moving so they can feel better and move better sooner.

Our pros, athletes and other human soles are our ‘why.’ They are why we keep showing up both in our physical practices and online. And why we keep working tirelessly to stay up to date with all the latest research, assessment, and treatment techniques.

They are why we keep speaking out (as loudly as we possibly can) against a system that puts them in boxes and uses cookie-cutter ideas to treat individuals who don’t have cookie-cutter problems.

It was a blazing hot day in Texas…

That instructor was Dr. Courtney Conley. A chiropractor who’d already been fascinated by the way the feet are connected to efficient movement throughout the body for 10 years by then. She’d worked in 2 different orthotics labs early in her career where she felt like something just wasn’t right about how the products they were making were actually blocking foot function. She started doing as much continuing education as possible, and realized the importance of getting the foot strong the same way we get the rest of the body strong. Soon, she switched gears into her current functional perspective on foot and gait mechanics, found her true calling and has been having a blast ever since.

On another blazing hot day (this time in Mexico) at a RockTape instructor summit, a friend suggested Dr. Conley start sharing her passion about the foot and gait on Instagram so more people could benefit from what she knew. She was skeptical at first… but driven by her need to help as many people as possible, she reluctantly picked up her phone and got started. The seed for Gait Happens was planted.

At the same time Dr. Walker was finishing up chiropractic school. Now an avid foot fan, she viewed all she did through her newfound foot and gait biomechanics perspective. She was known as the ‘foot person’ in her class, and followed everything Dr. Conley did closely. So when Dr. Conley advertised a position in her clinic in Colorado, Dr. Walker was one of the first to apply. Dr. Conley got in touch with her right away, and her then fiance agreed to a move to CO.

Soon Dr. Conley needed help handling the number of virtual consult requests she was receiving, so Dr. Perez (previously Walker) joined the online game. They soon realized there was a lot of basic foot information they needed to share with all their consults that could help a lot of people, more than they could see individually… And pros kept asking for help learning their methods, tools and assessments.

And so Gait Happens was born…

Meet the Core Foot Fam

Dr. Courtney Conley

Lakewood, Colorado

She’s an internationally renowned foot and gait specialist who teaches both nationally and internationally. Dr. Conley is a chiropractic physician who specializes in foot and gait mechanics. She holds a BA in Kinesiology, a BA in Human Biology and a doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine.

She is the owner and operator of Total Health Solutions clinic and Total Health Performance gym in Lakewood, CO, where she heads patient care with a focus on restoring gait mechanics and helping people resolve foot problems to move more easily and with less pain.

Dr. Conley is a founding member of the Healthy Foot Alliance, an international team of practitioners whose collective goal is to bring light to the benefits of natural footwear and prevent unnecessary surgical procedures by improving foot foundation and creating a stable platform from the ground up.

Dr. Jenifer Perez

Lafayette, Colorado

Dr. Perez holds a BS in Kinesiology-Sports Medicine and a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. She served as the president of the Sports Chiropractic Club and was selected as one of the first students for clinical residency in Jamaica working with Olympic and professional track and field athletes.

Dr. Perez knows what it’s like to have pain stand in the way of something you want which is what drives her to help as many people as possible get back to doing what they love. It’s this drive that brought her to Dr. Conley’s clinic in Golden, CO and what inspired her to partner with Dr. Conley in creating Gait Happens for online courses, memberships and virtual consults. Today Dr. Perez, along with her husband, Dr. Mark Perez, owns and operates Kinetic Chiropractic, in Lafayette, CO.

dr. eryn

Dr. Eryn Simon

Colombus, Ohio

 As an athlete who dealt with persistent knee pain from youth through college, she knows all too well the struggles of trying multiple treatments with no lasting benefits. Now, as an expert in human movement, she strives to educate her clients on the correlation between body mechanics and pain, give them the tools for self management, and get them back to fearless movement.

Dr. Simon attended Walsh University where she played collegiate softball and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She then went on to pursue her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at The Ohio State University. After working as a clinician in a busy outpatient clinic, she knew she could do more to help people but needed a different environment. In spring of 2019, Dr. Simon opened Sole Physical Therapy, a cash based practice in Columbus Ohio. This is where she currently provides in person treatments along with virtual consultations for Gait Happens.

Dr. Simon is a lifelong learner who is always striving to further her education especially in the subject of foot and ankle dysfunction. For fun, she enjoys traveling, playing sand volleyball to get in her competitive fix, and socializing with friends and family.

In Person Clinic: Dr. Simon holds office hours at Sole Physical Therapy in Columbus, OH.

Dr. Chelsea Lineberger

Denver, North Carolina

She believes in bringing a patient-focused, fitness forward approach to physical therapy to help patients get back to the activities they love. She enjoys helping patients understand their bodies better and connect the dots between improving movement and improving overall health. Dr. Lineberger attended Appalachian State University and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science, then attended Duke University for her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, finishing in 2017. Shortly after PT school, Dr. Lineberger was accepted into a fellowship in orthopedic and manual physical therapy to refine her skills and continue her pursuit of providing excellent care. In addition to providing virtual appointments with Gait Happens, Dr. Lineberger owns Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC, an out-of-network clinic that brings a fitness-forward approach to physical therapy care. Her mission is to empower patients to take control of their musculoskeletal health by teaching them about the body’s resiliency. Outside the clinic you can probably find her hiking with her husband, Drew, and their pup, Harley, or inside the gym at CrossFit DHF. In Person Clinic: Dr. Lineberger holds office hours at Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC.

Kala Hildebrand, MPT

Asheville, North Carolina

After that she began working in outpatient, orthopedic therapy in Asheville, North Carolina, treating patients with a wide variety of diagnoses. Having practiced bodywork since 2006, after completing a 16-month program at the Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattle, WA, she opened her own practice in 2018 to offer a combination of physical therapy and massage sessions. She addresses pain and movement dysfunction and has deeply focused time with her patients.

Kala found the world of injury treatment and physical therapy as a teenager, experiencing intermittent dance-related injuries. Her 25+ years of modern dance training and performing inform her interest in restoring patients to pain-free movement patterns. Her interest in the intersection of movement and bodywork also attracted her to Thai massage, incorporating movement, stretching, and compression work. She has completed over 180 hours of Thai massage training in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Together, Kala’s training and experience allow her to address the needs of professional dancers, athletes and amateur movers alike, finding methods of treatment to return each individual to ease of movement.
In Person Clinic: Kala, MPT holds office hours at Kala Physical Therapy in Asheville, NC.

dr-Emily

Dr. Emily Schilling

Lakewood, CO

From there, she continued on to receive her Doctorate of Chiropractic and Master's in Functional Nutrition from Parker University in Dallas, TX.

Dr. Schilling has always enjoyed being athletic and has participated in a number of sports throughout her life. Some of these include track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics. Currently, she is heavily involved in the triathlon community and has competed in multiple half Ironmans and recently finished her first full Ironman in Wisconsin '22.

Given her participation in high level sports, she understands the need for quality assessments of pain, targeted exercises and care based on the individual. In specific, she places an emphasis on the lower extremity and gait patterns. After sustaining a number of running related injuries, she wanted to know not only why they kept occurring but also how to treat and ultimately prevent them. After years of research and continuation in the sport, she has a wealth of knowledge that she would love to share with you! Her main goal is to show people that they can reach their goals in whatever activity they love. By looking at the body as a whole, her ambition is to create smart, sustainable changes in the system that not only allow people to complete those tough workouts, but also keep the longevity.

Apart from sports, Dr. Schilling also loves nutrition. Growing up as a type 1 diabetic, this was, and still is, her world. She is currently pursuing her license to become a Certified Nutrition Specialist. If you ever feel like chatting about race or training fueling recommendations, her door is always open!

No matter if you're a weekend warrior or a professional level athlete; young or mature; just starting out, or years into a sport, Dr. Schilling is here to help!

In Person Clinic: Dr. Schilling holds office hours at Total Health Solutions in Lakewood, CO.

Dr. Allison Riley

Salem, Massachusetts

 She has had an interest in lower body injuries and gait since early in her career and excels in identifying the root cause of symptoms, and developing individualized and effective plans to help relieve symptoms and promote long term relief. She thrives as an educator and empowers her clients to understand their symptoms and take an active role in their recovery.

She specializes in lower extremity orthopedic injuries and conditions, as well as in women’s health and pelvic floor diagnoses, specifically lower extremity, foot, and gait dysfunction that may be contributing to pelvic health concerns.

In addition to virtual consultations for Gait Happens, Dr Riley owns and operates her own practice, Stride Physical Therapy & Wellness, where she treats in-person clients with general orthopedic and pelvic health diagnoses, as well as performance and injury prevention services.

Allison received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Mass General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA and is an APTA Board Certified Specialist in Orthopedics. She completed her BA in Exercise Science from Gettysburg College where she played NCAA level softball.

In person clinic: Dr. Riley holds office hours at Stride Physical Therapy & Wellness in Salem, Massachusetts

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DR. CLAIRE BERNARD-MILLER

Claire is an avid runner, cyclist, swimmer and yoga practitioner. She loves spending time on the trail with her husband, Levi, and her dog, Stella.

Claire brings a whole body approach to treatment, looking at the whole kinetic chain. She uses her background as an athlete and yoga instructor combined with knowledge of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems to optimize your body’s movement and help you achieve your goals. She provides custom-tailored evaluation and treatment to help you live, move and perform better.

In addition to providing virtual consultations with Gait Happens, Dr. Bernard Miller also started her own clinic, Activate Physical Therapy & Wellness, in Fairfax, CA. Her goal is to educate and empower patients about their bodies and how to move better in order to reach their goals.

She holds a BS in International Health from Georgetown University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from the University of California, San Francisco.

Certifications: Herman & Wallace Pelvic Floor Level 1 and 2B Certification, UCSF Running Analysis, MobilityWOD Strength & Conditioning for Clinicians Level 1 Certified, Certified Gait Guru from GaitHappens, 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) Certification, Pelvic Floor Implications for the Running Athlete, Myofascial Decompression (MFD)

In Person Clinic: Dr. Bernard-Miller holds office hours at Activate Physical Therapy and Wellness in Fairfax, CA.

DR. CHELSEA LINEBERGER

Dr. Lineberger is a physical therapist, fellowship trained manual therapist, and CrossFit Level 1 trainer. She believes in bringing a patient-focused, fitness forward approach to physical therapy to help patients get back to the activities they love. She enjoys helping patients understand their bodies better and connect the dots between improving movement and improving overall health.
Dr. Lineberger attended Appalachian State University and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science, then attended Duke University for her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, finishing in 2017. Shortly after PT school, Dr. Lineberger was accepted into a fellowship in orthopedic and manual physical therapy to refine her skills and continue her pursuit of providing excellent care.
In addition to providing virtual appointments with Gait Happens, Dr. Lineberger owns Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC, an out-of-network clinic that brings a fitness-forward approach to physical therapy care. Her mission is to empower patients to take control of their musculoskeletal health by teaching them about the body’s resiliency.
Outside the clinic you can probably find her hiking with her husband, Drew, and their pup, Harley, or inside the gym at CrossFit DHF.
In Person Clinic: Dr. Lineberger holds office hours at Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC.

KALA HILDEBRAND, MPT

Kala has been practicing bodywork since 2006, after completing a 16-month program at the Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattle, WA. In 2012 she earned a Master’s degree in physical therapy from Western Carolina University and began working in outpatient, orthopedic therapy in Asheville, North Carolina, treating patients with a wide variety of diagnoses. She opened her own practice in 2018 to offer a combination of physical therapy and massage sessions to address pain and movement dysfunction and have more focused time with her patients.
Kala found the world of injury treatment and physical therapy as a teenager, experiencing intermittent dance-related injuries. Her 25+ years of modern dance training and performing inform her interest in restoring patients to pain-free movement patterns. Her interest in the intersection of movement and bodywork also attracted her to Thai massage, incorporating movement, stretching, and compression work. She has completed over 180 hours of Thai massage training in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Together, Kala’s training and experience allow her to address the needs of professional dancers, athletes and amateur movers alike, finding methods of treatment to return each individual to ease of movement.
In Person Clinic: Kala, MPT holds office hours at Kala Physical Therapy in Asheville, NC.

Dr. Eryn Simon.

Dr. Eryn Simon believes in the human body’s resilience. She knows with the right education and guidance people can overcome pain and return to the activities they love. As an athlete who dealt with persistent knee pain from youth through college, she knows all too well the struggles of trying multiple treatments with no lasting benefits. Now, as an expert in human movement, she strives to educate her clients on the correlation between body mechanics and pain, give them the tools for self management, and get them back to fearless movement.

Dr. Simon attended Walsh University where she played collegiate softball and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She then went on to pursue her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at The Ohio State University. After working as a clinician in a busy outpatient clinic, she knew she could do more to help people but needed a different environment. In spring of 2019, Dr. Simon opened Sole Physical Therapy, a cash based practice in Columbus Ohio. This is where she currently provides in person treatments along with virtual consultations for Gait Happens. 

Dr. Simon is a lifelong learner who is always striving to further her education especially in the subject of foot and ankle dysfunction. For fun, she enjoys traveling, playing sand volleyball to get in her competitive fix, and socializing with friends and family.

In Person Clinic: Dr. Simon holds office hours at Sole Physical Therapy in Columbus, OH.

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