Sports Podiatry Balmain

About Emily Smith & Trent Salkavich

Sydney-based Sports Podiatrists Emily Smith & Trent Salkavich have made their name within the tight circles of international Sports Medicine. Working with elite individual athletes who represent Australia and NSW across a multitude of sports including the Wallabies, Opals, Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels, Balmain Tigers, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Kings, NSW Swifts, GWS AFLW and netball, Emily and Trent have built their careers on being able to problem solve complex athletic injuries through innovative methods that resolve lower limb injuries & boost athletic superpower.

In 2023, the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) opened up a role for Emily as their first Medical Advisor of Podiatry. Emily helps in the lower limb management of the top 200 women’s tennis players. Her role entails custom shoe design and recommendations, the prescription of custom made orthotics, research and management of injuries of the lower limb both provided virtually and onsite at WTA tournaments!

Emily & Trent are highly skilled in the diagnosis & management of all pain and problems of the lower limb, including heel pain, Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints, knee pain, stress fractures, nerve pain, neuromas, arch pain, osteoarthritis and toe joint problems. When every other practitioner offered hard, chunky plastic orthotics, they were prescribing springy orthotics that not only felt incredible, but also did the trick to fix pain and pathology. 20 years later, they are still ahead of the game. Formerly of Balmain Sports Medicine, Emily & Trent have created Biomechanica to bring the elite training room to the heart of Sydney.

Top of their game.

Emily & Trent have contributed to the recovery and performance of thousands of motivated humans. Their ability to help everyday athletes overcome injury and achieve personal bests has helped them grow a successful sports podiatry business over two decades, built on word of mouth from Sydney Sports Medicine Centre, Sydney Sportsmed Specialists, and formerly Balmain Sports Medicine & St Vincent’s Sports Medicine.

Driven by the desire to create an enhanced bespoke patient experience that truly captures Emily and Trent’s personal ethos, BIOMECHANICA is a new and exciting space in the heart of Balmain that redefines sports podiatry and sets a new benchmark for lower limb performance. 

What makes us unique?

  • Our experience.

    Since 2004, we have led the sports podiatry field in developing a modern, effective & comfortable approach to orthotic therapy & injury management.

  • We listen

    We listen.

    We believe patient insights provide valuable information that helps us construct the most effective management plan.

  • We test

    We test.

    During your initial consult we use functional & methodical tests to ensure our management strategies are accurate.

  • We care.

    We follow through.

    We guarantee to improve your comfort and physical output. On the off-chance we can’t, we have a huge network of specialists in their field to help you find the right path forward.

We do things differently.

And we always have.

We have been at the forefront of podiatric medicine since 2005, when it became glaringly obvious that the old-school ways we were taught, weren’t working. We soon learnt that jacking up the arch with hard plastic didn’t do the trick & instead developed smart ways to optimise foot function with springy arch support that re-sequences ones muscles to prevent tissue overuse and underuse.

We are passionate about empowering our community with the knowledge and tools to move, feel and perform better.

Our orthotic philosophy.

We also learnt that injuries and performance improves when we use our big toe to move forward, so stopping essential foot pronation that moves us onto our big toe, is not the smartest idea.

We believe foot pronation ("rolling in") is a necessary component of foot function to enhance shock absorption and allow soft tissue structures to move through a normal range of movement.

Our customised orthotics are made from a flexible shell, allowing the foot to move within a normal range of motion to promote natural shock absorption, pain relief and long-term biomechanical benefit. 

Custom Made Orthotics

Orthotics (a customised arch support within the shoe) have been prescribed for decades to treat foot, leg and back pain and improve foot posture. 

The "old-school" orthotic mechanism is to block movement of the foot, particularly pronation (rolling in), with an orthotic device placed in the shoe usually made from a hard plastic. 

Our experience has led us to adopt a different way of orthotic prescription, one that encourages the foot to function within a normal range of motion. 

By placing the foot into a neutral position via a flexible orthotic we allow muscles to fire as per their original design without taking away their ability to control foot motion. The flexible orthotic will hold the foot where required and allow for the spring-effect to activate when necessary. This ultimately leads to soft-tissue structures around the foot, ankle and lower limb to be unloaded and inflammation causing pain is allowed to settle. 

We can incorporate your necessary prescription into any style of orthotic so you can have an orthotic to fit into appropriate forms of work shoes, football boots, ski boots, school shoes, spikes, hiking boots and casual shoes.  

We keep our fees fair & transparent.

We are confident our extensive clinical experience, clinic facilities, care and performance of our orthotics will impress. Even though our highly sought-after practitioners, clinics and locations could charge higher fees, we believe in keeping the cost of our services attainable.

Note: If you are in a health fund, your consultation & orthotic fees may be claimable if you have appropriate cover. Please see the health fund codes in brackets >

Initial assessment

Through a comprehensive assessment of your history, injury (if you have one), footwear, strength and specific movement patterns we begin the process of addressing your concerns. A 3D scan may be taken if customised orthotics are warranted.

60 mins | $225 (F004 + F118)

+ 3D foot scan | $80 (F301)

Subsequent appointments

Any follow up or fitting appointment. May include a reassessment, hands-on release, strapping, fitting of orthotics, progression of exercises and load.

30 mins | $100 (F014)

Customised orthotics

The prescription of customised foot support may be applicable via a 3D scan to fit specifically into your any shoe deep enough to accommodate for the additional support including running, netball, golf, tennis, football, gym, hiking boots & casual sneakers with a removable liner.

customised orthotics pair | $470 (F221 x 2)

+ 30 min fitting appointment | $100 (F014)

Team session

Want one of our Sports Podiatrists to provide assessment and advice to your team?

Per hour | $250 | Enquire

“We have cultivated two decades of clinical experience, up-to-date science & cutting-edge technology to get the best patient outcomes.”

— Trent Salkavich & Emily Smith