Trading name Xero Shoes | Type Private company | |
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Industry Minimalist running shoes Founded Boulder, Colorado, United States (November 23, 2009 (2009-11-23)) Founder Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix Headquarters Boulder, CO, United States | ||
Xero Shoes are a type and brand of minimalist shoe manufactured by Feel the World Inc. in Boulder, Colorado. Designed for walking and running with shoes on, the footwear has thin, flexible soles that are contoured to the shape of the human foot.
Contents
History
A high-school sprinter, Steven Sashen got back into the sport after a 30-year break. However, after two years of injury-prone competition, he joined a local barefoot running club in Boulder, CO at the suggestion of a friend who gave him a copy of Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. As a result of running barefoot, his gait changed and injuries abated, Sashen wanted to continue the barefoot experience in areas which required foot covering. So he developed his own modern huarache-style sandal similar to those worn by the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico’s Copper Canyon, consisting of a thin rubber sole sourced from Vibram in Italy and nylon-polypropylene laces (this original style is now sold as the Xero Shoes "Cherry" in the classic kit).
After making the first pair for his wife Lena Phoenix and a second for himself, Sashen got requests from friends for their own minimalist sandals. After organising a shoe making party outside the University of Colorado, Sashen and Phoenix formed Feel the World Inc. in November 2009, marketing a do-it-yourself barefoot sandal kit and custom-made sandals under the Invisible Shoes brand. The original shoes were developed further by the addition of a bead stringing-style design. With the input of lead designers who had previously worked with Nike Inc. and Reebok, the team specified and co-developed a new high-abrasion rubber trademarked as FeelTrue®, which enabled the launch of new pre-shaped and sized sandals in two sole thicknesses.
In August 2012, the company engaged Dennis Driscoll who has previously developed products for Avia, Crocs, Dr. Martens and Wilson Sporting Goods as chief development officer, and renamed the brand Xero Shoes in December 2012. Selling just via online retailing and with a unique 5,000 miles (8,000 km) warranty, the company has since sold over 95,000 pairs of shoes in various styles and designs to 94 countries.
On an episode airing in January 2013, Sashen and Phoenix pitched for an investment on ABC's reality television series Shark Tank (Show 52; Series 4, episode 14 "Bibitec"). After pitching for an investment of $400,000 for an 8% stake, the couple managed to only get one offer. It came from investor Kevin O'Leary who offered the desired amount, but for 50% of the company. Sashen and Phoenix chose not to accept the proposed deal.
The company has since moved from online-sales only to also channel marketing via select high street based North American retailers and Amazon.com, priced from $19.95 to $79.99.
Design
The first Xero Shoes "Cherry" design consists of a thin rubber sole and nylon-polypropylene laces.
The full retail range developed with the input of lead designers who had previously worked with Nike Inc. and Reebok, enabling the launch of the new and unique high-abrasion FeelTrue® rubber sole, available in a patented pre-shaped and sized sandal design in two sole thicknesses.
As Chief Development Officer, Dennis Driscoll analyzed over 4,000 foot tracings of existing customers, and concluded that most sandal companies place the toe post in the wrong location. This led to the launch in October 2013 of the Amuri Venture range, which has since become recognized for its design, wearability and comfort.
The company's product line now includes sport sandal designs, without the traditional toe post, including Z-Trek and Z-Trail sandals