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Z-Coils: Put a spring in your step

By Amy Tortolani / 11 News
Houston, Texas
Tuesday, March 15, 2005

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Video Transcript:

It's the latest craze in footwear and it's for both sexes.

It's not Jimmy Choo or Nike Air Jordans, but a shoe called Z-Coils.

The shoes look strange, but offer a lot of relief.

They come in all different colors, styles and sizes, and the one thing these shoes have in common is ... they have a coil in the heel of the shoe.

The shoemaker claims it offers four times more cushioning than any regular shoe, meaning more comfort.

Z-Coils are touted as pain-relief footwear.
"Coils adjusted for different weights [allow] you to have a slight pitch from heel to toe. That's what takes the pressure off your back and sciatic nerve," says Vicky Hayes.

Charlene Legler swears by her Z-coils. "I thought how strange looking ... took me less than an hour to try them and that's all that I have worn ever since."

Now on her sixth pair, Legler says without them, each step is painful.

"I don't know about you, but when my feet hurt I am really cranky. And they don't hurt any more," she says.

Z-coil and its customers say the footwear reduces pain.

But how? Think of Z-coil shoes working like the suspension of a vehicle, simply reducing the impact of every bump or heel strike.

The doctors 11 News spoke with say they've seen the proof.

"If a patient is flatfooted, the unique orthotic in the shoes can be molded and make it to fit the person's need and it alleviates pain in the feet, ankle and lower back," says Dr. Robert Lambeth.

So what does it feel like to walk on coils?

"Like walking on a trampoline ... don't want to take them off," says one customer.

Z-coil says these shoes are made for more than walking.

"Do anything from kickboxing to elliptical to aerobics in those shoes," says Hayes.