NetXNews - Product Evaluation: Do Z-CoiL shoes actually work?

NetXNews - Product Evaluation: Do Z-CoiL shoes actually work?: "What makes a good athletic shoe? Cushioning? Support? Flexibility? Stability? Dozens of shoe companies with millions in advertising budgets can make finding the best running shoe or the best comfort shoe seem unattainable. The maker's of Z-coil believe they found it.

In the mid 1980's Al Gallegos, a shoe store owner and avid runner, had developed the usual injuries associated with running: heel spurs, plantar faciitis (mid-foot pain), knee problems and back pain. After narrowing the cause of his problems to the jarring of his foot against the ground when running, Al tried to find a 'shock absorber' to relieve the impact. Finding that a conical coil would help (and give energy in return), he made his own pair of shoes by having the local butcher cut out his soles so springs could be glued in. When friends with similar symptoms started asking for a pair of their own, thoughts of manufacturing them himself started to formulate. By 1997, after many laughed at his design, Al finally had a functional running shoe.

So, do they work? The reports say yes."

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