Reserve Your 10th Anniversary Z-CoiL Footwear at a Participating Distributor

Not since aspirin was widely recognized as a panacea for pain has a product so changed the way Americans deal with their sore bodies. More and more, people in pain are turning to Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™ as an affordable and effective way to find relief from foot, leg, and back pain.

Ten years ago, in 1995, Z-CoiL Footwear marketed its first pain relief shoe. Since 2000, after further refining the footwear’s design, the company has rapidly grown by leaps and bounds, to share its miraculous footwear with many thousands of chronic pain sufferers.

Inventor and entrepreneur Alvaro Z. Gallegos created Z-CoiL® footwear as an answer to his own pain caused by years of competitive running. Figuring that the real culprit was the shock of repeated impact, which can be as much as five times a person’s body weight when running, Al envisioned shock-absorbing springs built into the heels of his shoes. So, starting with a box of 500 conical-shaped steel coils, Al proceeded to glue them into his existing running shoes, then into those of family and friends. Now a network of over 200 distributors is busy providing exceptional pain-relieving shoes throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“The technology of the footwear is really quite simple. It’s a wonder no one ran with the idea ahead of me,” says Al. “Wylie Coyote had it right to put springs under his heels—I just took that crazy idea one step further. Now we offer the only footwear that is totally dedicated to pain relief.”

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Step by Step, Z-CoiL� Footwear is Taking the Lead in Pain Relief

Company Honors Inventor and Founder Alvaro Z. Gallegos with 10th Anniversary Signature Shoe

Ten years ago, Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™ came on the scene, dramatically changing the way thousands of Americans manage their foot, leg, and back pain. Now, to celebrate the visionary creation of inventor Alvaro Z. Gallegos, the Z-CoiL Footwear company is releasing a special, limited-edition Z-CoiL® 10th Anniversary Signature Shoe. This one-time-only style will go on sale nationwide on September 1, 2005, and will be available only while supplies last.

Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™, specifically engineered to relieve foot, leg, and back pain, is a growing force in the pain-relief industry. The shoes are designed with three special components that work together to provide exceptional support, cushioning and impact reduction.

Each shoe features a built-in rigid orthotic, which runs from the heel to the metatarsal heads, helping to equalize pressure distribution and support the foot. At the forefoot, the shoes provide four times more cushioning than popular running shoes, as tested by Sandia National Laboratories. Unique to Z-CoiL® footwear is the visible conical-shaped coil under the heel. This tempered coil compresses with each step, helping to reduce pressure and the rate of impact while improving ankle stability.

More than 20 years ago, Al began toying with the idea of developing a special shoe with a spring in the heel to help reduce his own chronic foot, knee and back pain caused by years of long-distance running. In 1995, with the help of his son Andrés Gallegos, Z-CoiL’s president and CEO, the first marketable coil-based shoe went on sale in Albuquerque, called the Z-Tech Recoil. Further engineering and design improvements ultimately resulted in the current Z-CoiL® line of footwear, which paved the way for corporate growth in 2001.

The Z-CoiL® 10th Anniversary Signature Shoe is reminiscent of Al’s original “Z-Tech” shoe in terms of its colorful style, but is reconfigured with the current Z-CoiL® design, and features Al’s signature stitched on the back of the heel. “Z-CoiL is a realization of my father’s dream and years of perseverance to help others who are in pain,” says Andrés. “I cannot think of a better way to honor him than through this special shoe.”

“Z-CoiL® footwear is truly life-changing footwear,” Andres adds. “We have thousands of customers who share their amazing testimonials about how the footwear put them back into the game of life because of Al’s invention.”

Adidas 1 - Review

The Adidas 1 is the newest impact reduction footwear on the market retailing at $250. So, we decided to test them out to see how they performed against the Z-CoiL footwear. Adidas describes them as follows:

- Using a magnetic sensor beneath the heel, the adidas_1 monitors changes in impact, pace and ground condition 1,000 times per second.
- A tiny microprocessor, beneath the arch, is the brain of the shoe; capable of 5 million decisions every second; It reads the data from the sensor and uses it to figure out the level of cushioning you need.
- Then the microprocessor sends instructions to a small but powerful motor that adjusts the cushioning level to give you the optimal level of performance

Sounds great, right? Well, my 16 year old cross country track runner decided to put them to the test. Here's a brief synopsis of the shoe from Matt:

"I am a 16 year old cross country runner for Los Gatos High School who has experienced severe pain in my knees due to growing pains. The terrain that I ran was a combination of asphalt roads, running trails and mountain dirt trails. It varied from very flat to very steep with most of it being on hilly terrain. It has 5 different softness settings, so I set it on the softest to help with my knee issues. (More)

Caesar Snee
EZ-Shoes
San Jose, CA

Testimonial: Sonia M.

I have had my [Z-CoiL® footwear] for five days and I hate to take them off at the end of the day. I was a cosmetologist for 10 years and now am in the medical field. I have had back problems for years and have some pinched nerves in my neck. Since I have been wearing my [Z-CoiL® footwear], I have not had any problems.

I work for a spine doctor and I can't wait to tell him how much I really believe in these shoes. I have really noticed that when I'm standing in one spot, I don't fidget to get comfortable. My legs and feet don't hurt or burn-that's what I love the most.

Thanks so much.

Sonia M.
Jacksonville, AR

Blogaholics: BlogHer Live: Blogging for Business

Blogaholics: BlogHer Live: Blogging for Business

Over the weekend, women that blog held a conference called BlogHer. "Blogging for Business" was a session that may be of interest to Z-CoiL dealers and upper Z-corp mgt.

I believe a full transcript of the session will be availabel next week.

Videos of a Z-CoiL Drummer

Last week, I video blogged the Bite Of Seattle wearing Z-CoiL sandals.

Here is a Video Performance with the camera focused on his Zs

Who thought up famous brands?

Raise your right hand if you've stopped at Starbucks, bought their coffee beans or loaded your own swill into a Starbucks mug this month.

Raise your left if you've Swiffered your floor recently.

Now put them together in a round of applause if you have an iPod tucked in your gym bag or briefcase.

Starbucks, Swiffer, iPod - these are among the finest in recent consumer-product innovations. While the end products are highly useful, of eye-catching design, heavily branded and profitable, what you don't see immediately is how they got there.

Who came up with these ideas? What company executives recognized their value? What team put the manufacturing wheels in motion, and who developed the patent, marketing and branding processes?

Welcome to Craig Vogel's world.

Vogel, 53, is a graduate of the Pratt Institute and former president of Industrial Designers Society of America. He's also been a consultant on innovation processes to manufacturing giants such as Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Alcoa and Motorola.

He hoists his foot up to display shoes with noticeable Z-coil shock absorbers. These help alleviate arthritis, he explains.

He mentions this in the context of his strong belief that the aging baby-boomer generation offers some of the best product-development opportunities out there.

For example, consider the OXO GoodGrips vegetable peeler, sold at Target and other discount stores. Developed by a man whose wife had arthritic hands, the peeler has a large oval handle, a patterned grip that prevents slippage and a blade guard that adds balance to the design.



By Annie-Laurie Blair
Enquirer contributor

Z-CoiL Sandals on Sandstone

Z-CoiL Sandles on Sandstone
Originally uploaded by digitalreporter.

Since September 2004, I have worned Z-CoiLs religiously. Yesterday, I walked the dogs for an hour on an asphalt roadway in regular sandals. It was hot and I didn't want to lace up my hikers or get out the Z-sandals.

By the time I went to bed, I had pain shoot up and down my left leg - something I have never experienced before. This morning the pain is gone. It appears my body has grown accustomed to the spring soled footwear.

The photo was taken on Hornby Island, BC. I worn my Z-Sandals during our week long car camping trip through Victoria Island last week. We walked a lot on various terrain. The Z's performed flawlessly.

Dealers Group of Washington

The Washington State Z-CoiL Dealer Group was formed to promote and market the footware in the region.

http://www.painfreeshoe.com/

A TV commerical has been produced and will begin airing in a couple of weeks.

When should I replace my coil?

This is an interesting question that there is no real scientific way to answer! We normally see that people get a year to a year and a half out of a set of coils. We have had some people wear them out in 8 months and others have lasted over two years.

In most cases, it is evident... the rubber is worn through to the metal coil, so it is definitely time to get a new set!

I had a not-so-obvious one this week. A customer had her shoes for about 21 months and there was still rubber left on the heel. (more)

Caesar Snee
EZ-Shoes
San Jose, CA

Orthotics

If you are familiar with Z-CoiL's, you know that a built-in orthotic is the foundation of the shoe. Many people have custom orthotics that their doctor had made for them. In many cases, the custom orthotic is very similar to the orthotic that is built-in to the Z-CoiL's. Some people choose to use their own orthotic on top of ours and others choose not to.

I am not a doctor and I do not give medical advice! If you do have custom orthotics, it is very helpful if you bring them along when you get fitted so we can understand how they compare and also how the shoe fits with and without it. (more)

Caesar Snee
EZ-Shoes
San Jose, CA

UCSF | Student Academic Affairs | Looking to Put a Spring in Your Step?

UCSF Student Academic Affairs Synapse:

By Kevin Huoh
a third-year medical student

Ever since the Z-Connection store opened last year, I have been curious. Sure the shoes look a little bit ridiculous, but for someone like me who has always had problems with a foot flatter than a two by four, I was dying to try on a pair of Z-Coil shoes.

I never had the courage enter the store though. Why? Well for one, the shoes look like something out of a bad science fiction movie — something only Marty McFly would wear in the alternate disturbing future. Every time I brought up the idea of trying on those shoes with my friends, they just laughed.
Two weeks ago, while at the weekly Synapse staff meeting, I found out that Z-Connection was interested in having someone try on a Z-Coil shoe and write an article about it.

This was my perfect chance to try on the shoe without ridicule, under the guise of a semi-professional journalistic endeavor. Answering the call of destiny, I quickly volunteered for the assignment despite board exams looming on the horizon.

For those who have not had the privilege to see the Z-Coil shoes, let me begin with a description. The shoe looks relatively normal except for the coil attached to the heel. This coil is a patented steel spring designed to compress a full inch, thereby reducing impact on the rest of the body.

There is a built in orthotic device that provides rigid support for the foot. Though it sounds uncomfortable, the rigid orthotic is actually well padded and designed to deliver good support through the mid-foot. (more)

Oh, My Aching Feet! - Northwest Woman's Magazine

by Karen Buck, RN

Spike heels were the first to go. Then, even the low sensible heels that old-time schoolteachers wore became too painful. The last attempt was an athletic shoe—plenty long, and as wide as a barge. Maybe this sounds familiar, but your feet continue to hurt. Why? What can be causing all this pain?

Our feet take a real beating. Each day they bear several thousand pounds of pressure as we walk, run, dance, jump, or exercise. This, combined with the wrong shoes or heredity, can produce problems and pain. Here are some of the most common foot problems and some suggestions for help.

Corns A corn is really just an ordinary callus on steroids. Corns form from unrelieved pressure over a bony spot, like at one of the toes’ knuckles. They will gradually go away if the pressure is relieved. Never try to cut them out! Not only is it dangerous, it could lead to a life-threatening infection.

In some cases there is a tiny extra bump of bone on a toe joint. Unless this bump of bone is removed, or you decide to go barefoot for the rest of your life, the corn will never completely go away. (more)

80% of Americans Suffer From Chronic Back Pain but Few Take Easy Steps To Prevent It

Every hour of every day, some 80% of Americans are not only enduring back pain, but contributing to it in the way they sit, walk, exercise, work, and sleep. Unfortunately, despite the fact that back pain affects the lives and livelihoods of so many people, it has remained curiously below the radar in terms of consumer awareness and media coverage. The result: the very same people who are afflicted by chronic back pain virtually around the clock and around the country are unaware of the latest strategies, medical advice and retail products designed to minimize their discomfort or perhaps even prevent it in the first place.

“The public has been well educated on topics such as heart attacks, but not on preventing back injuries,” says Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Neurosurgeon at Princeton Brain and Spine Care. “Back pain is a constant battle. Our spine cycles flex or bend millions of times a year. A car would not be able to tolerate this kind of wear and tear!”
(more)

Testimonial: Hair Dresser - Today is National Beauticians Day

Audio InterviewI've been a hair dresser for 27 years and... (Puyallup Fair, September 2004, Your2Feet.com)