Xero Shoes is a brand of lightweight minimalist footwear manufactured by Feel the World Inc. Founded in 2009 by Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix, the company's initial product was DIY sandals made only of a rubber sole and laces, but the company later introduced ready-made sandals and closed-toed shoes. Xero Shoes was featured on ABC's Shark Tank and gained success after the appearance in February 2013.
History
Xero Shoes was founded by Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix, a married couple who started the company in 2009.[2] Sashen had suffered running injuries and, inspired partly by the book Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, he created the company's first designs for minimalist footwear using sheets of rubber he ordered in bulk and laces from The Home Depot.[3] These original sandals were DIY assembled by the user and were called "Invisible Shoes".[4][5]