These are the Impossible Stories of our amazing customers!
"This was the best investment I have ever made on footwear. On March 14, 2008, I had major lower lumbar back surgery for an L5 herniated disc. While suffering through recovery after my surgery, I tried to find a shoe that made it possible for me to walk comfortably and not feel the tightness in my back resulting from my back surgery. My first experience of wearing the Z-CoiL shoe was, I turned and looked at my wife and said, "I am never taking these shoes off." My wife is also wearing Z-CoiL shoes for comfort and support due to being pregnant with our first set of twins. This was putting a definite strain on her back and giving her significant problems in her back, hips and knees while standing or walking. I am pain-free while still recovering from surgery. Now, I and my wife take daily walks without feeling the tightness in my back and her not feeling the weight of the twins. THANK YOU Z-COIL!"
~Shondon Martin
"God Bless you for your vision for Z-CoiL. I was working as a nurse in a small hospital, and working my off days at a medical center. I had such severe plantar fasciitis, it was very painful to work. My daughter, who was in Albuquerque at the time, was working at the heart institute and heard about Z-CoiLs. She gave me my first pair for Christmas. They made a huge difference in my life and my ability to work my long twelve hour shifts. Within two days I could work pain free. It was a miracle! Since then I have had many other pairs, and they got me to the point I could wear other shoes when I wanted to and still be pain free. They are amazing and last for years. I know that you made them originally for your son, but you have helped millions! Again, God Bless you!"
~Mary Ann Myers
"I was born with spiral scoliosis and after becoming a nurse I ruptured a disc at the L5/L4 spinal area of my back. Needless to say I have suffered unbelievable pain for most of my life. It was in 2008 that I learned about Z-CoiLs and went to the nearest store and was fitted with Z-CoiL sandals. They were a God send! I often get comments about my "cool shoes" even from strangers. I now own 4 pair of Z-CoiLs and probably 6 more if I had a closet room for them. Ha! Thank you Z-CoiL and thank you Al Gallegos. I know mine is only one of many such stories."
~Jimmie Branson, RN
"My wife Kathy and I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). My wife has degenerative disc disorder and a fusion from a broken back caused by a car accident. I have had increasing problems with RA over the past ten years or so, often requiring the use of a cane or simply staying home. During our visits to the surgeon and pain management doctors over the past two years, we noticed many nurses wearing very odd footwear. We discussed the footwear with a couple of nurses who extolled the benefits of having springs on their feet and these ladies and gentlemen were convinced that they would have been forced to give up their profession were it not for these comfortable shoes. I purchased a pair of Z-CoiL shoes and now that I am used to Z-CoiL shoes, all other shoes hurt. As an engineer, I can appreciate that springs behave in a unique manner of physics known as Hookes law: the force exerted is a linear function of extension or compression. In other words, the spring slows your step down with a slow, constant force, rather than an abrupt stop. I am impressed with your product. The benefits have exceeded my expectations by far, and the improvement in our quality of life has been outstanding. Thank you."
~Steve Shirley
"I want to assure you that I have been a one woman ambassador for your shoes for many many years. My career was as an R.N., though sadly retired at an early age now due to my injuries. BUT your shoes kept me working many more years than I would have been able to without the shoes. It was very effective at the gym because people could see all the scars on my knees from what ended being eleven surgeries. I used to joke with people that I should be paid as a salesman due to all the people I talked to about my "miracle shoes" and next thing you know when I saw them guess what they were wearing??..lol Actually though it just made me feel good to know that they would now be pain free on their feet."
~Miss Mary Hansen
"I've had Z-CoiL shoes for twelve years. I have arthritis and twelve years ago I used canes to walk. The first three steps were always the worst. I was becoming a cripple. After about three weeks of wearing Z-CoiLs the inflammation went away. I try to walk 10,000 steps per day now. My health is better. I don't use canes anymore either. Arthritis without inflammation is livable. I have dress shoes, sneakers, sandals, and hiking boots. All are Z-CoiLs. I am now retired and my wife and I travel. My future has promise. Thanks Al for your invention of Z-CoiL shoes."
~Russell Williams
"I went on a cruise last year wearing a new pair of Z-CoiLs (I wear Z-CoiLs exclusively) and never have I had so many "Excuse me" taps on the shoulder! You know, when someone taps you on the shoulder and says "Excuse me, but..." and then they'd ask about my Z-CoiLs. I couldn't believe so many people from all over the U.S. and Canada had never heard of them. Due to a number of injuries to my back, hip, knee, and ankle, I have worn nothing but Z-CoiLs for the last nine or ten years. I truly believe they are the only thing that keeps me ambulatory and I don't mind telling everyone who asks me that."
~Crystal Gordon
"Can we all say, THANK GOD FOR Mr. Alvaro Z. Gallegos! I have been on my feet all day as a Makeup Artist and Hairdresser for the past 15 years. For years, because of the swelling, I honestly have not been able to see the bones in the top of my feet, and have been buying shoes that are too big. I would scream in my head many times because my feet would just kill me. I bought all kinds of shoes that people told me to get because they were supposed to be good waste of money. I now have sciatica issues as the Dr. told me. I can't begin to tell you the difference Z-CoiL shoes have made in my life. Before them, I could barely walk after driving home; not to mention how long it took me to walk to my car after getting off of work. Now I am getting a second job (where at one point I thought I was going to be considered crippled). I have not had my shoes a month yet and I no longer have pain in my feet, legs or back. I now have so much energy! Thank you so much, Mr. Gallegos, for your thoughts behind the (as I call them) miracle shoes!"
~Shanna Forstall
"I can't say too much about the Z-CoiL shoes. They are wonderful, they feel great and I can wear them almost all year around. I am in Cleveland, so I do not wear them in the winters. I have had my brown Sidewinder Sandals for about 8 years with only one heel replacement. I love these shoes and they are great conversation starters. I have had years of fun with people who stare at my shoes until I ask them, "Well, what do you think about my shoes?" From that moment on, I find new friends. I am a long time care giver and a lot of my older people want to talk about price and comfort."
~Joyce Major
"I have been wearing Z-CoiL shoes for over 10 years. I just bought my 6th pair. When I got my first shoes I just could not believe how great they were. I love them so much. They were a life saver for me. I worked with babies and was on my feet all day long. My back and legs hurt me all day long. After I got my first pair I was so happy. Very little pain. My daughter, who is a nurse, found out about them and drove 300 miles to get me a pair. She also got her one too. She worked in a hospital and she loved them too. I just wanted to thank you for your hard work on getting these shoe on the market. I get asked "Where did you get those shoes?" all the time and "Where can we get some?" I always tell them the website. Thank you and please keep them coming. "
~Venda Mohler
"My name is Pat and I love Z-CoiL! For 5 years now Z-CoiL is ALL I WEAR! I have Rheumatoid Arthritis plus Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. I wear a leg brace on my left leg. I had seven surgeries on my ankle. I can't walk normal in any shoes but Z-CoiL! I just love Z-CoiL. The first pair I got was in Tampa, FL. A podiatrist suggested I try them for Achilles heel spur. Since then Z-CoiL is all I can wear."
~Pat Farthing
"I'm 22 and was born with a bone disease called Leg Perthese disease and I suffer severe hip pain. When I was five years old, the head of my femur had deteriorated and I was put into leg casts for three months and forced to learn how to walk all over again. Over time, the disease caused me to develop rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis which put me in a wheelchair. My mother came home from work one day and told me that a co-worker had insisted that she take me down to get a pair of Z-CoiL shoes. I was very hesitant, however, I went down to the nearest Z-CoiL retailer and checked them out. When I put them on I noticed a BIG difference right away. I am now able to walk in comfort and no longer have to use my wheelchair or take pain medication. I can spend the time needed with my three children. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH ! I am able to have a normal family life again!"
~Amber Roessing
"Thank you for inventing and marketing Z-CoiL shoes. They really work! For many years I had a job that was mostly sit down. Later in life when things changed I found myself in a situation that was extremely painful for me. After about 6 hours of work I was in tears with pain. A friend in a different department was showing his Z-CoiLs off one day and saying they were fantastic. I asked Mike where I had to go to buy these shoes. The following Saturday I bought my first pair. They made it possible for me to work. Now that I am retired I wear Z-CoiLs nearly all of the time. I am frequently asked "Where did you get those shoes?" I tell everyone, making sure to give out the name of the nearest dealer and your internet address as well."
~Charles Stopczynski
"I was Director of Nursing at a 180 bed nursing home in Florida. I had plantar fasciitis, Morton's Neuroma, and a heel spur, all on the same foot. The pain was awful! I tried everything, every gadget, crutches, pain cream, pain medication, cortisone injections, even considered surgery but my sister had it for the same thing and it was a dismal failure. I was MISERABLE!!! One morning I had to go in before the night shift left, a midnight nurse happened to see me limping. She told me about her "crazy looking shoes" that she would not be able to walk without the coil shoes. She, like myself, was her sole financial support (she laughingly said "these crazy shoes are now my "sole" support). I bought the weird looking shoes in white and a pair of black less noticeable for non-work occasions. I couldn't have cared less how they looked or what they cost at that point. Vanity meant nothing to me. I only wanted the pain to stop. I only wore the Z-CoiL shoes and began realizing the pain was decreasing. I have been free of pain from the plantar fasciitis, Morton's Neuroma and heel spur for over 8 years. That is my Z-CoiL story and I am sticking to it!!!"
~Director of Nursing