Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear® was designed by a runner..... for runners!
Necessity is the mother of invention, and nowhere is that more apparent than the history of Z-CoiL®, the World’s Leading Pain Relief Footwear.
One Runner’s Pain Relief Mission
Alvaro Z. Gallegos was running an average of seven miles a day when he started experiencing all the typical injuries associated with running: heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, hip pain and back pain. Although he owned a shoe store and had access to all types of running shoes, he was unable to find any product that eased his pain and allowed him to continue running. So, Al decided to make his own.
Innovative Design
Realizing that impact was the source of all his pain, Al reasoned that a spring to act as a shock absorber in the heel of the shoe would reduce the impact; the spring would also provide energy return, which would help him run farther and faster. After a number of experiments, Al found that a three-inch-wide conical steel coil worked best. He had a local butcher cut open his soles, glued in the springs and went for a run…”and it was glorious!” The coils worked exactly as intended, providing pain relief and, as it turns out, protecting him from new or exacerbating old running injuries.
A Manufacturing Partner Willing to Gamble
The popularity of Al’s coil shoes with friends and family prompted Al to search for a shoe manufacturer that would make these shoes available to other people suffering from running-related injuries. But most manufacturers weren’t interested. Finally, Al found an ad from a small South Korean shoe manufacturer looking for new clients. Mr. Yong Oh Lee, who had made shoes for Nike and Reebok, was willing to take on the challenge of creating Al’s innovative new shoe for $50. Over two years, Mr. Lee produced a number of prototypes. In 1995, Al patented his design and with 2,000 pairs of Z-01 shoes, billed as the “best running shoe ever,” Al, joined by his son Andres, a pharmaceutical product manager, opened the doors to Z-Tech, Inc. in Albuquerque, NM.Expanding the Pain Relief Mission
It didn’t take long before Andres began to realize the true benefit of his father’s spring-heeled, impact-reducing shoes—pain relief. At the same time, advances in technology made a built-in, rigid orthotic possible for Z-Tech shoes. Much the way a car’s steel frame supports its shock absorbers, this firm platform inside the shoe combined with the coil in the heel and thick cushioning in the forefoot provided even better overall support for the foot, and so the next generation of footwear—the Freedom 2000—was developed. The revolution in footwear design prompted a rebranding. Z-Tech, Inc. was renamed Z-CoiL to better reflect the nature of the product and the company’s new mission—to launch a whole new Pain Relief Footwear industry. If you enjoy running, and would like to continue running for years to come, these are the shoes for you! Read below how the shoes were ergonomically designed to relieve your pain and to keep your feet and your skeletal system from future damage.
Read here some testimonials from runners who have improved their running with these pain relieving shoes.
"Whoever made Z-Coil needs to feel guilty of making such comfortable shoes....I can't wear regular shoes anymore!!! They are a little pricey, but they last long time, and I can really tell the difference (coil) when I do strenuous activities such as running or climbing. I could not walk more than 20 minutes without any pain before finding about Z-Coil, but now I can walk for an hour with no pain. My mother also loves them and travels all over the world with Z-Coil. I am a teacher, and my students and colleagues are more interested in my shoes than what I teach....thanks to you Z-Coil!!" Akiko Tanaka
"Nothing beats Z-Coil shoes working 12-hour shifts and running the entire time while at work. I am a nurse and have recommended these shoes to everyone I work with, and people that are just curious about them. My back and legs do not hurt even after the busiest of shifts!" Mary Vandemark
"I am 66 years old. Was a 5 mile a day runner for 35 years but had to stop because of torn meniscus in left knee. Dr. said I needed arthroscopic surgery and no more running. I had no pain walking so why do surgery if it would not help me get back to running? I took a chance on the Z-coil shoes. I have now been running 3 miles a day for 4 weeks. I don't know how long the knee will hold up but so far I have had no pain while running. I'm just taking it one day at a time but am thrilled that I don't have any pain." CC Gaddis
"I use the shoes mainly for running, they have kept me running for the last 10 years with minimal soft tissue injuries, best running shoe I have ever had." David Taylor
Watch this video to see how Z-CoiL Footwear can relieve your running pain!
The Z-CoiL Spring:
The Z-CoiL Spring makes each step safer and softer. The unique replaceable conical coil design reduces impact up to 60%* more than conventional shoes. And since impact is the primary cause of foot, leg and back pain, your body will notice an immediate difference. Walking in Z-CoiL is unlike anything you have felt before. Some people describe the feeling like gliding. Each step feels easy, light and enjoyable. Your body will love the Z-CoiL Spring. Not only does the Z-CoiL Spring reduce impact, it can control over-pronation. Over-Pronation is when your feet roll too far inward when walking or running. The spring can be adjusted in 90°increments to add more resistance to the inside of the foot, to correct over-pronation. Last but not least, when the rubber heel pad wears out on the spring, you can simply replace the spring unit (open or enclosed) rather than replace your Z-CoiL! This saves money and reduces unnecessary waste in landfills.
* Tests performed by the US Department of Energy
Z-Orthotic:
The Z-Orthotic is a “rigid” foundation built into every Z-CoiL extending from the ball of the foot to the heel. It works by mirroring the shape of your foot which equalizes pressure across your bottom of your foot, reducing fatigue and pressure points. Equally important the Z-Orthotic supports your plantar ligaments which eliminate painful conditions in the foot like plantar fascia and heel spurs. You will notice improved posture, stability and confidence in each step. The Z-Orthotic makes walking or hiking on uneven or hard surfaces a breeze. Custom orthotics can be used in Z-CoiL footwear, but are often unnecessary, since the built-in Z-Orthotic is more than sufficient. 
Additional Features:
Additional features include
More on the Z-CoiL® Technology...
Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear®'s revolutionary technology isn't really revolutionary at all. It's evolutionary. It's engineered to help you stride the way the human body was designed to, in an environment that the human body was not designed for.
Gait Cycle and the Kinetic Chain
Impact Reduction, Stability and the Problem with Modern Footwear
Preventing stress injury and providing relief for existing injuries requires impact reduction—i.e., footwear that actually limits the amount of force that travels up the kinetic chain. However, cushioning impact alone will not ensure healthy joints and pain relief. Shoes that offer extra padding actually encourage atrophy in the muscles of the foot. Weak muscles can lead to a number of compensating movements, many of which direct stress forces to areas of the foot that are not designed to absorb impact. Unfortunately, most modern footwear has taken an either-or approach to solving the problem of increased impact along the kinetic chain. Either they provide cushiony soles to reduce the force of impact but allow the flexibility for soft tissues to move outside a normal range of motion, or they provide a rigid sole to keep the foot (and stress forces) in a natural range of motion but with very little impact-absorption, resulting in high impact all the way up the kinetic chain.
Our Freedom styles below are the recommended shoes for runners.
- Built-In Orthotic
- Comparison Chart
- Enclosing the Spring
- Energy Return
- Flex Line
- Impact Reduction
- Live Pain Free
- Mobility
- Rocker Forefoot
- Shock Absorbing
- Whole Body Support
The Z-CoiL Solution
Z-CoiL Pain Relief Footwear is the only shoe that offers both the impact reduction and stability you need for pain relief, injury prevention and whole body support Z-CoiL shoes have the:
- Patented conical spring in the heel, which reduces impact by 40-60% (according to tests performed by the American Department of Energy) and provides energy return, reducing fatigue.
- Patented Z-Orthotic™ to stabilize tendons and ligaments.
- Rocker bottom sole that assists forward motion and limits movement during toe-off.
- Flex line at the forefront of the foot to encourage bending at the ball of the foot.
- ¾” Cushioning in the forefoot to protect delicate metatarsal/forefoot joints, ligaments and bones.
- Extra wide toe box to relieve pressure on toe joints.
All elements of our shoe design provide Z-CoiL treatment—effective pain relief from a number of lower body impact-induced conditions.
Try Z-CoiL Technology for Yourself
All Z-CoiL pain relief footwear products come with a risk-free 30-day trial. Find a Z-CoiL distributor near you or contact us to have your shoes shipped directly to you. You've got nothing to lose but your pain!
World’s Leading Pain Relief Footwear