Xero Shoes

Xero Shoes was born from a simple idea: when you let your feet do what they were built to do, everything changes. Back in 2009, husband-and-wife team Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix launched Xero Shoes after a barefoot running experiment changed everything. Two years earlier, Steven—then 45—had taken up sprinting again after a 30-year break, only to be sidelined by repeated injuries. A friend handed him a copy of Christopher McDougall’s “Born to Run,” which sparked a revelation: when Steven began to run barefoot, the natural feedback from the ground adjusted his body and eliminated his pain. Eager to experience that same freedom every day, Steven designed a minimalist sandal for himself and Lena. They both quickly noticed a transformation—in how they moved and in how they felt. Their posture improved, their strides lightened, their bodies relaxed. They unlocked their natural power. What started as DIY sandals in their living room quickly caught on. Friends wanted pairs, and so did friends of friends. A movement around movement took off. Today, Xero Shoes is the top barefoot-style shoe brand in the U.S, with customers in over 97 countries. Now offering styles across performance, running, hiking, and everyday life, Xero Shoes lets people everywhere enjoy life-changing comfort and performance wherever they go.