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News:
Openings: by Daniel Wolfe
On the 'fringe' of our neighborhoods, in more ways than one , is Footopia, which has opened at 611 East
22nd Street at Welton, just south of Park Avenue. The store, owned by Donna Rabbitt, vends the unusual "Z--Coil" line of
shoes, termed the world's leading pain-relief footwear. Rabbitt first used the shoes on a six-month trek across six Asian
countries.
"I hiked all over Nepal with nothing but my Z-Coils," she relates. "People looked at my springy shoes
with curiosity, but they marveled at my endurance."
The curiosity was caused by the inventive Z-Coil design. First envisioned in 1989 and then marketed in
1996 by Al Gallegos in Alburquerque, the shoes do indeed have a spring or coil as an integral part of their design. They
combine a rigid yet adjustable orthotic device and incorporate it as a part of the footwear, combining it with a custom
alloy, adjustable steel shock absorber (spring), which replaces the heel.
The result may be a bit odd to look at, especially when its bearing no weight, but it drastically
cushions the impact of running or walking while keeping the foot from turning inward. For those who suffer from leg or
lower back pain, osteoarthritis, flat feet, low arches or such annoyances as mid-foot pain or heel spurs, will benefit
from the adjustable shoes. Others will find them truly comforting.
While in Nepal, Rabbitt was looking for a new direction, and she realized that the shoes could provide
one.
"They're Utopia for your feet, so I call the store Footopia," she explains.
The shoes were first invented for running (75% of the buyers are runners), but the market has since expanded with the
addition of such styles as sandals, boots and clogs. The footwear costs from $139 to $259 and comes in a variety of colors.
They are sold in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Donna Rabbitt's store is warmly decorated and inviting. Footopia is open from 11am til 6pm Tuesday
through Friday, and from 9am til 5pm on Saturday. Call 303.291.0854 or visit the website at www.foootopia.us for details.
Newsletters
September 2006
"I hiked all over Nepal with nothing but my Z-Coils," she relates. "People looked at my springy shoes with curiosity, but they marveled at my endurance."
The curiosity was caused by the inventive Z-Coil design. First envisioned in 1989 and then marketed in 1996 by Al Gallegos in Alburquerque, the shoes do indeed have a spring or coil as an integral part of their design. They combine a rigid yet adjustable orthotic device and incorporate it as a part of the footwear, combining it with a custom alloy, adjustable steel shock absorber (spring), which replaces the heel.
The result may be a bit odd to look at, especially when its bearing no weight, but it drastically cushions the impact of running or walking while keeping the foot from turning inward. For those who suffer from leg or lower back pain, osteoarthritis, flat feet, low arches or such annoyances as mid-foot pain or heel spurs, will benefit from the adjustable shoes. Others will find them truly comforting.
While in Nepal, Rabbitt was looking for a new direction, and she realized that the shoes could provide one.
"They're Utopia for your feet, so I call the store Footopia," she explains.
The shoes were first invented for running (75% of the buyers are runners), but the market has since expanded with the addition of such styles as sandals, boots and clogs. The footwear costs from $139 to $259 and comes in a variety of colors. They are sold in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Donna Rabbitt's store is warmly decorated and inviting. Footopia is open from 11am til 6pm Tuesday through Friday, and from 9am til 5pm on Saturday. Call 303.291.0854 or visit the website at www.foootopia.us for details.