Countless professional and amateur athlete’s careers are derailed by injuries every year. Even sport enthusiasts, with no professional aspirations, lose the activity they love due to sprained ankles. Imagine what could be possible for these athletes if sprained ankles were a thing of the past. The next person to climb Mt. Everest? The next Michael Jordan? The effects are not only physical, but mental as well — imagine never having that lingering fear in the back of your mind of what could happen with one wrong step.
These injuries cause significant pain, disability, and missed work time for the average person. For athletes, the effects can be much more devastating.
The average ankle sprain costs between $5-10 thousand dollars to treat and rehabilitate. Every year, about 1 million people go to emergency rooms to treat their sprained ankles out of over 9 million that occur in the US. This translates to approximately $10-$20 billion cost to treat ankle sprains each year in the US.(assuming that some of the non ER patients also receive out patient therapy)
What’s more, ankle sprains are 7x more likely to happen again on an ankle that has already been sprained. Each sprain leads to diminished athletic performance, chronic swelling, instability, and ultimately arthritis.
Typical Treatment Options
The typical treatment options for ankle sprains are largely ineffective.
With straps, braces, and tape, the rate of re-spraining your ankle is high.
The bottom line is that treatment methods to the most common injury do not help much, if at all. Take NBA players for example: they are the best athletes in the world, wear the most well known shoe brands, and all wear tape or braces. Despite all these factors, there were over 100 ankle sprains in the NBA during the 2013-14 season out of a pool of 350 players. This means that almost 1/3 of NBA players missed games due to ankle sprains alone.
Shouldn’t there be a fix for this problem by now?
Good news: There is! Ektio shoes have reduced ankle sprains in basketball players by 99.9% since launching Fall 2010. We provide the only doctor invented, clinically tested, and patented shoe that truly prevents ankle sprains from occurring.
While providing unparalleled sprain prevention, we did not sacrifice flexibility. Ektio shoes win on both support and range of motion.
We have achieved this feat through two main technologies:
1. Internal Strap Technology
2. Lateral Support Outriggers
Because of these patented technologies, the incidence of ankle sprains in customers wearing Ektio shoes has been almost non-existent.
Mental Effect
The effects of our shoes are not just physical, however. Check out what these two Ektio-wearing athletes had to say:
“Not having to worry about ankle injuries helped to fully optimize my game, and play on a level that allowed me to finish this season 2nd on Long Island for scoring.”
-Frankie Basile
“It’s my third year wearing the Ektio shoes, the third generation Alexio model is incredible. It gives me the confidence to play at a higher level. Since putting on the Post-up shoe back in 2013, I’ve never suffered another sprain on my ankle.”
-Juliette Gauthier
Ektio manufactures, distributes, and sells the only doctor invented, clinically tested, and patented solution that truly prevents ankle sprains from occurring. Our shoes can be used as a prevention tool, to help people who have recently sprained their ankles get back on their feet, or helping those with chronic ankle problems.
At Ektio, we believe that the foot and shoe are one. This belief aligns with the simple truth that shoeless ankles do not sprain. By melding the foot and shoe together, we have created optimal safety and zero limitation of motion. In other words, optimal performance.
Want proof?
How Ankle Sprains Happen
The cause of almost every ankle sprain is the shoe rolling over (inverting) when the wearer either jumps or lands on someone’s foot or on an uneven surface. The shoe typically rolls over and then the ankle the rolls, which tears the outside ligaments in the ankle. Ektio does not allow this to happen.
On the surface, our shoes are made from eco friendly materials to create a recycled rubber outsole and a dual density foam midsole for optimum comfort.
Look under the hood, however, and you’ll see the real magic.
At Ektio, we believe that the foot and shoe are one. This belief aligns with the simple truth that shoeless ankles do not sprain. By melding the foot and shoe together, we have created optimal safety and zero limitation of motion. In other words, optimal performance.
Want proof?
How Ankle Sprains Happen
The cause of almost every ankle sprain is the shoe rolling over (inverting) when the wearer either jumps or lands on someone’s foot or on an uneven surface. The shoe typically rolls over and then the ankle the rolls, which tears the outside ligaments in the ankle. Ektio does not allow this to happen.
On the surface, our shoes are made from eco friendly materials to create a recycled rubber outsole and a dual density foam midsole for optimum comfort.
Look under the hood, however, and you’ll see the real magic.
The built-in, integrated strap/brace system inside the shoe is what makes the foot and shoe a single functioning unit — a shoe and ankle moving together under stress. Ektio shoes prevent inversion (or rolling) of the foot, protecting your lateral ligaments.
The outriggers mentioned above serve as lateral side bumpers. Anytime your ankle wants to roll, the outriggers prevent it from happening.
A study conducted by Drexel University on the Ekito shoe design reveals how we’re different from the rest.
The results indicate that the new shoe provides restriction of inversion comparable to a standard basketball shoe with a brace. However, the new shoe was found to have no restriction of motion in any of the other directions, unlike braces.
-Dr. Sorin Seigler, Ph.D. 2/20/10
Imagine that: A shoe that both protects your ankle AND doesn’t limit range of motion. Who would’ve thought!
In addition to the tests at Drexel University by Dr. Sorin Seigler, the Ektio technology has also been tested at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC by Dr. Howard Hillstrom. The results from those tests also showed no limitation of mobility except for the “unwanted inversion.”
We have sold over 11,000 pairs of Ektio shoes since our inception. We started with the ultimate ankle stress sport, basketball, and are now pivoting to hiking. Hiking is an exciting new market because of the need for ankle support on the mountain, lack of significant brand loyalty from consumers, the fragmented market, and the lack of any leader in providing ankle support for hikers.
We used basketball players to prove our shoes work, but actually making a dent in that industry at this point has been challenging due to our lack of capital compared to competitors. Furthermore, basketball is a sport with incredible brand loyalty from consumers, which stems from the tremendous amount of capital spent on marketing and the influencers who are sponsored by these companies. Whether you’re a Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour supporter, chances are you aren’t budging.
Thus, hiking. Ankle support is huge for hikers with the varied and rugged terrain they find themselves on.
We are currently selling our shoes on Eastbay.com, Footlocker, Champs, Footaction, Dicks Sporting Goods, and Amazon.com.
Celebrity Endorsers
We have two high-profile NBA endorsers: Hall of Famer Rick Barry and former NY Knick All-Star John Starks. The latter recorded an ad endorsing Ektio shoes which appeared on EPSN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports. The ad read:
I’m John Starks, former New York Knick. I love the game of basketball. I live my life everyday trying to improve the sport and help younger generations achieve all that they can. That’s why I put my name behind Ektio basketball shoes. I want to see ankle injuries eliminated from the sport, once and for all. Ektio’s doctor invented, clinically tested technology provides maximum support and the highest level of balance and stability. Ankle sprains are now optional. The choice is yours. Check us out at Ektio.com.
Barry Katz, M.D., MBA
Founder, CEO, & President
Barry has been an orthopedic radiologist for over 30 years. He specializes in ankle anatomy and ankle injuries. He is also a former Division III college basketball player who suffered 3 severe ankle sprains. In 2000, he developed the technology that would grow into Ektio footwear with a fellow orthopedic surgeon and a podiatrist. Their first patent came in 2004, and Ekito officially launched in 2009. The final straw for Barry was watching his son sprain HIS ankle playing ball. He set out, full steam ahead, to make ankle sprains a thing of the past.
Jon Katz, MBA
CMO & Head of Sales
Jon is an entrepreneur through and through. He has over 5 years of experience in startups and is the co-founder of eDivv. He co-founded Ekito with his father, Barry.
Carol Michaels
COO
Carol is in charge of the daily operations. She has 3 years of experience in
logistics, customer service, and daily Ektio operations. She holds multiple degrees, including a BA in English, a BFA in interior design, and a third degree in footwear design.
Omar Bailey
Lead Designer
Omar has over 10 years of design experience. He gives our shoes the style to accompany the superior support. He holds a degree in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati.
Celebrity Endorsers
Rick Barry, Board Member
Former NBA Champion and Hall of Famer. Currently involved in several businesses. Primary national Ektio PR endorser.
John Starks, Former NY Knick and NBA All Star
Primary Ektio endorser in NY metropolitan area. John remains one the most popular NY Knicks, past or present.
Bioscience Team
Barry Katz, M.D., MBA
Sorin Seigler, Ph.D., Director of Biomechanics Lab at Drexel University
Thomas Nordstrom, M.D., Ekito co-inventor, orthopedic surgeon for 30 years
Howard Hillstrom, Ph.D., Director of Gait Lab Hospital of Special Surgery, NYC
Steven Dribbon, Dr. of Podiatry, Ekito co-inventor, Podiatric surgeon for 25 years
Abraham Morse, M.D., medical advisor