Kizik’s next big step is a slip-on running shoe

FastCompany: When it was founded in 2017, the shoe brand Kizik was on a mission to bring hands-free shoe technology into the mainstream. It’s now taking two big steps to further that goal. The company is today announcing both a major partnership with New Balance and a new shoe, the $149.95 Kizik Freedom Run, which debuts on April 17. Together, the moves represent an expansion of its existing licensing agreements strategy and of its tech into the performance category for the first time.

[Photo: Kizik] At its core, Kizik’s tech has always focused on the experience of putting on a shoe in the first place—the company designs slip-on models that cut lace-tying out of the equation through a variety of patented hands-free footwear mechanics. These designs are accessible to those who have trouble tying their shoes, including children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. But the brand has broad ambitions. “We think of the problem this way: Our shoes are for everyone, but they are life-changing for some,” then-CEO Monte Deere explained to Fast Company in 2023 .

Entering the running space meant the company had to adapt the design for higher intensity use cases but it also expands its reach. Kizik can build brand association with its own technology, and jockey for market share among slip-on running shoes that are already on the market: Its ongoing collaborator, Nike, launched a pair in 2021 , On manufactures a line of athletic shoes with kick-down heels, and Skechers has a whole series of shoes in its “Slip-Ins” category. [Photo: Kizik] How Kizik designed its first-ever slip-on running shoe The Freedom Run is Kizik’s latest demonstration of its design prowess.

The brand’s in-house team, HandsFree Lab, manages more than 200 issued and pending patents related to hands-free footwear mechanics, from extra-pliable tongues to shoes that open with a squeeze and multiple different heel configurations that allow wearers to simply slide their foot into the shoe. [Photo: Kizik] As its first foray into performance, Kizik’s design team decided to start with a mid-market running shoe that would be accessible for most athletes. The Freedom Run isn’t an elite game-day shoe, but rather a reliable training shoe that’s built to last.

The concept of a slip-on running shoe presents an obvious challenge: pairing a step-on heel with the snug, compressive fit that athletes need. The heel would need to be flexible enough to slip on and off, but rigid enough to keep the foot from sliding out of the shoe with every stride. To address this challenge, the Kizik team opted for the Internal Flex Arc, one of the brand’s lesser-used step-in technologies. It’s composed of two rigid components on the top and bottom, with a tented heel pocket sandwiched in between them. “When you combine those, it enables you to step into the running shoe because it compresses very well,” Hosford says.

“The other thing it does when it bounces back is grab your heel. For a running shoe, that’s fantastic because it minimizes heel slippage.” [Photo: Kizik] The Kizik team designed the rest of the Freedom Run’s architecture, like the arch and toe-box, to work in tandem with the Internal Flex Arc to keep the foot stable inside the shoe. As an added detail, the team also created a custom foam, called Viva Foam, to serve as the base of the shoe. It’s designed to be compression-resistant to absorb the runner’s stride, as well as ultra-lightweight to avoid adding extra bulk to the shoe.

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The launch of Kizik's slip-on running shoe and partnership with New Balance represents a significant strategic move in the footwear industry, making it relevant for brand strategy professionals, while the concept of slip-on performance shoes is somewhat novel but not unprecedented.