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Using acupressure sandals, AVOS is a therapeutic approach designed to combat plantar fasciitis and other foot-related issues. These innovative and patented designed slides use semi-soft, ball-shaped inserts to create pressure on the soles of the feet, stimulating blood flow, and lengthening muscle fibers through massage and myofascial release. AVOS Therapy slides give athletes the benefits of the ‘tennis ball technique’ while effortlessly integrating it into their daily routines. They can be used for just 5-15 minutes a day, effectively stretch the plantar fascia, providing similar relief but allowing users to remain mobile.
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Born from a DIY technique often employed in skateboarding circles, AVOS Therapy slides evolved from simply using a tennis ball to relieve plantar fasciitis to creating specialized acupressure sandals. Co-founded by professional skateboarder, Shawn Hale, transitioned from the skateboarding world to entrepreneurial innovation was driven by his personal experience and need for reliable physical therapy solutions. Teaming up with a friend with relevant expertise, Shawn designed the shoes, formalized the production process, and launched online ensuring that these therapeutic slides were accessible worldwide.
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Today, AVOS Therapy is the most convenient method for increasing flexibility and promoting circulation, thus aiding in the recovery from foot-related issues while on the go. The slides come with adjustable pressure inserts to choose from, catering to various foot types and sensitivities, ensuring that users can tailor the therapy to their specific needs. In this exclusive interview with AVOS’ Co-Founder Shawn Hale, the professional skateboarder shares the origin story behind developing their patented, theraputic, acupressure slides.
1. Can you dive into the specifics of how the ‘stand on a tennis ball’ concept is enhanced by your design, and what technological innovations were crucial in transitioning from a simple DIY solution to the advanced AVOS shoe?
I’ve simply made the routine too easy to ignore. The tennis ball stretch for your feet is proven to ease pain, boost performance, improve flexibility & circulation, relieve and prevent plantar fasciitis, and generally provide better movement.
To see these benefits, consistency is crucial and can be quite challenging. AVOS Therapy slides give people the benefits of the ‘tennis ball technique’ while effortlessly integrating it into their daily routines. With AVOS, not only can you easily treat nearly every foot issue with consistency, you can also help prevent these issues from occurring.
In order to transition from my initial DIY prototypes to what you see today, I needed to create a solution that works well for everyone. Every pair of AVOS comes with three sets of semi-soft, “half-ball” inserts of varying heights. The user determines how much pressure they prefer, which can change day to day, and easily modify depending on how they feel.
By wearing AVOS for just 5 to 15 minutes, you can simultaneously complete your therapy needs and your other daily tasks, like walking your dog or cleaning around the house. Increasing flexibility for injury prevention, improving blood flow for healing, and saving time, all at once, effectively completes my goal for the product.
Our main technological innovation is the ability to modify your shoes with interchangeable accessories. All you have to do is pop the current insert out and pop the preferable size insert in— easy. Essentially a mobile foot massage, you can then target not only the arch but also any area of the foot by adjusting your foot when standing in place. Once you are finished with your therapy, you can remove the insert and continue wearing AVOS as normal slides.
AVOS users describe quick relief with minimum effort— not only treating existing conditions but also preparing their feet for action in a way that excites people around the world. We are constantly receiving messages from physical therapists, athletes of every sport, and even some mainstream team sport doctors, asking to be involved in helping spread the word on this new technique.
2. How does your experience as a professional skateboarder influence AVOS therapy slides?
I faced many months of downtime each year in my skateboarding career due to foot injuries. And with each instance, I had to spend more time just to return to my pre-injury level. Therapy for relief and injury prevention became crucial for me as a skateboarder, and I realized that those same practices would also greatly benefit all athletes and individuals alike.
Injuries can be significant roadblocks to pursuing your passions and too often alter the course of people’s lives. This motivated me to create a solution for injury prevention and better performance.
With skateboarding, I know injuries will still occur. They are unavoidable. However, since I started regularly using the first AVOS prototype in 2018, I haven’t experienced any foot or ankle injuries requiring downtime. The increased flexibility allows me to operate safely and continue skating at a professional level at 36 years old with more confidence and longevity than I previously had. Notably, AVOS Therapy slides can make a drastic difference in recovery when used directly after sustaining foot/ankle injuries.
I always bring my slides on every trip and it’s rewarding to share this unique tool with my friends and new acquaintances.
3. What key technology features does AVOS Therapy integrate to ensure both comfort and effectiveness for foot and ankle health? Can you share some of the philosophies that discuss foot and ankle strengthening?
AVOS Therapy focuses on the root cause of pain, providing both relief and prevention.
Some may compare AVOS slides to arch support, however, they are literally the opposite. AVOS promotes long-term foot health and resilience, unlike arch support which will leave your muscles dependent on external support and weaken proper foot mechanics over time.
Feet are meant to walk on the ground, not in shoes— bending, flexing, and adapting to various terrain, activating the 100+ muscles, tendons, and ligaments in each foot. From raised heel running shoes to high heels and boots, we hardly use our feet in a ‘natural’ way. The ‘yin to the yang’, the opposing force to pain, is what we are all about.
Athletes and individuals will regularly take time to massage, stretch and strengthen muscles, but the feet are often neglected. Containing some of the most weight-bearing bones, muscles and cartilage in your body, your foot health can affect almost everything about how you move. Also, if you are a fan of eastern medicine’s reflexology practice, you would appreciate the additional whole-body benefits of stimulating the nerve endings in the feet.
Although the slides target a particularly important spot towards the heel, the product is meant to be used as a mobile foot massage— you can easily adjust the placement of your feet to put pressure on all areas of each foot when standing in place.
Building strength is more difficult when muscles aren’t functioning properly. Tightness in the feet can have a larger effect than most people realize and we strive to make this more known and easier to treat.
4. Can you share the moment of inspiration for AVOS Therapy and how your personal struggles shaped its creation?
In 2016, a major skateboarding opportunity seemed to be slipping from my hands as I faced the most severe ankle injury I ever had. I could barely walk when filming began for a project with my main sponsor, Birdhouse Skateboards (Tony Hawk’s brand). It was our first full-length skate video in over a decade. (Watch the completed skate video part featuring Eric Andre here.)
Needing to recover as quickly as possible, my physical therapist emphasized the importance of the tennis ball stretch. I took my injury seriously and still struggled with consistency.
On our first filming trip, I brought a tennis ball and some gadgets, and they remained in my bag unused for the entire trip. Realizing I was failing to follow my doctor’s advice, I began searching for an easier solution online. I was both surprised and disappointed when I found zero options available. However, this is what inspired me to create my own solution– a therapy tool too easy for me to ignore.
5. With AVOS Therapy, you’ve offered a unique solution to a common problem among athletes. Could you walk us through the development process from 3D modeling and printing molds to achieving the finished product we see today?
When creating AVOS, I first experimented with makeshift solutions to achieve the benefits of the tennis ball stretch while focusing on the main component I needed—ease of use. My first prototype was simply a slide with a hole carved out to fit a tennis ball. It was a good solution until I nearly rolled my ankle wearing it.
Next, I delved into 3D modeling and began printing simple molds to create a half-ball shape to place on the footbed of a slide. This worked great for me, so I began sharing it with my skateboarder friends for feedback. My friends thought it was amazing, though the amount of pressure didn’t work for everyone, particularly those with flat feet.
This led me to create an adjustable prototype with multiple height options that would suit anyone. This customization system also gave me enough functionality to submit a patent application.
With a realistic prototype in hand, I partnered with my good friend and AVOS co-founder, Jorge Hidalgo, who has a background in manufacturing.
Having a good idea is one thing, but producing a final product is a whole different story. We had to find a material that retained rigidity, allowed softness, and stood up to the rigorous abuse that shoes are meant to withstand. This led to custom material formulation, testing, and production, during the height of the COVID shutdown. It didn’t always go smoothly.
We gathered feedback to improve materials, redesign molds, and enhance the product for durability and comfort. It took a lot of testing, tinkering, and adjusting to create the high-value slide we produce today. I am very pleased to have released a product that benefits so many people like me. Mission accomplished.
Today, I am excited for our future releases. With more offerings and insert variations in development, our goal remains the same: to provide proactive therapy solutions for people to pursue their passions and feel better with every step.
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