The Untold Story of XERO SHOES with CEO Steven Sashen

The Untold Story of XERO SHOES with CEO Steven Sashen | Inside the Sole Ep 2

Рет қаралды 15,522

Күн бұрын

MY TRAINING SHOE SITE: thatfitfriend.com/
SHOP XERO SHOES: xeroshoes.com/go/thatfitfriend/
In this episode of "Inside the Sole", I had the opportunity to sit down with Xero Shoes' Co-Founder and CEO Steven Sashen.
We talking everything Xero Shoes including how the company was founded and the importance of understanding the biomechanics of footwear. If you're a shoe nerd or love barefoot shoes, then I think you'll really enjoy this interview and episode of Inside the Sole.
Below, I've timestamped all the big points that is discussed in the interview with Xero Shoes Co-Founder and CEO Steven Sashen.
0:00 Steven Sashen Intro
0:32 When was Xero Shoes founded?
0:57 What sparked Xero Shoes momentum?
2:53 Evolution of Xero Shoes and Footwear
3:55 The Consistency of Xero Shoes
5:31 Xero Shoes "Aha" Moment
7:48 Xero Shoes Shark Tank "Experience"
15:48 Evolution of Minimalist Shoes
18:25 Barefoot Shoe Resistance
21:49 Social Media and Shoe Narratives
23:35 Steven's Thoughts On Weightlifting Shoes
27:23 Why Biomechanics Are Always Important to Consider
28:00 Xero Shoes Weightlifting Shoe?
30:15 How Expensive Starting a Shoe Company Is
31:15 Future Plans for Xero Shoes
As someone who is getting more and more into barefoot shoes and exploring deeper into footwear, this video was an absolute blast to film and create.
I think it's important as a shoe reviewer to continue to learn more about the trade and art of creating shoes to help paint the bigger picture when I'm testing models.
If you enjoyed this interview, let me know in the comments below. I have a few more ideas in-store for Inside the Sole over the next few months.
And a major thank you to Xero Shoes and Steven Sashen for putting up with me for a couple of hours!
#xeroshoes #barefootshoes #minimalistshoes
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Disclaimer: If you use the link above to purchase any shoes from Xero Shoes, then I may receive a small commission on the sale. Commissions made through shoe content help me to produce more content and purchase models for reviews!

Пікірлер: 77

@Bryan-ig2zp 2 жыл бұрын

I have about 6 pairs of Xeros. They're a game changer. Don't forget if you're running in these you CAN NOT heel strike. It took me about 8 months to change and build my muscles and form to a forefoot/midfoot strike and now I'm faster, healthier and a stronger runner then I've ever been at 32.

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

I’m in the process now and it’s been so cool watching the progress/shifts! 💪

@justthinking2241 Жыл бұрын

Same here! 4 pairs 😄

@TheDonovanFisher Жыл бұрын

I've got 3 pairs of Xeros and my wife has 3 or 4. My running transition actually only took me 2 runs, though I had to concentrate on my form for about a month until it became natural. Total game changer!

@slavasss2189 8 ай бұрын

U run on asphalt or on solter surfaces?

@theanomaly3038 2 жыл бұрын

I tried running in barefoot shoes : - It felt good - i run faster - no splint splints and knee pain - My calves and ankle definitely feel sturdier and stronger That's fact, doesn't matter what "expert" said

@krakatoasundra 2 жыл бұрын

It’s great to see you’re really getting more into the barefoot or natural movement. Your last few series about minimal shoes are great. They bring awareness on why we need to develop our feet by allowing them to move naturally which is completely the opposite of a maximal shoe like HOKA 1 1 which have super fat midsoles.

@krakatoasundra 2 жыл бұрын

Great interview. I remember when Nike popularized the barefoot shoes by create shoe that wasn’t minimal. it had a high stack and high heel drop. before that, I remember in the mid 80’s where a sock company called Thorlo put out an ad where there was this guy who ran a marathon in these socks and no shoes. It made wonder is it really possible to no wear shoes at all.

@childcrone Жыл бұрын

Enjoyed for sure. I've been curious about the founders and the company. Thank you Jake, and Steven, and all involved in this!

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking out! Haha, just lil ole’ me bothering Steven for an interview because we’re both Colorado based!

@roweshowtactical 2 жыл бұрын

That is a great interview. Tons of great information from Steve as well as yourself.

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I appreciate you checking it out and leaving some feedback!

@hunterreed9049 2 жыл бұрын

I really loved the Shark Tank insight. This was fun to watch!

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, man! 💪

@Tmacademia Жыл бұрын

I can't get into all the hippie stuff but I am extremely intrigued by this minimalist shoe lifestyle thing. It makes logical sense and I need a long term solution to my foot problems that doesn't involve band aid fixes

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Yeah, the barefoot shoe industry likes to take a polarizing stance at times, IMO. I take a stance that integrates them in with other footwear based on contextual preferences and have written/filmed other videos discussing this!

@TechOutAdam Жыл бұрын

I knew Jake looked familiar and remember he had a video talking about moving to Denver for the first time lol Dude! So great to see you making it happen in the fitness space. Maybe one day we'll run into each other. I'll be buying my first pair of Xero Shoes today.

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Oh man…throwback! Thank you so much and that’s awesome. Let me know how you like them!

@picashlio3361 Жыл бұрын

There was a summer when I was about 14 maybe 15 where I wore the souls out on a pair of water shoes because they were so comfortable. The next summer I was given a pair of oversized men's Adidas shoes (we were poor and I needed new shoes) that were wide width. They were also so comfortable because I could move my toes. As I got older and started working I started buying my own clothes and I found I could never find a shoe that didn't pull my arch. They could be soft as a cloud and by the end of the day I couldn't walk for the pain. As an adult I finally bought another pair of water shoes and I've never went back to bulky padded wedge heeled shoes since. I went full cotton minimalist for the most part. Wide toe box, thin sole, zero drop, the works. I do still wear thin insoles but that's simply because I work standing on concrete floors. The insole is removable so I take it out when I'm just out and about. I can't name how many times I would have injured myself had I not had good ground feel. I've found it easier to catch yourself when you're about to stumble if you have minimalist barefoot shoes that also let you spread your toes. My knees and back no longer hurt and my plantar facitus has disappeared. It's a transition that needs to be made slowly but in the end barefoot shoes are 100% worth the dollar. Xero Prios are some of the best in my opinion but you could be like me and try water shoes first if you're not sure about the commitment yet. Mind you though the water shoe will wear out quickly where the Xero shoes won't.

@andrewf9322 2 жыл бұрын

For heel elevation when squatting (if you need it), try squat wedges. It's what I do, Xero HFS with some Hardwill wedges. Confortably lift 180 Kg.

@dmarr4941 6 ай бұрын

I'm so late to watching this interview, but it was excellent. I've been doing more research into these kinds of shoes more for the toe space, but now I'm really interested.

@thatfitfriend 6 ай бұрын

It’s fun to explore for sure. Great tools to implement slowly

@krakatoasundra 2 жыл бұрын

It’s nice New Balance Minimus was mentioned. I think when the New Balance Minimus first came out, it was quite minimal but after Vibram got sued for the Five Finger for their claims (similar to the claims Xero are making), the New Balance Minimus as well as other minimal shoes became less minimal. I think this lawsuit really hurt the whole barefoot movement and mislead people into thinking that minimal shoes are bad for the feet.

@PaulVoorberg 2 жыл бұрын

What claims did five fingers make that got them sued? And who sued them? Just curious what happened. The minimus were great.

@jimjamthebananaman1 Жыл бұрын

@@PaulVoorberg my favourite shoes ever

@PaulVoorberg 2 жыл бұрын

Great interview jack. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to your Xero shoes lineup comparison, eventough I already have the hfs and prio just this week. Will you lineup/review any more of their shoes?

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

I plan to! Do you have any models outside of the Prio + HFS you're super interested in seeing?

@PaulVoorberg 2 жыл бұрын

@@thatfitfriend Yeah during non-covid times in live in the Philippines next to the beach. For that I'm interested to know how the Aqua X Sport compares to the HFS in terms of fit since I love the feel of the HFS and if I can have both that fit and a shoe that can multi purpose well for beach life that'd be great.

@JK-tz6kk Жыл бұрын

I'm in a Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) grad school as an Eastern Medicine Student and work closely with DC students. I recently injured my Vastus Lat., causing inflammation/ pain involving my knee, while running with conventional running shoes. All or most of the DC Clinicians and interns at our clinic always respond with 😱 when I mention "Zero drop." I just purchased the HFS while watching this. Like Eastern Medicine, which has 4K years of R and D, the "9K years" remark sold me. Thanks, Steven and Jake. 🙂

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Awesome, lmk how you like them!

@JK-tz6kk Жыл бұрын

@@thatfitfriend Will do, Sir! Sub'd

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

@@JK-tz6kk thank you so much 🤝

@tx2jbh81 Жыл бұрын

Drummer here w/ a pair of these coming in THIS WEEK!!!! Can’t WAIT to try ‘em 🙌🏼

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! Lmk how you like them 💪

@PDadPoursPlays 2 жыл бұрын

Just ordered a pair of the new Xero 360's - looking forward to your video on them. Cheers!

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

Dope! Mine should be arriving soon, hopefully 💪 Keep me posted on how you like yours!

@PDadPoursPlays 2 жыл бұрын

@@thatfitfriend Will do, my man! Actually, it was your review on the Prio's that had me look at Xero. When I logged in to buy them last night, there were the 360's, haha. Keep up the great work, brother!

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

@@PDadPoursPlays ah sick! Hopefully they serve you well! Thank you and I appreciate you for rocking with me 💪

@Justin-Hill-1987 Жыл бұрын

My first barefoot shoes were Splay (TM) Freestyle shoes...

@relevant_nebula Жыл бұрын

Disappointed in availability of range and sizes for UK customers. I found Prio. But can't get 360 or Kelso. Also can't find hiking boot I want in my size (UK 6). EU not shipping to UK. USA tell you to contact UK. UK tell you they are not part of the Xero Shoe company!! Ridiculous situation. Vivobarefoot and Merrel dominate UK for barefoot shoes and they are overpriced and I didn't even find they fitted my feet. Xero Prio which I bought after watching Jake's review fits perfectly so I want to get some other models. Please can you tell Mr Steven to expand range and availability in the UK? It is very important to offer these amazing shoes to all people. I understand production is expensive but you could even increase the price and people would buy. Other option is make to order options.

@nickc259 Жыл бұрын

Love the video! Just a quick note from a professional, don't put the audio recording device on a table. We hear all those bumps when the table gets hit!

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Thank you! This was before I had dual lav mics :$

@cryptomando 2 жыл бұрын

Great video

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I’m stoked you enjoyed it 💪

@relevant_nebula Жыл бұрын

Chuck Taylors are NOT good for lifting, yet almost everyone in the weights area at most gyms wear them. So did I for 3 years. I just recently switched to Prio. I had bought a new pair of Chuck Taylors and for some reason the toe box on the new pair absolutely killed my toes by the end of the session and I went online and started researching barefoot shoes. Bought Prio and will never go back to Converse. But I am very disappointed I can't get the full range of Xero Shoes in the UK. I understand it's a growing co. but please make the necessary investments to serve customers all over the world. I do not like any other barefoot shoes except Xero shoes but can't buy them in the UK.

@Demon09-_- Жыл бұрын

now we just need a xero wide option. I like their sandals and diy sandals, but their toe boxes are more on the narrow side. maybe in do time it will eventully come

@Demon09-_- Жыл бұрын

tbh He does mention it so I some what take my comment back as I understand as a smaller shoe brand having another lask and mold to make for their shoes is expensive. But hey I would not complain if xero had a wide and normal width shoe. my toes splay wider then what the xero hfs have space for but I still almost wore a hole in a pair for my feet to get to that point.and I do love their sandals the DIY is super low entry cost and they have some great other models

@CosmicawarenessCitizen Жыл бұрын

That is weird I heard that the Xero toe box are usually wider than vivo ones could you confirm that ?

@relevant_nebula Жыл бұрын

Why is he saying his customer service is good? I have been sent around in circles several times. USA Xero shoes via twitter says contact UK. UK Xero Shoes says they are not part of the company. I asked can they stock Kelso and 360 they said no. Why? EU doesn't ship to UK. So it's a load of crap. Amazing shoe and I can't even buy them in the UK. Every other American shoe brand is available in the UK.

@slavasss2189 Жыл бұрын

And where is ep1?

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

GORUCK epi on my channel!

@aloha1683 2 жыл бұрын

Anybody compares zero shoes to vivobarefoot for lifting?

@thatfitfriend 2 жыл бұрын

I’m freaking trying to, but Vivo has been sold out forever! I literally have reminders set for when they get a restock so I can review a few Vivo models 😬 That being said, hopefully, I’ll have more barefoot shoe content up on the channel soon!

@josefs1234a 2 жыл бұрын

I have bought vivo trail shoes. There awesome. The primus. Look good. I have The prio there great for running. And lifting. Squats. Deadlifts

@CosmicawarenessCitizen Жыл бұрын

I get it they are a growing company they don't want to take super risky moves that might cost them more than what it returns to them so yeah at the end of the day most companies is more about money than to accommodate to people's wishes but why not just do one pair of shoes with a wider toe box than normal barefoot shoes and then if people really buy them do the other models anyway money is always the answer in this world unfortunately.

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Preaching to the choir. I say this about so many companies and models…like Nike, for example, you can’t make a wide toe box shoe/barefoot shoe? Adidas, you can’t make a wider weightlifting shoe?

@CosmicawarenessCitizen Жыл бұрын

@@thatfitfriend Except they made conventional shoes or modern shoes not like the Xero company which makes the barefoot ones or at least for people that want to have a better feet health I believe so , that is why I said that. Specifically I said just one model but coming back to my conclusion is all about money in the end .

@chris12oman 9 ай бұрын

i mean....lets not be stupid. There is broken glass all over cities. ❤😂

@thatfitfriend 9 ай бұрын

And needles depending on the city you’re in 😂😂

@user-jl2wd1it8h Жыл бұрын

I'm also long hair guy who corrects people during interviews. I have autism and find it hard to hold jobs.

@Oli-Ravioli Ай бұрын

To Xero : offer all your models in a WIDER design. They are great for transition (and even after transition) but they still are are tad too tight.

@thatfitfriend Ай бұрын

I see a lot of folks trending towards this these days. Think it has to do with more folks wearing BF shoes!

@belden007 Жыл бұрын

Im a little sad they are made in China though...

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

That’s most shoes these days, sadly. Hard pressed to find companies still making models in the US for affordable prices 🫠

@kingarthur8932 Жыл бұрын

Uk market is here just open the floodgates .

@chtomlin 7 ай бұрын

Your shoes are to the shoe industry what good healthy eating is to the drug industry... they can't ruin their industry to do the right thing

@mattscott4382 Жыл бұрын

The woman in the photo on the wall is overstriding, isn't she?

@thatfitfriend Жыл бұрын

Haha, good eye! IMO, Not necessarily and it's really tough to tell something like that from a photo. If you screenshot my runs, for example, I always look like I'm overstriding because of my lanky legs, LOL. Also, we could discuss how "overstriding" is individual and its impact on running performance can be highly individual!

@tombstone7577 9 ай бұрын

Sounds great but I bought some Xeros from you recently, cost a couple hundred and I waited an extra week as they were delayed for some reason and then when they arrived the quality was the worst I’ve ever had in any shoe.. ever! You need to check your manufacturing because I received what appeared to be a hand stitched repaired shoe. THEN when Barefoot co put me onto you to show you the photos you pretended to help and just didn’t. THANKS for ignoring your customer and sending me shonky shoes -won’t be buying Xero ever again !

@FuccThaPolice 9 ай бұрын

I'm white I complain about everything

@thatfitfriend 9 ай бұрын

LOL, do not get this started on my video pls.