Kizik is one of Utah’s fastest-growing companies. Choosing to enter the extremely competitive shoe market didn’t intimidate Mike Pratt, an experienced investor. Pratt’s challenge to his team of engineers was to invent a “hands-free” shoe — no tying required. His team nailed the tech, and they carefully patented their unique design.
Monty Deere came on the Utah Stories podcast to explain the explosive growth the company has undergone in the past three years.
Deere explains that Kizik was founded by Pratt, who previously founded the Ogio Bag Company. Pratt recognized the hassle of tying shoes and saw an opportunity to create hands-free shoes. He assembled a team to develop innovative shoe technology and obtained numerous patents to protect his inventions.
Foundation of Kizik
Kizik’s journey from a startup to a successful shoe brand didn’t go without disruption. Initially, Kizik licensed its technology to Nike and other footwear companies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their licensing plans, leading them to shift their focus to building their brand. They revamped their product line, created video content to demonstrate the functionality of their shoes, and pivoted to online sales. This strategy proved successful, and Kizik experienced significant sales and customer satisfaction growth.
“Sure. One way to think of this is that you’ve been wearing shoes your whole life. What was the last major innovation related to shoes? I don’t know; Velcro and Nike have come up with some cool things, like the Air Flyknit, but I mean a functional difference in how shoes work. It’s been a while, maybe centuries,” Deere said.
Success with a Startup
Deere discusses the importance of vision, product-market fit, and storytelling for inventors and startups. He emphasizes the need to understand the problem that a product solves, even if customers need to be made aware of the problem themselves. By effectively communicating the vision and demonstrating the product’s value, inventors can generate interest and gain traction in the market.
“What happens within a customer’s or consumer’s life is she puts those shoes by the door, and she’s got a handful of groceries and a handful of kids and steps into those shoes without touching them in less than a second? It becomes more addictive than you think,” Deere said.
The episode concludes with Deere discussing Kizik’s plans, including expanding their retail presence and innovating in the lifestyle shoe market. He also mentions their collaboration with industry experts from Hoka, another successful shoe brand, to learn from their experiences and further enhance Kizik’s growth.
This episode provides insights into Kizik’s origin, hands-free shoe technology, the journey from licensing to building its brand, and future aspirations as a footwear company.
