We’ve all been victim to at least a few traumatic “slip and fall” mishaps. Whether we were walking on an icy sidewalk, down a staircase in the rain, or running by a pool with a “No Running!” sign, we’re not alone.
“We’re making golf shoes for our next product, which means there will be no difference between regular walking shoes and the golf shoes,”
According to Rhea Footwear co-founder Paul Ahn, this kind of accident is the leading cause of injury, with someone slipping and falling every eight seconds. Within the US, he said, two million hospital visits and 20,000 fatalities result each year.
Fortunately for our egos and our health, Rhea has recognized just how preventable these slips and falls are. The company applies an advanced form of anti-slip technology to flip-flops and other street shoes.
“I went to boarding school in Massachusetts,” Ahn told BostInno. “There was horrible weather, and then I went to college in upstate New York for four years, but I was always from the Boston area so I know how horrible the weather gets there. It was my concern.”
With men’s and women’s sandals, boots and slip-on flats, Rhea offers a fully patented outsole with a .6 friction coefficient, the highest in the industry. The NEVERSLIP outsole is made from an exclusive rubber compound capable of enduring extreme conditions, while the tread pattern on the bottom of the sole pushes liquid away to provide more sole-to-surface contact. Also, their boots feature water resistant material to both reduce watermarks and keep your feet dry.
The company will soon add spike-less golf shoes to its growing list of products. “We launched our flip flops and it’s doing fantastic, but it actually grips better than spikes on grass. So we’re making golf shoes for our next product, which means there will be no difference between regular walking shoes and the golf shoes,” Ahn said.
Beyond safety and comfort elements, style is also prioritized. Many shoes are offered in various colors or styles. They offer perhaps a more attractive alternative for critics of traditional footwear worn in rain, snow, and other sketchy conditions.
Rhea Footwear launched its first Kickstarter campaign last year and raised over $30,000 in three days. In May, the company successfully finished its second Kickstarter campaign with 343 backers pledging $27,626, and all orders were delivered by the end of June. As of July 19, Rhea will be working with larger distribution channels like Zulily.com.
Ahn looks forward to this transition, adding, “What we are trying to do is have a stable e-commerce business through our website, but we are trying to get into big retail so people can see our product. There are millions of brands that are out there and only very few get to be in retail that has exposure. We’re lucky that we got into a couple of them right now.”
Images via Paul Ahn.
