You are born with perfect feet; we want to keep them that way.
Today’s athletes have no other option than to buy shoes that weren’t made for their body. From kids, to elite level athletes; everyone is looking for something that feels like it was made for them. Code Footwear will be the first athletic company to truly give you the unfair advantage of a custom fit, handmade pair of shoes (or cleats) engineered for your specific needs. There is not a manufacturer in the world that will focus on the health of each individual’s athletic potential like we will.
All sports which require shoes in need of specific traction under foot; soccer, baseball, football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, tennis, etc. are made by big companies that mass produce 1-size-fits-all shapes that weren’t made for you. Other factors that contribute to declining foot health: over-cushioned, heel elevation, too stiff & too narrow.
We should never adjust our body to the shoes that we buy. We get weakened feet, worse balance, and deformed toes the longer we put forces against shoes that don’t properly fit & function for us. This leads to more pain and suffering for our ankles, knees, hips and back when these areas take up more load forces than they were intended to.
In order for your body to compete at high levels, your base foundation needs to be strong. Weak feet are not an option. We encourage everyone to go barefoot as much as possible. When your toes are back to their natural alignment, and your foot begins to use those tiny intrinsic muscles again, they will strengthen in line with the rest of your body. We want your feet to work naturally and efficiently to distribute the pressure of landing and launching-actions not mimicked when cushioned and stabilized by a traditional shoe.
The co-founders of CODE have experienced firsthand the effects of big brand footwear. This led to many non-contact injuries, sidelining us for years from the joy of competition and limiting our athletic potential. And it’s not just us. Many athletes are destroying their health at alarming rates with big name athletic brands. The rise of non-contact injuries along with an epidemic of hip and knee replacement projections over the coming years is no coincidence.
OUR GOAL is to help athletes strengthen their feet over time. We want everyone to be able to play longer; More joy, less pain. There’s a lack of footwear/health education out there for parents, athletes, coaches and trainers. They need to understand the effects of wearing mass produced shoes and we hope to be a reliable source of truth from our time and experiences.
When it comes to athletics, we are marketed to fit in with our peers and wear Nike, Adidas, etc. so we can look and feel like our favorite athletes on TV. Unfortunately your favorite athlete probably has unhealthy feet because of the shoes that they’ve worn for so long! Our footwear knowledge with all types of athletes has shown time and again that they deserve a better option than what is available on the market.
Co founders Chad & Oliver have personally invested in solving this issue with over 25 years combined experience.
When Oliver was only 15, he needed multiple knee surgeries to continue to play soccer at a high level. The pain did not subside as he had hoped. He later discovered that slicing his soccer cleat plate created more flexibilty under foot which translated to less knee pain! His passion for 3D technology began 10 years ago and was fueled by an idea that he could make a custom fit soccer cleat; Putting his feet back in charge and relying less on his big brand cleats to do the work.
Chad began a career in footwear at San Jose State University’s Industrial Design program after 2 years of playing college basketball. His passion for athletic shoes and desire to do it better began over 20 years ago with an internship with Dr. Ray McClanahan at his NW Foot & Ankle Podiatry clinic in Portland, Oregon. While there, Chad learned firsthand the major impact of footwear on athletes. He later worked with 4 other athletic shoe companies from Portland to Munich before being recruited to design at Nike’s world campus for Jordan brand. He later got invited to work within Nike’s footwear innovation team. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to help elite level athletes get the sensation of custom made footwear. Sadly, this was not a path they invested in.
in 2016, Chad left Nike with a feeling that someday he’d meet people who also cared about foot health and shoes. in 2021, Chad met Oliver. Our shared passion for healthy athletic footwear was undeniable and we have spent the last 2 years working together to refine our proceess to work for all types of athletes.
The real design work has already taken place. The foot is an incredible design. It knows how to propel itself through landing and take-off. It knows how to cushion blows. It knows what to do. We wanted to create footwear that would put the foot back in charge and with CODE footwear, you’ll understand.