THE SPARK OF AN IDEA

OrthoLite started in 1997 when our founder Glenn Barrett, a lifelong footwear entrepreneur, had identified a need that had long been overlooked in the footwear industry combined with a timely flash of inspiration. Glenn knew the interior environment of the shoe had not been addressed and while on a sourcing trip to Taiwan, he was introduced to an innovative new open-cell PU foam that was the ideal technology to solve the problems occurring inside the shoe. Seeing its remarkable characteristics, he realized it would make the perfect insole solution—outperforming other materials in every measurable way. He got to work and formulated his first batch of prototypes—making a better insole that was more comfortable, but one that also provided a cooler, drier, and healthier interior environment of the shoe that was also easier on the planet by using 5% recycled outsole rubber waste material in the mix. Glenn created a new category over 20 years ago, and today OrthoLite is widely recognized as the world leader in branded comfort technologies.