When it was founded in 2017, the shoe brand Kizik was on a mission to bring hands-free shoe technology into the mainstream. It\u2019s now taking two big steps to further that goal.<\/p>\n
The company is today announcing both a major partnership with New Balance and a new shoe, the $149.95 Kizik Freedom Run, which debuts on April 17. Together, the moves represent an expansion of its existing licensing agreements strategy and of its tech into the performance category for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
At its core, Kizik\u2019s tech has always focused on the experience of putting on a shoe in the first place\u2014the company designs slip-on models that cut lace-tying out of the equation through a variety of patented hands-free footwear mechanics. These designs are accessible to those who have trouble tying their shoes, including children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. <\/p>\n
But the brand has broad ambitions. \u201cWe think of the problem this way: Our shoes are for everyone, but they are life-changing for some,\u201d then-CEO Monte Deere explained to Fast Company<\/em> in 2023. Entering the running space meant the company had to adapt its designs for higher intensity use cases, but it also expands its reach.<\/p>\n Kizik can build brand association with its own technology, and jockey for market share among slip-on running shoes that are already on the market: Its ongoing collaborator, Nike, launched a pair in 2021, On manufactures a line of athletic shoes with kick-down heels, and Skechers has a whole series of shoes in its \u201cSlip-Ins\u201d category.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Freedom Run is Kizik\u2019s latest demonstration of its design prowess. <\/p>\n The brand\u2019s in-house team, HandsFree Lab, manages more than 200 issued and pending patents related to hands-free footwear mechanics, from extra-pliable tongues to shoes that open with a squeeze and multiple different heel configurations that allow wearers to simply slide their foot into the shoe.<\/p>\n As its first foray into performance, Kizik\u2019s design team decided to start with a mid-market running shoe that would be accessible for most athletes. The Freedom Run isn\u2019t an elite game-day shoe, but rather a reliable training shoe that\u2019s built to last.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit,w_1024\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/03\/06-91514726-kizik-nb-partnership.jpg\")
How Kizik designed its first-ever slip-on running shoe<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit,w_1024\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/03\/02-91514726-kizik-nb-partnership.jpg\")