The Story of Skinners
They are not shoes or socks. Skinners unique sock shoes have gained popularity in more than 100 countries, serving hundreds of thousands of customers. But have you ever wondered where the idea to produce such a unique combination came from? Come with us in the footsteps of the Skinners' beginnings.
When Petr Procházka, still a law student, decided to spend his summer vacation working part-time in Norway, he had no idea how this escapade would shake his life once and for all.
This Nordic country boasts almost unbelievable natural beauty, and it would be a shame not to use your free time to explore it. However, Petr did not go on the summer trip alone. He was accompanied by a friend who, as it turned out, was suffering from a leg ailment.
Walking in ordinary shoes caused him great pain. They were too tight for him and put a lot of pressure on him with every step he took. To finally relieve himself, he simply threw away his shoes and started walking around Kristiansand in only socks.
This unfortunate situation gave Peter the idea of how to give his friend enough freedom and at the same time give him at least partial protection from the terrain. So he rushed to the sewing kit that his mother had prudently packed for him on the trip. He sewed a makeshift sole to the bottom of the sock. And the first revolutionary sock shoe model was born.
After arriving back in the Czech Republic, excited by such a simple but effective invention, Petr decided to take the idea further.
He fully immersed himself in the development of the revolutionary Skinners shoes, and now people in more than a hundred countries can enjoy his discovery. It must be added that Petr did not return to study law.
Sock shoes have become a community affair
Nature, technology, activity, quality and functionality have always been the main pillars of Skinners. However, the idea of freedom is equally strong. Freedom of movement without restrictions, as well as independence from external investors.
In order for the company Skinners and the production of unique sock boots to grow, the founders Petr and Míša turned to a community of like-minded people who faced the same problems in their daily lives.
In order to finance the development and production of Skinersek, they launched campaigns on crowdfunding platforms such as Hithit, Kickstarter and Indiegogo, thanks to which funds can be collected directly from end customers. It has always been the direct help of supporters that has helped Skinners shape the path they are on.
After the first successful series of campaigns and fundraising, the Skinners team again threw themselves fully into the development of the new generation of Skinners Comfort 2.0 sock shoes, this time with a wider toe for even more comfort with every step and a removable insole to improve moisture drainage.
The campaign again proved successful. It gave Skinners the opportunity to step up even further and focus on other products.
The next step forward: Skinners own collection of barefoot shoes
Own experience with the natural way of walking in unique sock shoes influenced the thinking of the Skinners company, and it decided to strive for greater use of a healthy way of movement.
The Skinners team has become part of the world that supports the so-called barefoot footwear, which allows our body to move in the way that was given to it by nature.
This type of footwear has gained attention and interest all over the world over the years. However, some models unfortunately encounter the aspect that they are not quite aesthetic. At Skinners, we set out to change that. We have come up with our own model of Skinners barefoot shoes, which retain all the characteristics of barefoot shoes while remaining elegant and stylish.
We have reached many milestones in presenting this idea to the community through the Czech crowdfunding platform Hithit. The campaign ended up as the second most successful crowdfunding project in the entire Czech Republic, collecting more than 7.5 million Czech crowns.
Such incredible support keeps the Skinners focused on their work even more, which means more projects are on the way. Therefore, we are already looking forward to where this journey will take us next.