Dephy Expands Sidekick’s Personal Bionic Footwear Line to Assist in Powered Walking
Dephy has broadened consumer access to its Sidekick footwear line, the world's first ankle-powered consumer wearable.
Relying on the concept of powered walking and exoskeleton technology, Dephy's expansion now includes a second sneaker option designed for standard-wide feet that could benefit consumers whose feet have widened over time due to the natural effects of aging. Dephy's original shoe and the new silhouette are both available for purchase, and each sneaker option is designed specifically for the different foot shapes.
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Dephy chief executive officer and cofounder Luke Mooney said many who live with conditions that impact everyday walking are making trade-offs that include shorter walks, fewer outings and more time calculating whether they can get through the day on their feet. "The Sidekick gives them back the freedom to stop calculating," he said.
The original shoe is built for users with medium-to-narrow feet with firmer EVA cushioning and higher arch support. In contrast, the new wider shoe is built using both a different last and foam. Indeed, the new style uses a softer Pebax supercriticial foam on a wider last that has less arch support and a lace-loop entry designed for easier on and off. Both are engineered around a carbon plate that transfers powered force from the Sidekick ankle device through the foot to the ground. The Sidekick's designed to deliver adaptive assistance at push-off, when the foot begins to move at the start of walking. The device works with the body's natural gait to extend the range for walking and reduce the effort that's required. The new option extends available sizing from a women's size 4 through a men's size 16.
The concept and technology is based on Dephy co-founder Hugh Herr's biomechanics research at MIT, which establishes the ankle as the most consequential joint for human walking. The calf — one of the earliest muscle group to decline as people age — and Achilles tendon generate over half the energy needed to move about 100 milliseconds of push-off. And the Sidekick is designed to learn the user's gait within the first 20 strikes to deliver real-time assistance during push-off that match's the body's existing movement pattern.
The Sidekick shoe, Dephy's sneaker, is designed by a footwear veteran from Reebok, using a composite carbon ground reaction plate running the full length of the foot. The powered ankle system clips directly onto the heel of the shoe through a quick-attach interface. The carbon plate is designed to support the full weight of the Sidekick unit during movement. Dephy voluntarily sought third-party certification validation that the Sidekick is safe to use via the international safety standard for personal care boots.
Dephy said it plans to continue expansion of its footwear line to grow the range of foot options to bring the Sidekick to more people who require assistance. Purchase of the consumer wellness product — it costs $4,500.00 and is HSA/FSA eligible — includes the Dephy sneaker, a pair of ankle-powered Sidekicks, rechargeable batteries and fit support from Dephy's customer experience team.
Even though there are walking shoes made for walking, walkers are still gravitating to sneakers as their shoe of choice.
Beth Goldstein, Circana's industry advisor for footwear and accessories, told Footwear News last December that as consumers seek a healthier lifestyle, they're also "choosing everyday comfort even for shoes to just walk around and running shoes fit that bill." And this past May, when Salomon footwear's parent Amer Sports posted first quarter earnings results, Amer's chief financial officer Andrew Page told FN that the sneaker brand is set to gain from the outdoor "tailwind," particularly as it builds loyal communities of wellness-obsessed consumers. He explained that even those who aren't Salomon's core athlete are still gravitating toward sneakers because of some level of perceived comfort or quality.
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