Sqairz golf shoes Founder/CEO Bob Winskowicz often uses the phrase “changing the game’’ when talking about the square-toed shoes that have become among the more popular in the golf shoe market. That’s one game. Now Winskowicz is working on changing the baseball and pickleball shoe markets. This past October, Sqairz branched into baseball shoes and now has gone into pickleball.
That’s changing three games that each require the balance, stability, and speed that Winskowicz says Sqairz delivers.
Of the top, pickleball might seem the most curious, but here’s a couple reasons it makes perfect sense. One, pickleball is reputed to be the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., particularly at country clubs and among the 50-plus set. Two, pickleball injuries, which are more common than you might think, include foot injuries such as heel bruising and Achilles tendonitis.
“The game (pickleball) is played more on the forefoot,’’ Winskowicz says. “The less movement, the better. You just want to move side to side and play on your forefoot, but that encourages ‘rollover’ left to right and right to left. Either way, the foot goes out and in.
“With our shoe, the wider base prevents rollover. And the rounded toe actually counters rolling one way to the other. That’s kind of what we see in baseball, too.’’
Winskowicz worked with the Louisville Slugger Hitting and Science Center to help design a baseball shoe that would not only be more stable than a traditional baseball shoe, but help with balance to increase ball velocity off the bat in the same manner he says Sqairz golf shoes help golfers increase distance.
For example, Winskowicz cites 12-month Independent testing and data collection of more than 1,200 baseball players at all skill levels that show “significant’’ improvements in hitting, running, and pitching. More than 20 Major League Baseball players, according Winskowicz, have committed to wearing Sqairz.
Photo: Sqairz GFP baseball turf shoe (Sqairz)