SQAIRZ continues to be one of the more innovative brands in the golf and sports shoe industries. The biomechanically driven performance footwear company’s latest initiative is SQAIRZ Medical, which extends its expertise in stability and human movement into one of the most significant health challenges facing an aging population: fall risk and the loss of mobility, vitality and independence that can follow.
Studies show that one in four U.S. adults over age 65 falls at least once every year. For adults over 80, the risk increases to one in two. Fall-related injuries account for more than $80 billion in annual U.S. healthcare spending, while also diminishing an individual’s ability to fully engage in the relationships and experiences that define quality of life.
At the center of the new SQAIRZ division is SENTRX purpose-built Balance and Stability footwear engineered from the ground up by SQAIRZ – based in Windham, N.H. – to help create a more stable foundation for everyday movement. In addition, SQAIRZ Medical has developed a holistic clinical framework designed to provide a critical continuum of support.
That framework integrates a Balance & Stability Protocol that connects objective fall-risk assessment, SQAIRZ’s biomechanically engineered footwear, individualized clinical intervention, and ongoing outcomes tracking into a single approach that optimizes support at every stage of the balance and stability journey.
“SQAIRZ Medical has been in the works for the past couple of years,’’ company founder and president Robert Winskowicz told me. “We were founded (in 2019) on the principle that if I can improve your balance and stability, you can hit the ball farther and straighter. We evolved that into baseball and then, as we got into pickleball, we found that a lot of people were getting hurt.’’
When asked to do some testing at a pickleball event, Winskowicz said SQAIRZ put approximately 200 people through its Balance & Stability Program by using Kinetisense Risk of Fall and Gait Assessment technology to perform a rapid 3D movement assessment that evaluates walking speed, stride pattern, body sway, compensatory movement and an individual’s fall-risk percentage.
“I can have you walk towards me from 10 feet and the software discerns your risk of fall,” Winskowicz said. “It’s something that podiatrists and orthopedics choose to assess your balance and stability – to see if you need any kind of additional brace or whatever it might be.’’
When tested on pickleball players, Winskowicz said, SQAIRZ found that their balance improved an average of nine percent over any other shoe.
“We reduced people’s risk of fall accidents by nine percent, and in some cases, it was upwards of 20 percent.’’
While a few other shoe brands use thick midsoles that might feel and look comfortable, Winskowicz said, “they were so squishy and high that they were providing a high degree of instability.’’
“So we took all of the results and decided to go into the medical space.’’
Knowing that people over 65 years of age are at the highest risk of falling, Winskowicz received two “L’’ codes (one for men and one for women) from Medicare. Basically, Medicare “L’’ code is a standardized billing code used to identify and process claims for orthotic and prosthetic procedures, devices, and supplies.
“We are the first shoe company ever to get those two “L’ codes,’’ Winskowicz said, “In our senior population, why shouldn’t we do it? It solves a big problem.’’
The development of SQAIRZ Medical is supported by a multidisciplinary Medical Advisory Board spanning orthopedics, podiatry, physical therapy, biomechanics, sports medicine and movement science.
The advisory group includes physicians, surgeons, podiatrists, physical therapists, researchers and biomechanics experts with experience across leading medical institutions, professional sports and clinical practice. Their role extends beyond product endorsement, helping inform clinical protocols, research priorities, provider education and the continued development of evidence-based approaches to balance and stability.
“In podiatry and sports medicine, we see every day how much the relationship between the foot and the ground influences balance, confidence and movement,” said Dr. Paul Klutts, DPM, MS, FACFAS, Director of Fellowship for Kentucky and Indiana Foot and Ankle. “What is compelling about SQAIRZ Medical is that it approaches stability as a system: measure risk, create a stronger foundation at the foot and connect that intervention to ongoing clinical care. SENTRX is designed to make that foundation part of everyday life.”
Indeed. The overriding goal of SQAIRZ Medical, Winskowicz said, is to help people continue living better by identifying risk earlier, provide meaningful intervention and help people maintain the movement, confidence and independence that make a full life possible.
“People don’t wake up wanting a stability shoe. They want to keep doing the things they love. They want another walk with their spouse, another vacation, another birthday, another afternoon with their grandchildren. They want to remain active, vital and independent for as long as possible,” Winskowicz said. “That is what we mean by SQAIRZ FOR LIFE. From helping an athlete perform to helping someone maintain their movement and independence as they age, we want SQAIRZ to be The Foundation of Human Movement throughout every stage of life.”
Photo Courtesy of SQAIRZ