KICK STARTERS

A serial inventor, a first-time CEO, and alumni of some of the biggest sneaker brands in the world are ready to grow Kizik into the next billion-dollar shoe company.

- JENNIFER CONRAD

It's not easy to put a shoe on a toddler. You need to hit the heel at just the right angle, and with a quick flip of the wrist, jam in a little foot. Mike Pratt, the founder of the slip-on sneaker brand Kizik, is showing me a prototype of a toddler shoe that could avoid this delicate dance.

The sneaker is shaped like a green monster, and when you squeeze the sides of the sole, the mouth opens like a clamshell, creating a generous space for a tiny, squirming foot to slide in.

A serial entrepreneur and inventor, Pratt, 63, spends a lot of time thinking about how to make life easier. About 15 years ago, he got the idea there had to be a better way to put on sneakers-one that didn't require bending over and tying laces. A slip-on sneaker could help people with disabilities or injuries, kids who haven't yet learned to tie their shoes, and anyone in a rush. Pratt was then running the athletic bag maker Ogio, which he co-founded in 1987 and which claimed the No. 473 spot on the 2002 Inc. 5000.

After selling Ogio to Callaway Golf for $75.5 million, Pratt turned his attention to a hands-free shoe concept he'd spent years prototyping and developing "I went from working at a really nice office to working in my basement," Pratt says. "But it was fun. Kind of like starting over again."

The first Kiziks, released in 2017, were leather sneakers with a remarkable innovation hiding in the heel: a titanium arc wrapped around the back of the shoe and attached to the sole on each side, and when a wearer stepped in, the arc compressed and bounced back into place, securely hugging the foot.

Pratt thought the shoes would sell mostly to men, and the earliest pairs might appeal to a tech bro. But a lot of early buyers turned out to be women, and with athleisure becoming everyday wear, Kizik began producing more sporty and colorful styles to appeal to a wider audience.