The Story of the 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 for such a unique combination came from? Come with us and follow the footsteps of 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 up his life once and for all.

This Nordic country boasts almost unbelievable natural beauty, and it would be a shame not to use free time to explore it. Petr did not set off on the summer trip alone, though. 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 and put a lot of pressure on him with every step. To finally get some relief, he simply threw his shoes away and started walking around Kristiansand in socks only.

This unfortunate situation gave Petr the idea of how to give his friend enough freedom while also offering at least partial protection from the terrain. He reached for the sewing kit that his mother had thoughtfully packed for the trip and sewed a makeshift sole onto the bottom of a sock. The first model of the revolutionary sock shoe was born.

After returning to the Czech Republic, excited by such a simple yet effective invention, Petr decided to take the idea further.

He fully immersed himself in developing the revolutionary Skinners footwear, and today people in more than a hundred countries can enjoy his discovery. It should be added that Petr never returned to studying law.

Sock shoes became a community affair

Nature, technology, activity, quality and functionality have always been the main pillars of Skinners. The idea of freedom is just as strong, though: freedom of movement without limits, as well as independence from external investors.

For the Skinners company and the production of unique sock shoes to grow, founders Petr and Míša turned to a community of like-minded people who faced the same problems in their daily lives.

To finance the development and production of Skinners, they launched campaigns on crowdfunding platforms such as Hithit, Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which allow funds to be collected directly from end customers. It has always been the direct support of backers that has helped Skinners shape the path it is on.

After the first successful series of campaigns and fundraising, the Skinners team threw themselves back into developing the new generation of Skinners Comfort 2.0 sock shoes, this time with a wider toe box for even more comfort with every step and a removable insole that improves moisture drainage.

The campaign proved successful once again. It gave Skinners the opportunity to push even further and focus on other products.

The next step forward: Skinners' own collection of barefoot shoes

Their own experience of walking naturally in unique sock shoes shaped the thinking at Skinners, and the company decided to strive for wider use of a healthy way of moving.

The Skinners team became part of the world that supports so-called barefoot footwear, which allows our bodies to move the way nature intended.

Over the years, this type of footwear has attracted attention and interest all over the world. Unfortunately, some models run into the problem that they are not particularly aesthetic. At Skinners, we set out to change that. We came up with our own model of Skinners barefoot shoes, which keep all the properties of barefoot footwear while remaining elegant and stylish.

We 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, raising more than 7.5 million crowns.

Such incredible support keeps Skinners even more focused on their work, which means more projects are on the way. That's why we're already looking forward to see where this journey takes us next.