Skinners were first founded by the company CEO Petr Prochazka, who during his law studies at university was working as a cook, when a friend of his suffered an injury that left him unable to wear traditional footwear.
The thought came to him that there was not any footwear currently available that combined the comfort and universality of a sock, with the basic protection of a shoe. That same night, with the help of his mother’s sewing kit, the first skinners prototype was born.
What followed was an appeal to crowd funding sources Indiegogo and Kickstarter- both of which massively beat the expected targets, reaching $650,000 from a target of only $10,000.
After two years of production skinners were available to the public in 2016 and are marketed as being ultraportable while also being a barefoot footwear. Like minimalist shoes Skinners are designed to allow a natural barefoot walk and gait, while the sock shoes also provide protection and are suitable for a range of outdoor activities and water sports. As well as being a convenience for use in the gym or public transportation.
From its recent beginnings Skinners are now an established minimalist footwear choice and are sold all across Europe and Asia, and continue to go from strength to strength.
"Petr Prochazka"