If necessity is the mother of invention, then Ryn Sneakers is testament to the desire of one man to turn his joint problem into a fitness solution that could literally make the world a gym and a better, pain free place for people around the world. In 1989, a seemingly incurable knee problem dating back to childhood forced Ho Hyung Lee to leave his steady job at a sneaker factory in Pusan, Korea for an emergency operation. The desire to recover and get back to work prompted him to rethink and re-engineer the athletic shoe to be healing as well as functional.
Twenty years later, company founder Lee is not only pain free and in great shape, but under the RYN Sneakers banner, he has brought the concept to America, Europe and the rest of Asia in the past year. The expanded collection, which also includes sandals and office-friendly walking shoes for men and women, was introduced to celebrities attending Anita Talbert and Doris Bergman’s Pre-Oscar bash at La Boheme. Given that stars like Melanie Griffith, Hector Elizondo and Tia Carrere make fitness a big part of their lives, it is no surprise they found Lee’s unique curved sole appealing. Not only do the shoes provide better joint support, but also enable the wearer to make their workouts more effective and burn more calories.
Ki Tae Kim, the CEO of RYN Korea on hand to help the company’s U.S. reps with try-ons and demonstrations, explained the company's ultimate goal was to “bring about a healthy society and create a new culture of walking, based on years of research, development and clinical trials on weight gain prevention, muscle strengthening and posture correction.” And by the way, it doesn’t hurt that the shoes happen to look cool.
While RYN shoes will soon be making their way into athletic supply and shoe stores, one lucky reader will get the opportunity to walk their way to better health.
