Eighty-five percent of Americans have a problem with foot odor. If you are one of them, you likely have your own horror story of a time your smelly secret got out. I challenge you to top this one! I went to my new boss’s house for a New Year’s Eve party. I don’t know if she’s a germaphobe or lived in Japan for a time; maybe it was because of the pure white carpeting. Whatever the reason, shoes are not allowed beyond the vestibule. Initially, I was okay with it—my toenails were all primped and painted. And then . . . . Neither I, my hosts nor the other guests were prepared for the odor coming from my shoes. I tried to pretend like it wasn’t coming from my shoes, but, you know, that never fools anyone. I was both mortified and grateful when I saw my boss slip my shoes onto the porch.
I vowed that would never happen again and tried every solution that I could find. I tried insoles that I never managed to trim correctly and that were very uncomfortable, but, more to the point, they were useless in getting rid of the odor. I sprayed. I powdered. I put newspaper, coffee grounds and kitty litter into my shoes. For gosh sake, I even kept my shoes in the freezer! When the boss sent out invitations to her Valentine’s Day party, I panicked. But not for long, because I finally discovered Zorpads Odor Eliminating Shoe Inserts.
Sierra Smith and Taylor Weigele cofounded Zorpads. With a BS in Science Pre-Professional from Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Sierra worked hands-on in every aspect of business, including finance, marketing and scaling a start-up. Taylor has a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His expertise and his personal mission involves solving ordinary problems. He has worked at Target, Clorox and Aerospace developing merchandising strategies and redesigning packaging.
When the two teamed up to solve the problem of foot odor, they meticulously researched and experimented with adhesives, linings, materials, and manufacturing methods until they came up with Zorpads, the perfect solution—a shoe insert that is discreet and comfortable.
The pads are the size of business cards, so fit easily into any shoe type or size, and so ultrathin that you won’t know they are there. The secret to the effectiveness of the pads are the three layers. The bottom layer is a proprietary adhesive that keeps the pad from slipping or bunching up. The middle layer is an odor-absorbing carbon. The third a moisture wicking liner. It’s hard to imagine but each little pad is capable of absorbing the odor from an area the size of a tennis court. Do some of your shoes seem too pungent to be salvaged? Not so. Insert the pads and the odor will be cleared away in a matter of seconds.
The patent-pending, made-in-the-USA Zorpads last for around 60 wearings. Shoes subject to more friction (e.g., tennis shoes, hiking shoes, soccer cleats) may need the pads replaced sooner than that. You’ll know to replace them when you see the pads wearing down or when you notice a bit of odor. No worries when you do need to replace them. They peel off easily without leaving adhesive behind and without damaging the insole of your shoe.
Zorpads are not just for shoes. Toss a pad into a gym bag, hockey gloves or backpack. Keep odor-prone sports equipment in the trunk of your car? Keep a Zorpad there also. Stick on the inside of the trashcan lid. Slip under the kitty litter or into the dog bed. The possibilities are limitless, and Sierra and Taylor think of Zorpads as a work in progress, as they find new and improved ways to use the pads.
