Snibbs was born out of necessity from years of all-day standing and trying nearly every single ‘comfort’ or ‘work’ shoe on the market…
In 2015, Chef Daniel Shemtob noticed a significant problem in his field of work: his shoes kept falling apart, and he would be in pain after being on his feet for long periods.
Fed up after buying and destroying many shoes in his kitchen, Daniel felt there had to be better footwear for the workplace… Upon realizing there is not, Daniel knew he had to take it on his own to create a solution to ease his pain and the pain of so many others that are also on their feet all day.
Soon after, Daniel reached out to now partners Dr. Jason Snibbe, MD and Haik Zadoyan, and the Snibbs Shoe brand was born…
Snibbs are Casual Shoes for Comfort, Chores, and Errands:
- Chores — Never get dirty with dirt, water, and, grime easily washes off with water.
- Errands — OrthoLite® insert makes running around town feel like walking on clouds.
- Workouts — Energy return midsole adds bounce to your step to with any activity.
- Travelling — Breathable textiles allow feet to breathe in hot months or long flights.
Snibbs are Work Shoes for Safety and All-Day Standing or Walking:
- Chefs/Bartenders — Waterproof materials resist liquid/stains even if do not notice spills.
- Doctors/Nurses — Alternative to fitness shoes/clogs adding standing/walking comfort.
- Production/Events — Adjustable design transitions from stand to walk over long periods.
- Servers/Hostess — Slip resistance grip on wet or oily floors to keep you safe on your feet.
Snibbs are a universal shoe for on-the-clock or off-the-clock work, designed for use by anyone who is on their feet for long periods.
Snibbs have incredible first step-in feel thanks to Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe’s work to create a best-in-class shoe with features that keep you comfortable for hours:
- Ortholite Insole — Prevents fatigue and pain over long periods of time.
- Robust Midsole — First used by Adidas in 2013 due to “energy return” traits.
- Adjustable Sides — Bespoke standing or moving fit by loosening/tightening.
- Deep Cushion Heel — Aligns feet and limits excessive side-to-side movements.
- Wider Toe Box — Reduces discomfort in toes and balls of feet while in motion.
Whether you’re standing in place or in motion, Snibbs integrates standard work shoe requirements along a wishlist of features that us hospitality or service industry need:
- Water-Resistant — Dual-purpose waterproof material is breathable and easy to clean.
- Slip Resistant — Passed certification to grip wet floors with water, oil, and grease.
- Achilles Notch — Reduces pressure so shoe does not dig into Achilles tendon.
- Rear Pull Tab — Avoids heel cup damage from repeated stepping when shoe’s tight.
Minimalist and unisex, Snibbs was not only designed as a work shoe but also with features for everyday life that compliment its hospitality industry origins:
- Easy Slip-On — Eliminates tongue folding, moving, and creating discomfort internally.
- Minimalist Design — Unisex shoe that can be worn as a go to sneaker for work/play.
- Versatile Usage — It’s not just for all-day standers, but you’ll be thankful it was at first.
Collaboratively designed by an Orthopedic Surgeon and a lifelong Restaurateur working on his feet all day, Snibbs are engineered with a versatile set of pain prevention and comforting features.
When deciding on what shoe to purchase, the insole is critical to the comfort and support of a shoe and are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and characteristics.
After extensive tests on countless brands and different combinations of materials, Snibbs partnered with OrthoLite®, one of the world’s leading eco-friendly insole manufacturers over the past 20 years to provide Snibbs a unique double molded multilayer design.
This mixture of layers provides both a fantastic first step-in feeling and a supportive foundation which help your Snibbs to prevent fatigue and pain over long periods.
When designing the midsole of a shoe, there’s a variety of shapes, materials, and variations of each to be considered that are critical and each yielding unique characteristics.
Through our 35+ revisions of Snibbs, we ultimately decided that while Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is lighter and softer, it breaks down too quick an easy and would result in once again buying a new pair of shoes each month.
Instead, we opted for a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) blend which is more expensive and robust, making your Snibbs midsole less likely to breakdown and eliminate the need to keep replacing them continually. Additionally, this TPU blend was first used by Adidas in 2013 because of its “energy return” characteristics were a shoe not only absorbed shock incredibly well but also returned that energy with every step like a spring.
If you look closely at Snibbs, you’ll see the expertly designed, ergonomic midsole shape that reduces strain and provides relief throughout your foot even if you are standing for hours.
When designing Snibbs, we knew it needed to be a slip-on shoe; however that limits the personal fit/feel customization of a shoe to each user.
In order to find a slip-on versus adjustability comprise, we developed a set of polyurethane “cages” affixed to both sides of Snibbs that can be loosed and tightened with a set of traditional laces to allow users a more bespoke fit.
If you are moving around a lot, you will likely want your Snibbs tighter while someone who is standing in place might want them loose.
The heel cup of a shoe is critical, as it is the area where your heel sits and is held which works to relieve pressure on tendons while absorbing shock.
We engineered Snibbs to feature a deeper heel cup than usual that is structured/shaped to efficiently secure your heel in place so it can help stabilize and align your feet with knee, hips, and ankles to ensure your foot and your shoe are always in unison.
By properly aligning your feet, Snibbs drastically limit excessive side-to-side movements (pronation) as you walk or run and help reduce pain in your feet and back.
The toe box of a shoe is the part which covers/protects your toes, and in many shoes on the market, it tends to get more and more narrow as it nears the end of your foot.
When we designed Snibbs, we opted to create a slightly more full toe box that allows more room for you to freely wiggle your toes but also helps to significantly reduce discomfort in the forefoot (balls of feet under toes) while in motion.
Collaboratively designed by a lifelong Restaurateur and service industry veteran, Snibbs is engineered must-have requirements and a wishlist of features only other all-day ‘standers’ understand.
Safety is essential when shopping for a reliable work shoe; one of the most critical features is often slip-resistance, especially in the hospitality industry.
Snibbs feature a specially engineered rubber outsole that passes the industry slip resistance standard (Brungraber Mark II Test) that measure/certifies footwear’s resistance and grip on wet floors coated with water, oil, grease, and more.
A work shoe must be water-resistant; however, most traditional shoes sacrifice the internal breathability due to reliance on the firm and robust materials to best water-proof.
When designing Snibbs, we create a unique multi-layered textile used in the upper of the shoe that has exceptional hydrophobic capabilities while also maintaining a soft, comfortable, and breathable experience for the user.
Even better, this hydrophobic material serves a dual-purpose and is also extremely easy to clean. Even if a stain remains on the surface of Snibbs for an extended period before you notice, it can quickly be removed with water and a soft cloth.
It was a must that we designed Snibbs to be a slip-on due to the increased chances that traditional shoes incur with tongue folding, moving, and creating discomfort internally.
With Snibbs increasing their ease of use with easy on/off while also not having to ever worry about them moving around and/or shifting while you’re on the go.
Many shoes which we’ve tested over the years in the service/hospitality business led to our pain or rubbing on the back of our ankles which is caused by support inside the shoe.
The key to avoiding this is to reduce pressure during plantar flexion or movement when you point your toes up or downward. To remedy these pain points, the rear of a Snibbs utilizes an ‘Achilles Cutout Notch’ which is directly above the heel cup in the rear of the shoe.
By designing this notch into Snibbs, we ensure that the uppermost edge of the quarter at the back of the shoe (heel collar) does not dig into the Achilles tendon, which can irritate it thereby creating discomfort and pain.
By looking behind the heel collar in the rear of the shoe, you’ll notice the small loop of material that is used to help you pull the shoe onto your foot.
We add this to Snibbs as it’s especially helpful and should be used when the shoes are tied tightly to avoid damaging the structured heel cup by stepping on the shoe repeatedly to remove from your feet.
Working with various developers and traveling to multiple conferences, the team explored all possible construction options to achieve the functions that were wanted.
The snibbs team wanted to build something truly special, something that could be called best-in-class. In all cases, the best performing and most comfortable materials were used, regardless of higher cost.
Why? Because the mission was the build the BEST work shoe, not just another one.
After multiple design revisions, Daniel and Haik traveled to China personally, where they visited their factories and material suppliers to ensure quality from the get-go. They also worked closely with Ortholite to develop the snibbs insole concurrently. After three years, 35+ revisions of the shoe and 15+ of the insole, the perfect work shoe was finally completed.
Approximate Weight
- Women’s size 7 shoe — 11.6 ounces per shoe
- Men’s size 8.5 shoe — 13.3 ounces per shoe
Materials
- Mark 2 tested Non Slip Rubber Outsole
- Water Resistant Multi Layered Textile Upper
- Custom Ortholite® Insole
- TPU-Blend Midsole
- TPU Side Cages
- Rugged Pull Tab
Sizing Guide
Snibbs are designed to fit True-To-Size (TTS)
You’ll be able to select your color and size at the end of the campaign when reward surveys are sent out.
We’ve obsessed over every detail of snibbs and have spent the last 4 years on making the best shoe ever!
We went through a ton of iterations before figuring out our final design. We looked at every possible sole, outer material, and eventually made our own custom Ortholite® insole. After multiple trips to China, we hope you love the result!
SOURCE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/snibbs/snibbs-a-better-shoe-for-all-day-wear
