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Local Voices

Innovative Shoe Company in a NY State of Mind

More than 850,000 ankle sprains occur annually and basketball players are put in ankle injury prone situations with a 93% chance of enduring an ankle injury before discovering the Ektio shoe. New York-based shoe company, Ektio is changing the game for athletes across the nation with their revolutionary ankle support technology, which is designed to provide the highest level of ankle support unrivaled by traditional footwear.

The Ektio name comes from the Greek words, "Ektor" and "Alexio," meaning "Protect" and "Defend." Ektio is the brainchild of basketball-player-turned-orthopedic-radiologist Dr. Barry Katz.  After obtaining patents and prototypes, Katz joined forces with former NBA All-Stars, John Starks and Rick Barry to spread the word about the Ektio technology.

Former NY Knick and NBA All Star, John Starks, missed 40 games during his career due to ankle sprains.  Starks believes that, "Ektio is the shoe that will set the standard that every shoe today and in the future will be measured by."

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The Ektio shoe exposes the weakness and deficiency of every other shoe on the market. When you wear regular basketball shoes, your foot and the shoe act as separate entities causing for a high degree of inversion, typically 60 to 70 degrees. This separation allows for movement inside the shoe that leads to stretching of the ligaments resulting in a sprain. In contrast, the Ektio shoe decreases the degree of inversion to 20 degrees with their built-in straps and side padding allowing the foot and shoe to act as one.

“There is no other shoe available with patented technology that has proven to be so successful in reducing the chance of spraining your ankle, said Rick Barry,” Hall of Famer and Warriors All-Star.  “I missed far too many games in my career with sprained ankles.  If I were playing today, I'd be wearing the Ektio basketball shoe."

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In addition to providing unrivaled protection, the Ektio shoe helps players achieve increased balance, one of the most important aspects of consistent outside shooting. Players that remain balanced and stable during jump shots will be more consistent than players that find themselves off-balance on a frequent basis. 42% of players who have made the switch to Ektio basketball indicated an increase in shooting efficiency since making the switch. 

Others involved in the evolution of Ektio include orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Thomas Nordstrom and podiatric surgeon Dr. Steven Dribbon.  Pro-athlete shoe designer Omar Bailey, who has designed footwear for companies, such as New Balance and Adidas, created the look.  David Cox, who has done work for Nike and was the head of Asian Development for K-Swiss oversees manufacturing. With revolutionary technology and a dedicated team of professionals, Ektio is helping to curb the most common injury on the court.

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