The stepz® Story: "Because my father knew it could be done better."
Dr. Petra Gilbert, MD, Orthopaedic specialist, foot expert, and co-developer of the stepz® pressure-relief insoles.
Dr. Petra Gilbert, MD (54) in her orthopaedic practice in Munich. On the wall: a photo of her father, Hans Gilbert, the orthopaedist who started it all.
For 40 years, my father, Hans Gilbert, treated patients with plantar fasciitis at his practice in Munich. Thousands of feet. Thousands of insoles. And always the same conclusion: What the market offers isn't enough.
Soft cushioning that gives way after a few weeks. Rigid off-the-shelf insoles that ignore the arch. Cortisone injections that numb the pain but change nothing. My father was looking for a solution that actively supports the foot with every step, not one that just passively cushions it.
When he retired in 2019, I found an unfinished prototype in his workshop. Beside it: sketches, calculations, material notes. All handwritten. He had been working on it for years without telling anyone.
Hans Gilbert passed away in 2021. What he had started, I brought to market readiness together with a team of biomechanics experts and foot specialists. 30 materials. 12 versions. 14 months of development. The result: the stepz® pressure-relief insoles.
What We Believe In
Biomechanics Before Comfort
We don't develop soft cushions. We develop targeted pressure distribution, tuned to the load zones involved in plantar fasciitis and heel pain.
Thought Through Clinically, Not at a Desk
stepz® is based on 40 years of hands-on orthopaedic experience. Every design decision follows a clear functional principle.
Honest, Not Overhyped
We don't promise a miracle cure. We promise targeted relief exactly where it's needed, refined across many stages of development.
Quality inspection: Every stepz® insole is checked individually before shipping.
Our logistics centre: Hundreds of orders are shipped from here every day.
Every stepz® insole is inspected several times before it leaves our facility. From material selection to the final quality check, we work to the standard my father set for every insole that left his practice.
Dr. Gilbert during quality control, every insole is checked personally.
"Every time we hear that stepz® is there for people in their everyday lives, I think of my father. He would have been delighted to see his prototype worn by thousands of people today."
— Dr. Petra Gilbert, MD
