Kizik’s next big step is a slip-on running shoe

When it was founded in 2017, the shoe brand Kizik was on a mission to bring hands-free shoe technology into the mainstream. It’s now taking two big steps to further that goal.The company is today announcing both a major licensing deal with New Balance and a new shoe, the $149.95 Kizik Freedom Run, which debuts on April 17. Together, the moves represent an expansion of its existing licensing agreements strategy and of its tech into the performance category for the first time. [Photo: Kizik] At its core, Kizik’s tech has always focused on the experience of putting on a shoe in the first place—the company designs slip-on models that cut lace-tying out of the equation through a variety of patented hands-free footwear mechanics. These designs are accessible to those who have trouble tying their shoes, including children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. But the brand has broad ambitions. “We think of the problem this way: Our shoes are for everyone, but they are life-changing