Georg Alzner, the inventor of the Alznner® arch support, was a master orthopedic shoe designer. Born in Romania, Mr. Alzner began his training as a therapist in 1936 and graduated in 1942 as an orthopedist and physiotherapist. He went to West Germany to continue his studies and in 1948 he received his master’s degree as an orthopedic foot specialist. Shortly after this, he immigrated to Canada to continue development of the arch support.
Alzner worked for many years on the design and testing of his new arch supports, much of that work done slowly and carefully by hand, since few mechanical or computational tools were available to him. His goal was a functional device that would not merely placate or accommodate the improperly functioning foot, but completely realign the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
In 1965, he felt he had achieved his goal and applied to the Canadian patent office for a patent on the arch support, which he knew was unique because it provided support for all four arches of the foot, offered ventilation for the plantar (bottom) surface of the foot, and created a beneficial massaging action during walking. The Canadian government awarded Mr. Alzner his patent in 1969. This was the first patent ever issued for this type of product. Over the next several decades, the product proved itself again and again by helping millions of people. It continues to do so today.
Don Airey was a Presbyterian minister and counselor who suffered from debilitating leg and back pain.
Only a few years before his planned retirement in his late fifties, he had a chance encounter with a tradeshow salesman marketing a rather curious looking device from Canada to doctors and therapists here in the states.
With a healthy skepticism but an open mind, Don bought his first pair of Alznner® arch supports. Over time, his leg and back pain diminished and his confidence and belief in the product grew.
In 1980, now retired from the ministry, he once again encountered a distributor marketing this amazing product at a tradeshow in Florida.
As he thought about what the Alznner® arch supports could do for the thousands of people he came to know over the years, he found himself seriously considering a new career as a distributor of the product.
At a time when most people would be planning a relaxing retirement, Don contacted the Canadian manufacturer of the product and secured a dealership on the spot. Within five years, he had acquired the sole distribution rights for the product in the United States.
Over the next five years, Don worked tirelessly to bring the Alznner® arch supports to every corner of the country, sometimes in rather creative ways such as his mobile delivery vehicle shown at left.
Also during this time, Don acquired an extremely loyal of following of distributors who began introducing the product at trade, medical and dental shows from coast to coast. He eventually expanded the operation to kiosks and later, stand alone specialty stores.
As the demand Don created for the Alznner® supports increased, the manufacturer increasingly fell behind on deliveries, often leaving him in very difficult situations, which threatened to undermine his credibility with his customers and distributors alike. After several frustrating months which threatened to undo the work of the last five years, Don decided he would try to buy the manufacturer and all rights to the Alznner® arch support.
After more than a year of difficult negotiations, an agreement was reached, and in 1987, at nearly seventy years old, Don became the proud manufacturer of the Alznner® arch support.
In the years before his retirement in 1995, Don was joined at the company by his children and eventually their children, to become the family owned company that it is today. The fourth generation is in the works. Here’s hoping they like feet!
Don was proof that amazing things can happen when a remarkable product meets a truly passionate individual who believes in it.
To quote Don himself…
"I suffered with feet, leg and back trouble for years... spent a small fortune and got no real help. A friend told me about the Alznner® [supports]. I thought he was crazy; that anything like that would really help... but he persisted and I got them. They didn't save my life, but they sure saved my living."
We hope you’ll find the same joy and relief with the Alznner® arch supports that Don Airey did.