The founder of the Z-Coil footwear technology n Al Gallegos n now 77 years old, was a marathon runner in his hey day.

He was training for the Senior Olympics in Montreal when he turned 39 years old, and trained too hard. A muscle in his calf popped one day, he said. It sounded like a firecracker.

He still ran. Five times at least he ran between Espanola and Santa Fe to work. He ran in long races and 10-kilometer races. He was left with eight children when his wife died, and he thinks she came to him after she died with the idea of inserting a spring into shoes. Along with that, his brothers were talking about running shoes one day n comparing one to the other.

“I could make a better shoe than that!” Gallegos told his brother that day, though he said he was not really serious about such a thing. “It was a lie!”

But, every time Gallegos would go for his long runs at night, his brother’s voice would haunt him. One late night as he ran down St. Francis Drive in Santa Fe, he was “just flying” and the idea of running on springs in his shoes came into his head.

This was the point where he felt his wife was guiding him, perhaps.

“How I thought of a spring,” Gallegos said. “I have no idea.”

Gallegos had been selling shoes in his department stores for years, but he had no idea about foot structure other than how his feet felt, and what they seemed to need.

He found spring manufacturers at the library and contacted them. Soon he had a box of 300 springs sent to him.

As he was trying to cut open his running shoes to insert the spring in the heel, it was difficult. But, he remembered, there was a butcher’s shop next door. The butcher would have a saw, he decided. But, had to wait for 12 hours while the butcher cut up his meat order before cutting open his running shoes.

From that point, Z-Coil shoes were born.

According to their information, “Z-Coil footwear is engineered specifically to relieve foot, leg, and back pain. Its patented, shock-absorbing design greatly reduces impact to the body and distributes pressure more evenly across the foot than conventional shoes do. And less impact means less pain.”

The shoe is also has a modular design meaning that if the heel pad wears out it can be replaced without replacing the whole shoe.

Other features includes a conical steel coil reduces the impact each time the heel strikes, a flex line and rocker bottom provides a natural rolling motion at the ball of the foot, and a rigid Z-Orthodict cradles the foot so that mid-foot pain is not a concern or developing heel spurs.

Z-Coil also says that deep cushioning at the front of the shoe protects the metatarsal bones of the foot.

Of course, the proof of footwear is in the fit, and Z-Coil says each shoe is selected for each client, so his or her needs are addressed.

This manufacturer says that heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, metatarsal pain, lower back pain and sciatica, as well as arthritis and wearing these shoes can alleviate other common joint pains.

“It’s a crazy looking shoe,” says Terrie Antal, corporate retail manager. Antel says that after people put on the shoe and walk in them they become believers.

It is true that Z-Coil advertises, but “their best advertising is word of mouth,” Antal admits.