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Sizes (Unisex): 5-13
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THE RINGSTAR® STORY
from the Ringstar® Website
As a world-class kickboxer, Steve Shepherd often lamented the inadequacies of the then available martial arts protective equipment. Commiserating with fellow competitors and MA training partners and , more specifically, listening to their complaints about footpads -- No soles and the tendency to slip, obvious hygiene issues and pads CONSTANTLY TWISTING ON FEET WHEN KICKING -- Shepherd knew there had to be a better way.
It was in the mid-90's that the concept of Ringstar® was first conceived. Incorporating up-to-date technology and an ability to "think outside the box" Shepherd became obsessed with the design and development of a shoe that would limit the incidence of training injuries, most notably broken toes and battered in-steps.
Though he had never been involved in equipment design or development, Steve's decades of experience in all phases of martial arts prompted his passionate pursuit of the Ringstar® Advantage line of products. Working from a "clean sheet", he enlisted a local cobbler to convert his concepts from paper to actual shoes. Over the next several years, MA enthusiasts and gyms as well as elite competitors served as Rinstar®'s laboratory and development technicians.
Based on feedback and suggestive input regarding each developmental version of Ringstar® shoes, Ringstar® evolved in terms of...padding placement and density, sole composition, flexibility, weight of shoe and even the appearance there-of.
For the last seven years, Steve has taken the Ringstar® show on the road. Driving at first to local gyms and schools (selling literally out of his trunk) and then to tournaments and events, the awareness and acceptance of Ringstar® continued to grow. In 2002, a 10 round fight in Atlantic City, between Don "the Dragon" Wilson and Eddie Butcher marked the first-ever sanctioning by a governing body (IKSA) of a martial arts shoe.
