About Pain Free Footwear
kybun – The Swiss Air-Cushion Shoe
kybun shoes are particularly well-suited for anyone who are constantly on the go. This newcomer to the world of shoes features unique walk-on-air soles. The soft air cushion supports joints and releases tension in the back and neck. kybun shoes provide comfortable shock absorption and are incredibly comfortable, even after hours of wear.
There’s nothing comfier!
The kybun shoe creates an unprecedented level of comfort as you walk and is unlike any other shoe. The kybun shoe allows you to experience the same level of comfort that you feel when using the kyBounder.
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Foot sensor technology
The sole of the kybun is the world’s first sole that allows feet to feel every detail of the floor. The soles of your feet will be gently stimulated with every step. This incredible innovation really comes into its own when you walk on gravel or cobblestones.
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Walk-on-air sole
The kybun shoe makes you feel like you are walking on a soft, springy air cushion. You will feel as light as a feather – a unique feel-good experience. The thrill you will feel from your very first step will only increase with time.
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Foot climate system
The honeycomb air structure of kybun soles creates an air cushion between your foot and the ground, pumping a fifth of the air volume into your foot area with every step. This creates an extremely comfortable shoe climate.
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Benefits and effects
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Relieves the strain on joints and relaxes back muscles
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Strengthens your foot, leg and core muscles
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Increases calorie expenditure
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Activates the leg vein pump
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The soles of your feet are stimulated by 'touching' the ground
Karl Müller, entrepreneur and inventor behind kybun
Karl Müller was born in 1952 in Roggwil, a municipality in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. After studying mechanical engineering at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich, in 1979 he moved to South Korea. At first he studied on a scholarship at Seoul National University but, seven months after he had begun, the Korean President Park was killed and the university closed due to months of mass demonstrations.
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Entrepreneurial Spark
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After this incident, in 1980, Karl was left looking for a job in Korea. He found a gap in the market and founded his first company, which imported Swiss specialties for hotels. Over the next years he set up 12 companies in Korea, opening restaurants, selling textile machines and becoming the first trader to import skis into Korea. Every field he touched turned to gold.
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Ups and Downs
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Karl paid a high price for his success, suffering a burnout. To get back to good health, in 1990 he sold all his companies and returned to Switzerland, by Lake Constance. He bought a farm and spent ten years living a self-sufficient life, using the time to establish a private, non-profit residential rehab center. After three years, however, his cash flow dried up and Karl started working as a travelling trader at weekly markets.
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Start of MBT
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In Korea, Karl discovered the positive characteristics of a clay soil. As the water gradually drained away on the fields, the ground was soft and supple, making it very pleasant to stand and walk upon. The idea behind MBT came to him, as a gift from Heaven; he did research and developed the concept, acting as his own test subject.
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In 1997 Karl brought the MBT shoe onto the market, revolutionizing the shoe industry with its ‘rolling sole’. This rolling shoe has proved its value as a means of therapy and is today copied by more than 100 shoe producers round the world.
kybun – the new generation (from MBT to kybun)
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Karl Müller continued to research into even better ways to imitate the pleasant feeling from the rice paddy. The soft, supple sole he developed was to have been the next MBT generation. However, as his minority partners preferred to remain with the round sole, in 2006 they parted company on good terms. The result of this development was a new brand, the kybun. In 2007, Karl founded kybun AG and started developing the kybun and other accompanying products.
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kybun Exercise Concept
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The kybun is part of the kybun exercise concept, which also includes the kyBounder (the soft, supple, springy mat) and the kyTrainer (the soft treadmill).
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According to the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, Karl Müller is one of the most innovative entrepreneurs in Switzerland, and has written design history.
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Social Commitment
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The family’s KM Foundation is an important part of Karl Müller’s social commitment. The organization was founded on the basis of the Christian philosophy of helping those in need, and helps disadvantaged people throughout the world.
