In the mid 1980s Al Gallegos was running an average of 7 miles per day. As a result, he developed all the normal injuries associated with running: heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and back pain. Al, who owned a shoe store at that time, had access to any type of running shoe available, yet none of them helped in any way to reduce his pains.

Al realized that his injuries were caused by the impact of hitting the ground while running. He believed that by putting a "shock absorber" in the heel of his shoe, he could reduce the impact and therefore the pain. Additionally, he figured a coil would provide some form of energy return, that would allow him to run faster and farther.

He tried various types of springs before finding the one that worked best, a three inch wide conical coil steel spring that when totally compressed was about a quarter of an inch high. He had the local butcher cut the soles of his shoes so the springs could be glued in. Over the next few years, he began to think seriously of manufacturing his shoes when friends began to ask for springs in their shoes because they were suffering the same ailments. He realized that if the spring shoes helped him and a few friends, maybe they would help a lot of people. In anticipation of future manufacturing, Mr. Gallegos patented his design and opened his new business, called Z-Tech Inc., with his son Andres Gallegos.

Excited about their design, Al and Andres started looking for manufacturers to bring their idea to life. Time after time they were turned away. Shoe industry experts told them it was impossible to make a shoe with such a design. Some just laughed at the idea. Marketing experts told them that their idea would never take off. Not discouraged but more determined, Al and Andres continued to pursue their dream.

Opportunity knocked in the form of Mr. Yong Oh Lee from Pusan, South Korea. Mr. Lee, a shoe manufacturer, was looking for new clients. Through an advertisement in a local paper he offered to construct a shoe of any design for $50. Needless to say, he was a little surprised by Al's concept. The first prototypes that came from Korea looked exactly like a shoe with a spring stuck in the heel. While the prototypes looked like a good start, they did not function the way Al had envisioned.

In 1997 a functional design for a running shoe was developed. Mr. Gallegos and his son placed an order for 2,000 pair. The shoe functioned perfectly well for impact reduction, but due to a defect rate of 20% it was not the success they had hoped for. The metal used to fabricate the coils was not of a strong enough quality to withstand the impact it was meant to absorb. Interestingly, this problem did not temper customers' enthusiasm. Although they had paid $120 for their shoes, customers would come back requesting that the shoes be repaired, not refunded. It was a testimonial to the effectiveness of the pain relief being provided. It also guided the company in a new direction away from mere running shoes to developing pain relief footwear™…

Since 1997 a lot has changed at the company. Mr. Lee has given up his other clients and now works exclusively for Z-CoiL. The company name was changed to better identify with the product. The focus on pain relief has led to many improvements and modifications to the design of the footwear. The company is growing exponentially with every order from Korea larger than the previous one. New authorized resellers are signing up at a rate of ten per month. Thanks to the increasingly widespread availability, thousands of people are finding pain relief in the form of a pair of Z-CoiLs.

Mr. Gallegos at the age of 72 still goes out once in a while for a two-mile jog. He still works at the company where he serves as CEO & visionary. Andres Gallegos functions as Vice President and Chief Operations Officer and two other of Mr. Gallegos' eight children work for the company.