Sole Supports
Sole Supports is a privately held medical-device manufacturer in Lyles, Tennessee, that designs and fabricates custom foot orthotics based on its proprietary MASS Posture Theory, selling exclusively through a network of podiatrists and chiropractors trained in its casting technology to serve athletes, military personnel, and everyday patients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersLyles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sole Supports does
Sole Supports, Inc. is a privately held medical-device manufacturer founded in 1992 by Dr. Edward S. Glaser, DPM, and headquartered in Lyles, Tennessee, where it operates its sole production lab. The company designs and fabricates custom foot orthotics based on Glaser's proprietary MASS (Maximal Arch Supination Stabilization) Posture Theory, which captures the foot in its ideal posture (rather than the industry-standard neutral position) and applies individually calibrated resistance to the wearer's body weight, foot flexibility, and activity velocity. The product portfolio spans the flagship custom-calibrated Sole Support, the mid-tier interchangeable SoleMates, the high-heel-focused The Copley, the pediatric Sole Kids line, the entry-level Sole Posture, and Custom Sandals (currently unavailable).
Sole Supports sells exclusively through a trained-provider channel — podiatrists and chiropractors certified in MASS Posture Casting Technology — and does not transact directly with patients. The company manufactures thousands of pairs of orthotics per year (well over a million cumulatively across 30+ years), and its products are used by elite athletes, U.S. Military personnel including Special Forces, and everyday patients with foot pain, plantar fasciitis, and postural collapse. The company's tech stack is purely biomechanical and manufacturing-based: engineering-grade custom casting and leaf-spring calibration, with HIPAA-compliant handling of patient health information including 3D foot models.
The revenue model is B2B hardware sales to authorized providers at undisclosed per-pair pricing set by the providers themselves. Sole Supports is bootstrapped and founder-controlled with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no public listing. Operating geographies are concentrated in the United States. The firm is the second-largest employer in Hickman County, Tennessee, reflecting its role as a stable, long-tenured specialty manufacturer in a rural community, while its marketing reach extends internationally through Dr. Glaser's 1,500+ conference lectureships and adoption of MASS Posture Theory in dozens of podiatry and chiropractic colleges.
Sole Supports firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sole Supports
- Legal name
- Sole Supports, Inc.
- Website
- https://solesupports.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sole Supports is a privately held medical-device manufacturer in Lyles, Tennessee, that designs and fabricates custom foot orthotics based on its proprietary MASS Posture Theory, selling exclusively through a network of podiatrists and chiropractors trained in its casting technology to serve athletes, military personnel, and everyday patients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sole Supports industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Orthotics / Foot Orthotic Devices
- NAICS
- Footwear Manufacturing (316210)
- SIC
- Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Orthotics & Bracing (AFO/KAFO, Spinal, Soft Goods Supports) (HLAHAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Orthotics & Bracing (Spinal/Lower/Upper Extremity Orthoses) (HLAHAEAI), Foot & Ankle (HLAKALAG)
Keywords
Where Sole Supports is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sole Supports business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Orthotics Sales: Sole Supports manufactures custom medical-grade foot orthotics and sells them through a network of trained healthcare providers. Healthcare providers order custom orthotics on behalf of patients after performing casting/assessments. The company makes thousands of pairs of orthotics per year.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Sole Supports product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sole Supports designs and manufactures medical-grade custom foot orthotics using its proprietary MASS (Maximal Arch Supination Stabilization) Posture Theory and casting technology developed by founder Dr. Edward S. Glaser. The flagship Sole Support orthotic is custom-molded to each patient's ideal posture and individually calibrated to their weight, flexibility, and velocity; the company also offers SoleMates, The Copley, Sole Kids, Custom Sandals, and Sole Posture variants. All custom products are dispensed exclusively through trained healthcare providers (podiatrists, chiropractors) who perform the casting and order through Sole Supports.
Product overview
Sole Supports is a medical-grade foot orthotics manufacturer offering custom orthotics based on the proprietary MASS (Maximal Arch Supination Stabilization) Posture Theory. The product portfolio includes the flagship Sole Support (calibrated, top-tier custom orthotic), SoleMates (mid-tier with adjustable Sole Supports Leafs), The Copley (high-heel orthotic), Sole Kids (children's prefabricated insoles), Custom Sandals (hand-made sandals with built-in orthotics, currently unavailable), and Sole Posture (entry-level prefabricated orthotics). All custom products are dispensed exclusively through trained healthcare providers who perform the custom casting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sole Support Custom-molded, custom-calibrated medical-grade foot orthotic that delivers the highest level of custom design. Each orthotic is cast in the patient's ideal posture and individually calibrated to deliver equal opposite resistance to the wearer's weight, flexibility, and activity level; designed for healthcare provider prescription and dispensing.
- SoleMates Mid-tier customized orthotic offering MASS Posture support in an uncalibrated format, with interchangeable Sole Supports Leafs that let users adjust resistance to postural collapse for different activities. Dispensed through trained providers as a more affordable alternative to the flagship Sole Support.
- The Copley Discreet custom orthotic for wearers who need postural support inside high-heel shoes. Uses the same MASS Posture Casting Technology as the flagship orthotics and is dispensed through trained providers.
- Sole Kids Affordable prefabricated insole designed for children, offering support for kids who will outgrow their orthotics; available in multiple sizes. Sold through trained healthcare providers.
- Custom Sandals Hand-made sandals that integrate the flagship custom orthotic into comfortable, lightweight footwear for outdoor use. Custom-manufactured for each patient; currently unavailable for order.
- Sole Posture Entry-level prefabricated orthotic providing postural support at an accessible price point, also offered with an optional topcover. Dispensed through trained providers.
Companies that use Sole Supports
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sole Supports technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sole Supports partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Relax, Release, ReliefminorSole Supports partnered with Relax, Release, Relief (RRR), the pioneers of a gentle manual technique to relieve body tension through targeted pressure application. RRR released a specialized course covering foot techniques for free as part of this partnership. These techniques complement Sole Supports' traditional break-in methods to help ease tension as feet adapt to new orthotic posture.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sole Supports competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Superfeet Worldwide: Premium insole and orthotic maker selling consumer and professional-grade foot support products. Comparable to Sole Supports as a performance-focused orthotic brand targeting athletes, military, and everyday users through a specialty distribution model.
- Powerstep: Manufacturer of orthotic insoles including custom and prefabricated product lines sold through podiatry, chiropractic, and running retail channels. Comparable to Sole Supports in product category, healthcare provider distribution strategy, and emphasis on biomechanical correction.
- Spenco Medical Corporation: Foot-care products and orthotic insoles manufacturer including medical-grade and performance lines sold through retail and healthcare channels. Comparable to Sole Supports in targeting plantar fasciitis, sports, and everyday foot-pain sufferers with orthotic products.
- Aetrex Worldwide: Orthopedic comfort footwear and orthotic insert brand with custom-3D-foot-scanning retail technology. Comparable to Sole Supports in merging biomechanical orthotics with footwear, and in serving customers with foot pain and alignment issues.
- Vionic Group: Footwear brand built around built-in orthotic support, including styles for dress, casual, athletic, and recovery use. Comparable to Sole Supports in targeting foot pain and postural issues through biomechanically designed products sold through specialty and DME channels.
Broad incumbents
- Dr. Scholl's (Bayer Consumer Health): Mass-market foot-care and insoles brand owned by Bayer Consumer Health. Comparable to Sole Supports as a foot-orthotics consumer brand competing for the same end-patients, though at a mass-market OTC price point rather than custom-provider prescription.
- Hanger, Inc. (Hanger Clinic): Large public orthotic and prosthetic provider with nationwide clinics, custom orthotic manufacturing, and payer relationships. Comparable to Sole Supports in fabricating custom orthotics for clinical patient populations, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader O&P scope.
- Ottobock North America: Global prosthetics and orthotics manufacturer including custom orthotic devices. Comparable to Sole Supports in custom orthotic manufacturing for clinical end-users, but with much broader portfolio across prosthetics, wheelchairs, and rehabilitation.
- Birkenstock Americas: Footwear brand with a signature contoured footbed positioned as orthotic-supportive. Comparable to Sole Supports as a footbed-driven brand addressing foot biomechanics, though positioned as everyday footwear rather than a custom prescription device.
Emerging players
- Arizona AFO / custom orthotic labs (independent): Numerous independent custom orthotic fabrication labs operate with practitioner-casting workflows similar to Sole Supports. They represent direct competitive substitutes in the provider-channel custom orthotics space and emerging digital/3D-scanning entrants that erode the moat of proprietary casting methods.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sole Supports social profiles
Digital presenceSole Supports compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sole Supports financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sole Supports leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sole Supports funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sole Supports M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sole Supports
What does Sole Supports do?
Sole Supports designs and manufactures medical-grade custom foot orthotics using its proprietary MASS (Maximal Arch Supination Stabilization) Posture Theory and casting technology developed by founder Dr. Edward S. Glaser. The flagship Sole Support orthotic is custom-molded to each patient's ideal posture and individually calibrated to their weight, flexibility, and velocity; the company also offers SoleMates, The Copley, Sole Kids, Custom Sandals, and Sole Posture variants. All custom products are dispensed exclusively through trained healthcare providers (podiatrists, chiropractors) who perform the casting and order through Sole Supports.
Is Sole Supports a public or private company?
Sole Supports is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sole Supports founded?
Sole Supports was founded in 1992. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sole Supports based?
Sole Supports is headquartered in Lyles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sole Supports make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Orthotics Sales.
Who are Sole Supports's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Superfeet Worldwide, Powerstep, Spenco Medical Corporation, Aetrex Worldwide and Vionic Group. Broad incumbents are Dr. Scholl's (Bayer Consumer Health), Hanger, Inc. (Hanger Clinic), Ottobock North America and Birkenstock Americas. Arizona AFO / custom orthotic labs (independent) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sole Supports have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sole Supports.
What industry is Sole Supports in?
Sole Supports's product category is Medical Orthotics / Foot Orthotic Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAMAC, Orthotics & Bracing (AFO/KAFO, Spinal, Soft Goods Supports), with a secondary code of HLAHAEAI, Orthotics & Bracing (Spinal/Lower/Upper Extremity Orthoses). Its NAICS code is 316210 and its SIC code is 3842.