The Craftsmanship Behind Your Orthotics
We believe in transparency – We want you to know exactly who and where your orthotics come from.
All orthotics are custom designed for you by our award winning team in Oberkochen, Germany. We have designed over 200,000 pairs of orthotics, including those made for PGA Golfers, World Cup soccer players, Ironman athletes, and even F1 drivers.
Dr. Dietmar Walter
Head of Design
At the helm of our medical team is award winning Podiatrist, Dietmar Walter. Dietmar Walter has been a certified master orthopaedic shoemaker since 1982 and a state-certified podiatrist since 2005.
Winner - Adalbert-Seifriz Award for successful cooperation between skilled craft and science.
Winner - Innovation in German Industy Award for developing CAD system for designing custom orthotics.
Dr. Zac Cartun, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Zac Cartun MD, combines clinical experience with his passion for patient-centric medicine to make foot health accessible through a medically rigorous yet user-friendly orthotic ordering experience.
His previous work includes developing an at-home pre-natal ultrasound process for expectant mothers, overseeing health system telehealth integrations, and designing clinical decision support tools for cardiology patients.
Dominik Walter
Director of Design
Dominik has been engineering custom orthotics for over a decade. His research focuses on the relationship between orthotic design and gait physiology.
Our HistoryThe Walter family patriarch, Bernhard, was the last remaining Orthopedic Shoe Maker in the region as most craftsmen got replaced by overseas knockoffs.
The science behind every stride
From a German workshop in 1954 to your front door today
Three generations begin
Bernhard Walter establishes Walter Orthopadie in Oberkochen, Germany, becoming one of the last remaining master orthopedic shoemakers in the region as the craft disappears elsewhere. The family's commitment to handmade orthotics takes root.
A master orthopaedic shoemaker qualifies
The hands-on expertise that started it all
Dietmar Walter earns his certified master orthopaedic shoemaker qualification in Germany, building the hands-on clinical knowledge that would eventually power Stride Soles' entire prescription system.
The plaster cast era had to end
The spark that changed orthotics forever
Dietmar Walter recognises that neither blueprint-based production nor plaster cast methods can scale in a modern economy. The idea for fully digital insole design takes shape — the same idea at the core of Stride Soles today.
pedcad founded — and wins Germany's Innovation Award
The CAD/CAM system that powers every Stride Soles insole
Pedcad GmbH is established and immediately earns the Innovation Award of German Industry for its pioneering CAD/CAM system for designing and producing orthotics. That same technology sits at the heart of every pair of Stride Soles produced today.
Light-stripe projection enters foot scanning
The precursor to Stride's mobile 3D scanner
In partnership with the Institute for Laser Technology in Ulm, pedcad integrates optical measurement into orthopaedic shoemaking, winning the Seifriz Award for science-craft collaboration. This directly informs the 3D mobile scanning used in Stride Soles assessments today.
Podiatry credentials added to engineering expertise
Technology meets genuine clinical understanding
Dietmar Walter qualifies as a state-certified podiatrist, ensuring every digital system pedcad builds — and every Stride Soles prescription — is grounded in real clinical knowledge, not just manufacturing.
ISO 9001 certification
Consistent quality on every single pair
pedcad achieves ISO 9001:2008 certification, formalising the quality management standards that underpin every insole shipped under the Stride Soles name. The same certified process, every time.
InsoleDesigner software matures
From scan to finished insole — seamlessly
Major updates to pedcad's InsoleDesigner construction platform and order management software create the seamless digital pipeline that makes Stride Soles' 10-15 day delivery possible at scale.
3D foot scanning moves to your phone
Clinic-level precision from your living room
PedCad partners with Dr. Zac Cartun, MD and Greg Gerla, two US based entreprenours. Together they launch Stride mobile, using the depth sensor in modern smartphones to capture precise 3D foot geometry anywhere.
70 years of craft, delivered to your door for $249
The best orthotics in the world — in only a few minutes
Stride Soles brings together pedcad's three decades of certified podiatric technology, German-designed prescription protocols, and mobile 3D scanning into one seamless experience. Scan your feet, receive clinician-designed custom orthotics in 10-15 days.
6 free months to fall in love with your custom insoles - worry-free!
Not fitting well? Need adjustments? No problem! We’ll adjust your custom insoles to fit like a dream so you can get back to enjoying life pain-free.
