About Us
Our mission is simple. To help brands build better shoes by making them more comfortable.
1997
Founded in 1997 OrthoLite® offered footwear companies our original and industry’s first, proprietary open-cell foam—establishing the world’s first open-cell PU high-performance insole.
global
Ortholite® is the worldwide leader and is vertically integrated. We invested in building our own manufacturing facilities to ensure control over every facet of production.
550+
The supplier of choice for over 550+ brands—manufacturing insoles for more than 500 million pairs of footwear a year, virtually everywhere shoes are made.
Our Story
The Spark of an Idea
OrthoLite started in 1997 when our founder Glenn Barrett, a lifelong footwear entrepreneur, had identified a need that had long been overlooked in the footwear industry combined with a timely flash of inspiration. Glenn knew the interior environment of the shoe had not been addressed and while on a sourcing trip to Taiwan, he was introduced to an innovative new open-cell PU foam that was the ideal technology to solve the problems occurring inside the shoe. Seeing its remarkable characteristics, he realized it would make the perfect insole solution—outperforming other materials in every measurable way. He got to work and formulated his first batch of prototypes—making a better insole that was more comfortable, but one that also provided a cooler, drier, and healthier interior environment of the shoe that was also easier on the planet by using 5% recycled outsole rubber waste material in the mix. Glenn created a new category over 25 years ago, and today OrthoLite is widely recognized as the world leader in branded comfort technologies.
Branded Insole
Before OrthoLite®, insole materials were just generic commodity foams —a basic filler material that didn’t breathe, flattened out quickly and caused sweat and odors to accumulate. We created a solution that shoe manufacturers and consumers sought out. The OrthoLite brand became widely applauded and acknowledged as the leading comfort solution. The top footwear brands wanted to be associated with the OrthoLite brand. When people experienced our insoles, they immediately felt the difference. There was no going back. A new category was born—high-performance comfort insoles—and we secured our place as the enduring category leader. Today over 550 brands choose OrthoLite and over half of these industry leaders choose to co-brand with OrthoLite.
Game Changer
Almost at once, OrthoLite® foam captured the attention of the footwear industry’s leading brands. The proprietary open-cell foam formulations provided lightweight cushioning, low compression set, moisture management, breathability, washability and odor-control. We had a hit on our hands—and footwear suddenly got much, much more comfortable.
Vertical Integration
Knowing how critical it was to maintain complete control of our products, we grew as a 100% vertically integrated company—building our own factories and maintaining 100% control over the entire process from formulation to distribution. We launched our first factory in Dongguan, China—and now we have six factories located where footwear is manufactured globally—letting us provide our brand partners with unmatched consistency, quality and on-time delivery. As a fully integrated Systems House we create every custom formulation in house, made exclusively with our own compounds, to meet our brand partner’s precise specifications.
GRS Certification
Recently, Ortholite became Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified, intended for use with any product that contains at least 20% Recycled Material.
Innovation Through Collaboration
Pretty soon we were manufacturing insoles for nearly every leading footwear brand. OrthoLite® became their trusted ally—true partners working together to create groundbreaking solutions across all footwear categories. Whatever they wanted, our chemists, engineers and designers delivered.
Today
Now as much as ever, OrthoLite® is the undisputed category leader. Today we’re the insole supplier of choice for over 550+ leading footwear brands—manufacturing OrthoLite technologies that can be found in more than 500 million pairs of footwear a year. As a U.S.-owned and operated company with production facilities in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Europe, and elsewhere globally we’re able to work alongside our brand partners wherever they manufacture shoes—creating breakthrough, sustainable formulations that deliver greater comfort and performance than ever before.
Top Takeaways
Total Control
We own every facet of creation, production and distribution—from our patented formulations, to our manufacturing facilities, to our unrivaled customer service to shipping.
500 Million Pairs a Year
Our open-cell foam technology is the insole material of choice for virtually every leading footwear brand around the world—galvanizing our position as the global manufacturer, supplier and category leader.
Sustainably Driven
From our very first insole in 1997, every formulation has contained 5% recycled rubber waste material, the use of recycled rubber keeps over 300 metric tons of rubber waste out of landfills annually. Many of our insoles are also created with our patented bio-oil formulation and varying levels of recycled materials from our own post production waste. In 2018 OrthoLite developed a dedicated R&D facility to further close the loop and improve our sustainable best practices across manufacturing and in the creation of more eco-friendly products. LEARN MORE
Our Competitive Advantage
Everywhere Shoes are Made
With sales offices in the United States, Asia and Europe and manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam and Indonesia we work directly with our brand partners face-to-face, creating game-changing solutions and delivering the highest level of customer service and onetime delivery unparalleled by any other supplier.
Global Category Leader
Based in Amherst, MA. OrthoLite® is an American company that creates sustainable, customized open-cell foam formulations that deliver a combination of benefits unmatched by any other insole manufacturer.
Beyond Footwear
Our exclusive foam technologies can also be custom formulated for use in a broad range of applications beyond footwear such as sporting equipment, backpacks and activewear—offering unrivaled comfort and performance.
Comfort & Performance
DRIVEN BY INNOVATION
We’re fueled by innovation, a deep understanding of our brand partners’ needs, true collaboration, and a dedication to limiting our impact on the planet—and it shows in every product we make. That’s how we became the global leader, and why we’re proud to partner with the best brands on earth.