WHY CHOOSE STEPCRAFT?
We're not just another insole company - we're crafted from a rich and trusted heritage.
SERVING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENTS SINCE 1964.
StepCraft is more than a brand - it's a small group of people in Washington State who are passionate about helping people with foot pain live better lives. Our foundation is Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, an industry leader that crafts tens of thousands of custom orthotics every year to help solve the most challenging foot pain issues.
NOT ANOTHER INSOLE COMPANY
StepCraft is uniquely positioned to create insoles with unparalleled fit, comfort, and performance. Our insoles feature a proprietary shape to help align the foot and lower body to enhance biomechanical function.
Add a pair of StepCraft insoles to your favorite shoes and you’ll immediately experience a deeper connection to your day-to-day life and the activities you love - a connection that links you to 60+ years of amazing patient outcomes at Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
Years
Pairs of custom orthotics
Passionate employees
Lifetime patents
A CONNECTION THAT'S IN OUR DNA
The connection between Northwest Podiatric Laboratory and StepCraft is more than lip service or a marketing talking point - we call it Link2™. Link2 is a simple representation of a powerful concept: the link or connection between your feet and amazing foot pain solutions from Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
This connection is the result of conscious design decisions and material choices inspired by hard-earned experience crafting custom orthotics we call Link2™ Technology.
OUR HISTORY
StepCraft premium insoles launch after years of design and planning at Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
Use this timeline as a part of your resume, to show your visitors what you've done in the past.
Actor and comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, visits Northwest Podiatric Laboratory to be fit with custom orthotics by Dennis Brown and Dr. Christopher Smith.
Superglass®, an ultra-thin aerospace composite for custom orthotics, is developed and perfected by Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
Superfeet launches as Northwest Podiatric Laboratory's sports division. (In the 1990's, Superfeet becomes a separate entity.)
Podiatry pioneer and biomechanics expert, Christopher Smith, DPM, joins Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
Dennis Brown, a retired British soldier and natural-born inventor, buys a fledgling custom orthotic operation that becomes Northwest Podiatric Laboratory.
LEADERSHIP BORN FROM NORTHWEST PODIATRIC LABORATORY
DENNIS BROWN
INVENTOR & ENTREPRENEUR
In 1964 when Dennis Brown – retired British soldier, elite athlete and natural-born inventory – bought a fledgling custom orthotics lab, he couldn’t have imagined the impact he would make on millions of people around the world.
In his over 50 years leading Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, Dennis reinvented how orthotics were made, and hand-crafted solutions for amputee war vets, invented a revolutionary casting method and pioneered a process to make orthotics out of aerospace materials…things no one else thought to do or didn’t believe could be done.
Dennis retired from Northwest Podiatric Laboratory in 2016 and passed away in 2021 at the age of 96 but his legacy of innovation lives on. The foundation for StepCraft was laid by Dennis.
DR. CHRIS SMITH
PODIATRIST & PROFESSOR
In 1974, Dr. Chris Smith, a professor at the California College of Podiatric Medicine, was invited by Dennis Brown to join NWPL. The goal? Push the boundaries of custom orthotics further.
One of an elite group of pioneers in the emerging field of foot biomechanics, Chris brought instant credibility and invaluable knowledge to NWPL.
Chris retired from teaching and joined Northwest Podiatric Laboratory full-time in 1993. At NWPL, his unwavering passion for custom orthotics and the application of correct biomechanical principles influenced thousands and helped millions.
Chris’ steadfast belief in the ability of custom orthotics to change lives inspired the creation of StepCraft. Chris retired from NWPL in 2019.
RUBEN VALLE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Ruben has been CEO of Northwest Podiatric Laboratory since 2016. After joining NWPL in 1994 as Shipping Supervisor (and leaving for a few years to pursue full-time ministry), Ruben was selected to take the company into the future.
Under the tutelage of Dr. Chris Smith and Dennis Brown, Ruben became an expert in the design and manufacturing of NWPL's industry-exclusive custom orthotics. NWPL’s advanced materials, proprietary processes, and the almost impossibly high-quality standards established by Chris and Dennis presented a daunting learning curve.
As CEO, Ruben combines his intimate knowledge of custom orthotics with a heart for people to create a culture and tailor-made to improve peoples’ lives with StepCraft insoles.
STEPCRAFT VALUES
IN IT TOGETHER
We approach our work and each other with caring, compassion and a spirit of generosity.
THE HABIT OF EXCELLENCE
We believe excellence means delivering authentic, high-quality service, where every promise is honored.
ALWAYS IMPROVING
We're committed to positive culture of constant growth and curiosity.
QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR 60+ YEAR HERITAGE?
Reach out to learn more about what makes StepCraft different from Big Insole.