ZOL started with a good conversation, not a business plan.

In February 2026, Maks and Thijn started talking about podiatric insoles. What began as a shared interest quickly grew into something bigger: the recognition of a problem that had been present for much longer. For Maks, this problem was personal; he himself had suffered from Sever's disease, a common heel injury among children who play sports.

The frustration: Rest as the only 'solution'

The standard treatment for Sever's disease is often: rest, no sports, and waiting. In practice, this means children are sidelined for months, with no clarity on when they can rejoin.

When Maks and Thijn delved deeper into the condition and spoke with podiatrists, a recurring bottleneck became apparent: many existing aids, such as standard viscoheels, are not designed with stability as a starting point. An accessible, well-thought-out support option for active children simply did not exist.

The foundation

The inspiration turned out to be closer than expected. Maks's father, Registered Podiatrist Marco-Paul Breijer, had developed a specific insole design that combines stabilization and cushioning. After his passing two years ago, this design remained unused.

Maks and Thijn seized the opportunity to breathe new life into this design. With their background as ski boot fitters, they brought a keen focus on fit and stability; in the winter sports industry, they had already experienced what a well-fitting insole can mean for comfort and control. They translated that knowledge into an insole that is not only technically sound but also developed in close consultation with a network of podiatrists.

The birth of ZOL

Instead of accepting that children are forced to stop playing sports, Maks and Thijn looked for a support option that combines cushioning with stabilization, as a supplement to the advice of a healthcare professional, not as a replacement for it.

This is how ZOL was created.

The name refers to what distinguishes the product. Not a full insole, but a shortened version: a "half" insole. This shape makes the product flexibly applicable for multiple sizes, without compromising functionality.

Our mission: Not to unnecessarily sideline children, but to offer parents and healthcare professionals an accessible support option that enables movement. An insole, but slightly different. ZOL.