The personal story behind Shakarii's founding - how foot pain ended an ATP career but sparked the innovation that became the ultimate comfort technology.
My ATP ranking meant everything to me. Years of training, countless matches, the dream of competing at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. But chronic foot pain was slowly destroying not just my career, but my love for the game I'd dedicated my life to. Traditional tennis shoes, even the most expensive ones, felt like instruments of torture during long matches. The pain would start in the first set and by the third, I could barely move laterally. That's when I knew I had to create something different. Moving to Berlin, I partnered with aerospace engineers who worked with BMW and Mercedes F1 teams. We spent three years obsessing over every detail - from Carbon Fiber-Nylon shanks that store and release energy, to 3D printed TPU mesh that adapts to individual foot shapes. The goal wasn't just to make another tennis shoe; it was to create what I wish I'd had during my playing days - a shoe that truly hugs your feet. Today, when I see players wearing Shakarii, moving confidently without that familiar wince of pain, I know we succeeded in turning my worst moment into something that helps athletes everywhere play their best game.
Shakarii Team