Kybun
kybun Joya Group · Switzerland
Kybun is a Swiss health shoe brand built around a soft air-cushion sole, founded by inventor Karl Mueller in 2007. It is part of the kybun Joya Group, formed by a merger with Joya announced in 2022. It matters for its distinctive soft-sole concept and for its link to the earlier MBT shoe.
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Karl Mueller |
| Owner | kybun Joya Group |
| Headquarters | Roggwil, Switzerland |
| Segment | Health footwear |
| Website | kybun.swiss |
What is Kybun?
Kybun is a Swiss footwear brand marketing a soft, elastic sole that it describes as enclosing millions of air bubbles. Its range covers health shoes for women and men, active standing mats and accessories such as insoles, socks and fascia rolls.
History
According to English Wikipedia, Karl Mueller founded the Kybun Corporation in 2007, after leaving Swiss Masai, the company that marketed his earlier MBT rocker-bottom shoe. A Moneycab interview describes how he left MBT in 2006 after disagreements with minority shareholders over a next-generation soft design. In 2022 kybun and Joya announced a merger, creating the kybun Joya Group, with a management team of Urs Koller, Markus Bartholet, Karl Mueller and Claudio Minder.
Products and positioning
The product range includes the kyBoot shoe, the kyBounder standing mat, the kyTrainer soft treadmill and sleep products, as described in the interview from 2012. Footwear is produced at the company's facilities in Sennwald and in Italy, and production was moved back to Switzerland in 2012.
Business model and distribution
Kybun began in Swiss drugstores and pharmacies and later opened kyBoot shops with partner retailers, avoiding shoe, sports and medical supply shops to prevent conflicts of interest. The brand sells online with country storefronts and offers a store finder and a partner programme. Kybun AG is described as based in Roggwil in the canton of Thurgau.
Why it matters
Kybun is a notable Swiss example of a product-led health footwear brand, and its history is closely tied to the rise and decline of the MBT concept.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Kybun?
Kybun is part of the kybun Joya Group, created by the merger of kybun and Joya announced in 2022.
Who founded Kybun?
Kybun was founded by Karl Mueller, the inventor of the MBT shoe, in 2007 according to Wikipedia. He had left MBT's marketing company earlier.