Teva makes bespoke shoe for penguin
US-based footwear company has come to the rescue of a young Humboldt penguin with an impaired foot at Santa Barbara Zoo, US. By wearing a shoe custom made by Teva, the young penguin, named Lucky, is now able to walk, hop and swim like any other penguin.
“Teva is an expert at creating shoes for use in, on and around the water, which is just what our little penguin needed,” said Zoo CEO Rich Block. “The penguin isn’t the only one who is lucky – the Zoo is fortunate to have such terrific community partners.”
Teva president Pete Worley said: “For over 25 years Teva has provided traction, protection, stability and comfort for water adventures and we’re honoured to be part of this story. Our product team is experienced at collaborating with athletes but Lucky presented a unique challenge. We went through a bit more trial and error because of the language barrier, but Lucky knew what he was looking for in performance footwear, and he let us know when we had it right. In Lucky, we found a new friend and the perfect Teva athlete.”
The Zoo’s flock of Humboldt penguins currently numbers 18, including Lucky, who hatched on exhibit in a nesting box on April 15, 2010. The young chick was examined by the Zoo’s veterinarian and appeared normal and healthy. But as he grew and began to walk, Lucky exhibited a shuffling gait because the young chick’s leg was not developing normally. Treatments, including splints, were tried, but nothing corrected his leg.
The idea for the shoe came when, at the age of two months, Lucky developed sores from putting pressure on the wrong parts of his foot while he hopped. Zoo veterinarians and keepers treated the sores and began wrapping the penguin’s foot, worried the sores could get infected. Then they called Teva, headquartered nearby in Goleta, and asked for help.
Teva’s design team measured Lucky’s foot and casts were made. The shoe have to cushion Lucky’s foot as well as being lightweight and providing traction. It also had to easily shed water.
There were several versions of the shoe, each one improving on the previous version with different materials, waterproof fabrics and designs. Ion-mask helps Lucky’s foot stay dry, as it makes the shoe completely hydrophobic, and Spider Rubber + JStep ensures that he won’t lose his footing as he’s going in and out of the water. Teva has committed to providing shoes for Lucky for his entire lifespan.
