Carson City inventor creates new product for doing Zumba on carpet
Submitted by editor on Mon, 07/27/2015 - 1:27pm
It has been four years since Carson City resident and Zumba instructor Arik Bannister created a product called Zgliderz that allows one's feet to slide more easily on carpeted floors. After getting feedback from customers, he's re-introduced the brand where it will be made available Friday.
Zgliderz slip onto regular running shoes, allowing you to do the pivoting and twisting moves required in Zumba and salsa dancing without harming your knees or ankles. Since then, the product line has expanded, and the newest product is a carpet glider first: Size-adjustable.
When Zgliderz were first introduced, customer response was very positive. However, there were some recurring elements in reviews from Amazon.com customers that needed attention.
“Two things I noticed customers wanted was a heel strap to prevent the product from sliding off the shoes, and secondly, a way to adjust the size,” said Bannister.
So Arik created a new product, Zgliderz PLUS, launched in January 2014, which had a heel strap and offered larger sizes. But this product received the same size-related comments, leading Bannister back to the design table to create the newest version of Zgliderz: Zgliderz PLUS2 – Adjustable.
“This was one of those ‘Aha’ moments mixed with ‘why hasn’t it been done before,’” recalled Bannister, “A size-adjustable carpet glider with a heel strap is a game-changer.”
Although Arik says he’s reluctant to call something so simple "revolutionary" he admits that he recognizes the uniqueness of this product.
“There is nothing else like it. Of all the carpet gliders I’ve tried, including my own designs, this one is by far the easiest to put on, take off, and attach to multiple shoe sizes. This is the first ever size-adjustable carpet glider.”
With current sales in every state in the U.S., as well as other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the Netherlands, as well as to organizations like Curves Fitness and YMCA, Zgliderz has become synonymous with ‘zumba carpet gliders’, which Bannister feels is a big responsibility to produce a superior product.
“If you do a Google search for ‘Zumba Carpet Gliders’, Zgliderz is suggested as a related search. That’s a lot of pressure to make sure your product is the best!” says Bannister, “Last year I auditioned for Shark Tank, and I was encouraged to re-apply once I had perfected the design. I think I have perfected it now.”
The adjustable Zgliderz PLUS2 will make it easier for gyms and Zumba fitness instructors to make purchases for members and students without needing to get a shoe size count, and allow any and everyone to easily use carpet gliders with no learning curve or sizing issues. “This is a development that the entire Zumba community has been waiting for. It’s really going to help a lot of people,” says Bannister.
Zgliderz PLUS2 will be launched worldwide Friday, July, 31 on Amazon.com. See the video below.
