We at Vionic are deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of our company’s founder, Phillip Vasyli, who died this week at his home in the Bahamas.
Vasyli, 59, was a pioneer and innovator in the field of lower-limb biomechanics. Since founding his podiatry practice nearly 30 years ago, Vasyli treated thousands of patients, ranging from young children to amateur and professional athletes. Known by friends and colleagues as a “born healer,” he had a genuine passion for making orthotic treatment more affordable and accessible to people in need of pain relief.
Early in his career, Vasyli realized that the only treatment options for many common foot-related ailments, like plantar fasciitis or over-pronation, were costly and time-consuming. In response to the overwhelming demand for a solution, he invented one of the first heat-moldable orthotics, a low-cost option that allowed patients to walk out of his practice feeling better than when they’d come in. This philosophy laid the groundwork for the award-winning Orthaheel orthotic, the world’s first and only true orthotic available without a doctor’s prescription. Vasyli’s creation revolutionized the industry and paved the way for limitless innovation in the footwear field.
Vasyli embodied the professional ideal, dedicating himself not only to his patients but to the advancement of the field of podiatry and lower-limb biomechanics. In founding the Vasyli Foundation, he supported a number of charities internationally and strived to improve health care in poor and under-served communities.
A mentor to many and an esteemed colleague to all, Phillip Vasyli’s passing represents an incredible loss. All of us at Vionic Group LLC and Vasyli Medical are proud to have been associated with him and are honored to continue his professional legacy.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and community.
