ABC’s entrepreneurial reality show “Shark Tank” is a major milestone for aspiring business owners. For Lindley Gallegos Bach, marketing director of pain-relieving shoe company Z-Coil Footwear, that chance came in an episode that aired Wednesday night.
Gallegos Bach, who grew up in Albuquerque and graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2016, took over Z-Coil’s marketing operations in early 2024. She said pitching the business – founded by her grandfather and father – to “Shark Tank” was her idea, part of an effort to revitalize the brand.
“I’ve been telling my dad to apply for years because we’ve always watched it as a family, and he loved it,” Gallegos Bach said. “My dad is like, a total CEO. He can crunch numbers in his head like crazy. He’s kind of a little bit on the shy side. And so when I came into the company last year, I was like, I’m going to apply.”
This is actually the duo’s second shot at an appearance on “Shark Tank,” Gallegos Bach said. They applied once in 2024 but did not make the cut. They learned from that experience and applied again in 2025 – and this time, they were accepted. The show’s casting director told Gallegos Bach they were selected from a pool of roughly 20,000 applicants.
“It was a hard, hard process,” she said. “Between January and June, we put in dozens, if not hundreds, of hours into our pitch videos and to our scripting.... You have to get all that stuff together before they accept you. We’re honored. We’re actually on the premiere episode, which is cool.”
Z-Coil shoes were dreamed up by Gallegos Bach’s grandfather in 1991. They feature a spring built into the heel that, according to Z-Coil’s website, can absorb up to 50% of the impact from walking. The shoes are designed to help relieve pain for people who have undergone surgeries such as ankle fusions.
“Our product is fun and it’s funky, and it’s perfect for American television,” Gallegos Bach said. “What we were hoping for is more money to sort of be able to seed new products and new innovation.”
The shoes have been proven to work, Gallegos Bach said, but by her own admission, they aren’t the most stylish. A large part of her pitch, she said, was focused on maintaining the brand’s proven functionality while making the shoe more marketable.
“In my opinion, ugly shoes are really in right now,” Gallegos Bach said. “Platforms are coming back, Genzers are wearing orthopedic shoes. Crocs are like the ugliest thing you've ever seen. And so people always tell us our shoes are ugly. And I’m like, ‘Well, look around. There’s lots of funky stuff right now, and our shoes are comfortable.’ So we’re not just funky, we’re actually really functional.”
Gallegos Bach said her and her father’s appearance on “Shark Tank” comes after several difficult years. In 2006, Z-Coil pulled in roughly $12 million in annual revenue and were sold in 400 stores nationwide. But, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of her mother in 2020, it became difficult for her father to run the business.
“My dad was running the company, and he says he was sort of just like in a fog,” she said. “Last year we closed at like $1.5 million, so we’ve scaled back a lot. I’m trying to turn it around.”
One of the ways Gallegos Bach hopes to revitalize the company is by offering more shoe styles – purple floral print clogs, anyone? – and by making the shoes lighter. They’ve also secured a grant to work with engineering and technology firm Sandia Labs in Albuquerque, aiming to incorporate new, innovative materials into their footwear.
“We put millions of dollars into research and development and tooling back in the early days,” Gallegos Bach said. “We’re just going to be looking for the latest and greatest in materials to make the shoe lighter and even more comfortable than it already is. And I think – from my perspective – is introduce a lot of new styles.”
Looking ahead, Gallegos Bach hopes an investment from the Sharks will grow the business and support future partnerships.
She said 25% of Z-Coil’s customers are health care providers and hopes to one day work collaborate with Fort Lewis College’s nursing program to provide footwear for those who spend long hours on their feet.
Eventually, she said, she hopes to sell the company to a larger footwear brand that can bring Z-Coil shoes to a broader market.
The “Shark Tank” episode featuring Gallegos Bach and her father aired at 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
This is a developing story. Check back with www.durangoherald.com for updates.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
