Things are stepping up for San Diego's B&B Technologies, creator of shock-free footwear technology for walking and work shoes.
     The firm just scored it's first military contract for its high-tech footwear, the Smart Boot.
     Under the $150,000 R&D contract, B&B Technologies will make a designated number of Smart Boots for the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command.   The first prototypes are expected to be ready in two to three months.
     The Smart Boot is made with B&B Technologies' DAMPS technology.  DAMPS stands for Directional Axial Magnetic Propulsion Systems.   Got all that?
     The system uses the repelling force of magnets to create the shoe's cushioning in the heel, which B&B says can reduce conventional dynamic kinetic motion shock by over 90 percent.
     (There's no shoe pump here).
     Jeff Brown, CEO of B&B Technologies aid the Smart Boot is perfect for military use.
     "Whenever (the soldiers) go on an outing they're carrying as much as 100 pounds of equipment," Brown said.  "The boot is going to take 90 percent of the load off their backs."
     He said the military contract makes the DAMPS technology a shoo-in for other contracts.
     "The military finding proves the commercial viability of the technology," he said.
     B&B Technologies' credibility is also growing through its investors.  Former basketball star Bill Walton is the latest investor in the company's DAMPS I partnership (the partnership already has 27 investors).
     Brown said the firm's next goal is to add former Charmin of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell to its advisory board.
     "Things are only going to get better for us," Brown said.
     He said B&B Technologies is talking to a major shoe company about licensing the DAMPS technology.
     The firm is also in negotiations for $5.2 million in private funding.  The money will pay for a manufacturing facility in San Diego which is expected to be running later this year, Brown said.
     He said DAMPS walking and work shoes will retail for under $100 and will be recyclable.  The first 1,000 pairs of DAMPS shoes will be free.
     "It's part of our marketing strategy," Brown said.
     When DAMPS shoes are completely worn, consumers can send them back to the factory so the materials can be reused.  They also get a rebate for their next pair.
     Brown, a marketing graduate from San Diego State, came up with the DAMPS technology in 1988 after breaking his foot, among other things, in a motorcycle accident.
     While he was recovering, Brown and his brother came up with the concept of magnets for shoes.
     And, thus, B&B Technologies was born.  The firm has raised about $300,000 in the last 10 years for its R&D efforts.  And, like a lot of start-ups, the company's management team is basically working for free, Brown said.
     But the company plans to cash in on its revolutionary shoe technology.  The timing for something like this is perfect, Brown said.
     "The consumer is demanding more," the 45-year-old-said.   "The footwear industry is going to change forever because people are going to want technology that works."
     Since its launch last March, the company's Web site (www.damps.com) has logged more than 50,000 hits.

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