Lena Phoenix of Xero Shoes gives company ‘soul’

BROOMFIELD — Lena Phoenix of Broomfield really wanted her barefoot-running husband to put on some shoes.

Her wish for Steve Sashen, a Masters All-American sprinter and former All-American gymnast, resulted in one of Northern Colorado’s fastest growing companies, Xero Shoes, the trade name for Feel the World Inc., minimalist shoe manufacturer.

“Less is more in the context of footwear, (but) there was not a whole lot available,” said Phoenix, cofounder, president and board chairwoman of Xero Shoes in Broomfield.

Sashen had dispatched with his traditional running shoes, inspired by reading Christopher McDougall’s best-seller Born To Run, to try to address his constant…