Vionic Group, LLC founder and chairman Phillip Vasyli, 59, died Tuesday at his home in the Bahamas. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Australian podiatrist died of a stab wound to the chest. His wife, Dona, has been taken into custody.
Vasyli, who owned three podiatry clinics and was well known for his innovations in lower-limb biomechanics, created one of the first heat-moldable orthotics as a low-cost option that allowed his patients to walk out of his practice feeling better than when they’d come in. The invention led to the development of the Orthaheel orthotic, the award-winning and only true orthotic available without a doctor’s prescription and eventually a merger with consumer brands Dr. Andrew Weil Integrative Footwear and Vionic.
In a statement, Vionic Group said:
“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.”