RedBeard Outdoors · Johnathan (RedBeard)

454. Sheep Feet Founder Caleb Bowden and the Generations of Knowledge in their soles

June 28, 2025·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

Caleb Bowden's grandfather was a podiatrist, and his dad built orthotics for 45 years before they launched Sheep Feet.

This episode features Caleb Bowden, founder of the custom orthotics company Sheep Feet, discussing his family's generational expertise in foot care and the importance of proper footwear for hunters. Host John RedBeard explores Bowden's background and the company's evolution from a family podiatry and orthotics practice into a specialized hunting product line. The conversation covers Bowden's personal hunting experiences and how fatherhood has shifted his perspective on the activity. Bowden's grandfather was a podiatrist, and his father was an orthotist who ran an orthotics lab for over 40 years before helping launch Sheep Feet. The company's custom orthotics are 3D-printed rigid plastic frames built from a scan or mold of an individual's foot, designed to prevent arch collapse and improper weight distribution. They are marketed as a medical device, making them eligible for purchase with HSA and FSA accounts, and are built to last an average of seven years with a recushioning service offered after three. The company recently launched an iPhone app that uses the phone's depth-sensing camera to create a 3D model of a customer's foot, streamlining the ordering process compared to the traditional plaster mold kit still used for Android customers. Bowden argues that generic insoles use materials like EVA foam that quickly pack down and fail to provide adequate support, especially under heavy loads like a hunting pack. He compares a custom orthotic to the frame of a hunting backpack, providing essential structural support for the foot. The hosts share a personal anecdote about table manners, with John RedBeard describing a cultural or possibly genetic irritation with chewing with one's mouth open, which he attributes to his Southern upbringing. The discussion shifts to hunting, where Bowden recounts how taking his young son, Archie, hunting transformed his own drive from pursuing trophies to valuing shared outdoor experiences. The hosts debate introducing youth to hunting, with Bowden expressing caution about crossbows due to safety concerns over finger placement and a child's potential excitement lapse. They both express a preference for traditional archery but emphasize supporting all legal and ethical hunting methods to foster broader conservation advocacy. A significant portion of the conversation addresses proposed federal legislation that could transfer public lands to states, which the hosts fear would lead to those lands being sold to private entities and developed, citing ongoing residential construction encroaching on deer habitat in Utah as a local example. They note a divide within the outdoor community, with some supporting the bill for its provision to deregulate firearm suppressors while others oppose it for the land transfer risk. John RedBeard states he would rather pay the $200 suppressor tax stamp if it meant preserving public land access. The tone is conversational and educational, blending product explanation, personal stories, and advocacy with casual banter about family life and hunting culture. This episode is ideal for hunters interested in gear optimization, foot care, and public land conservation issues. Listeners seeking a tightly edited, single-topic interview or those uninterested in hunting or product details may find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A practical gear talk about why foot support matters when the day gets long.

RedBeard Outdoors keeps the attention on feet, and that narrow focus works. Caleb Bowden presents Sheep Feet as a family-built hunting product, then makes the case that a rigid custom orthotic can matter more than the generic insoles most people reach for first, whether they are…

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Why you'd press play

If your boots beat up your feet, this one explains why custom orthotics can help.

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