856: Engineering Innovative Shoes to Help Feet Move Forward - Dr. Tyler Susko

Dr. Tyler Susko is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Cadense, Inc., a company that creates groundbreaking adaptive solutions. He is also a Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Vice Chair in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And he is Principal Engineer and Owner of Susko Engineering, LLC. Tyler is dedicated to creating useful things that solve real-world problems for people. He and his team have designed an innovative shoe where portions of the bottom surface alternate between providing high-friction grip to low-friction slide to help people move their foot forward when walking. As an entrepreneur and a father of three, Tyler keeps very busy. He and his family enjoy hanging out, rock climbing, skiing, and engaging in robotics club activities together. Tyler has learned to blend his work life with his family life, so his kids sometimes come with him to the office, and sometimes he brings his work home. Tyler received his bachelor's degree in Integrated Business and Engineering and his master's degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University. Afterwards, he worked as a design engineer for Ingersoll Rand for two years before returning to graduate school. He was awarded his PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT. After completing his PhD, Tyler joined the faculty at UC Santa Barbara and launched his engineering consulting company. He co-founded Cadense in 2021. Cadence has been recognized with an Innovation Award from the Pacific Coast Business Times, and it was named a finalist for Fast Company's 2025 Innovation by Design Award. In our interview, Tyler shares more about his life and his career.