History

In 2009 the COBRA9 was officially created in Hobart with Podiatrists Nathan White and Chris Angel collaborating on the first designs. Credit for the name must go to Wayne McLean whose idea of pairing a number and noun to sound catchy caught on – Cobra – because it looks like a black snake, and 9 as it was 2009. The first versions were rudimentary plastic and carbon offerings but were the first steps in the evolution of the set of products we offer today.

In 2011, the company started using Carbon Composite as its material of choice and a more streamlined custom offering for COBRA9 Pro users was launched. In parallel, the COBRA9 racing team was formed and acted as the early test bed for our products under the rigors of racing use. This has broadened over time and our products a now used by a variety of athletes, from the amateur to the elite, across all cycling disciplines.

In 2013, Adam White joined the company and we worked on the launch of a larger online offering to customers alongside the first incarnations of the ‘off the shelf’ COBRA9 SemiPro.

By 2015, we had graduated to carbon fibre with thinner shells and better flexibility elements added into our products. Our network of partners grew to include nationwide options including our first overseas retailers.

In 2017, COBRA9 was merged into the larger Pedaler Holdings Group which also incorporates health practices and cafes. Adam and Nathan remain key stakeholders in this entity.

In 2021, Daniel Perkins came on board to head up Product Development for COBRA9 Cycling Orthotics and our orthotic lab moved to North Brisbane.

In 2022, COBRA9 commenced OEM development and production of innersoles for our first large Cycling Shoe retail partner Bont Cycling and Rowing. A second lab was established at Morningside to allow for production at scale.

We remain Australian through and through with every orthotic still hand made in Brisbane.

FIND YOUR FIT

We are huge fans of our SemiPros and want you to be too. Use this three-step guide to Find Your Fit.

We are huge fans of our SemiPros and want you to be too.

Find Your Fit

As podiatrists, we are no strangers to the intricacies of foot form and function. That's why we developed a range of unique profiles for our much-loved SemiPros. Rather than arbitrary changes in height across our Low, Medium and High inner soles, each profile has a unique contoured shape to suit key features of the foot type for which they are designed.

This three-step guide is designed to help you select your perfect profile.

Step 1: Arch Profile Observation

Begin by observing the static, non-weight bearing shape of your feet:

Observe the medial aspect of your foot (from your heel to big toe) while seated with your ankle in a neutral position and your feet flat on the floor. Because this is a non-weight bearing observation, this should be carried out with minimal and equal weight distribution.

Step 2: Mobility Evaluation

Second, evaluate the degree of mobility present in your midfoot to determine how your feet change shape when they are loaded.

Perform a series of calf raises, comparing how pronounced your medial arch shape is at the beginning and end of each raise. Typically, a more mobile foot will display a pronounced shape at the end of the calf raise movement. Less mobile feet will see little shape change.

Step 3: Size, Width and Volume Selection

Use our downloadable sizing guide to match your current inner sole with your chosen SemiPro:

Standard

Wide

You can choose a Standard or Thin backing option at checkout to maintain or increase the space in your shoes. Simply measure the thickness of your current inner sole and select accordingly.