By Jennifer Gardiner | [email protected]

Growing up on a ranch in a small town in Wyoming with a population of under 2,000, Riverton resident Ren Field said he learned a lot about the value of hard work and dedication.

When he was 25, he moved to Salt Lake City and worked for years as a full-time school custodian and part-time airport security guard. Field’s long work hours soon took a toll on his feet. After trying many products to alleviate his pain and not finding anything that provided the relief he sought, Field turned to his woodshop in an attempt to create a solution for himself. It was there he molded a log made of 250 flexible fingers that increase circulation and massage your feet.

Field concentrated only on developing something that would help his feet, with no intention of marketing a product. But when several of the teachers where he worked asked to borrow his new invention, they all loved it. They told him he should sell the Footlog to others because it was such a great product, so he took the leap and resigned from his airport job, withdrew the $2,000 he had in savings and bought some molds to create plastic replications of his original wooden massager.

It wasn’t long before Field was selling the product he developed. Field had no idea how successful his product would be, but he started developing his idea in 1988. Since then, he has sold a little more than 3 million foot logs.

“Most of my education is from the college of hard knocks on the ranch,” he said. “I learned to get up, get your pants on, go to work, and things will come together, and I still kind of have that same mentality to get her done.”

Field considers what he does more of a hobby than a business. “I can’t really call the hours and effort put into my product a job; I have too much fun,” he said. 

The Footlog has been widely popular because of its unique mold. Field said it is designed to help with diabetes plantar fasciitis and helps relax your feet. It is made out of medical grade PVC, which is the same as they use in hospitals for IV tubing.

Field said the Footlog therapy tool works because it matches up with the arch of the foot, which mobilizes the tiny joints in the foot.

The rolling action stimulates multiple micro-acupuncture points, reducing stress, tension and pain in the foot and elsewhere in the body, including the legs and back, where millions of people suffer from daily pain and discomfort.

Field said the Footlog therapy tool is an effective, noninvasive solution to the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. Scientifically designed to massage and exercise the foot, the Footlog therapy tool works well for runners, dancers and other athletes who need to be in top form. It is also ideal for people who work on their feet throughout the day.

Field and his wife, Catherine, live in Riverton. They have six children and 13 grandchildren—his pride and joy. The couple was gleefully beaming that they had 23 people around the table at Thanksgiving last year. 

Making feet comfortable for others is not the only thing Field enjoys. Field drives a 1970 GTO Judge with a 500-horsepower engine, and his wife drives a 1939 Chevy Coop with a 454 under the hood. Every year, Field presents the Riverton Prairie Dog Car and Bike Show in front of his home where he displays nearly $14 million worth of cars. Proceeds from the car show are donated to the American Diabetes Association. If you would like to know more about the car show, you can find out more on its website, www.RivertonPrairiedog.com

To find out more about the Footlog, you can visit www.footlog.com.