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2004 – Company Established

The company behind Shokz was founded in 2004 with a focus on innovative audio technologies.

2011 – AfterShokz Launches

The consumer headphone brand debuted as AfterShokz, introducing one of the world’s first commercially successful bone conduction headphones. Rather than placing speakers inside the ear canal, AfterShokz transmitted sound vibrations through the cheekbones while keeping the ears open.1

2012–2019 – Growth

During this period, Shokz released several products that established the brand, including Bluez, Titanium, Air, Aeropex, and Xtrainerz. These headphones became particularly popular among endurance athletes and outdoor sports enthusiasts.

2020

The company relocated its North American headquarters from Syracuse, New York, to Austin, Texas. It also introduced the OpenMove, Aeropex Mini, and OpenComm models.

2021 – Rebranding

In December 2021, the company officially renamed itself from AfterShokz to Shokz. The rebranding aimed to create a simpler global identity, reflect expansion beyond bone conduction, and support future open-ear technologies.1

Unlike traditional headphone manufacturers that focus on noise isolation, Shokz promotes “open-ear listening”. Its philosophy centres on hearing music while remaining aware of traffic, improved outdoor safety, better communication, comfortable long-term wear, and healthier awareness during exercise. The company’s mission emphasises improving listening experiences through open-ear technology while encouraging people to stay connected to their environment.

Bone Conduction

Bone conduction sends sound vibrations through the bones around the ears directly to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum. Advantages include keeping the ears open, better situational awareness, comfort during long workouts, and compatibility with helmets and glasses. Trade-offs include less bass compared to premium in-ear headphones and some vibration felt at higher volumes.1

Air Conduction

Beginning with products like OpenFit, Shokz expanded into air conduction. Instead of vibrating bone, tiny speakers direct sound towards the ear without sealing the ear canal. Benefits include more natural sound, stronger bass, open-ear comfort, and reduced ear fatigue.1

DirectPitch™

DirectPitch™ is Shokz’s proprietary air-conduction technology designed to project sound towards the listener while reducing sound leakage. It aims to improve privacy and audio clarity compared with conventional open-ear speaker designs.

DualPitch™

Introduced with the OpenRun Pro 2, DualPitch™ combines bone conduction for mids and highs with an air conduction speaker for bass. This hybrid approach seeks to deliver fuller sound while maintaining open-ear awareness.

Sports Headphones

Designed for running, cycling, hiking, gym workouts, and trail running, these headphones often feature sweat resistance, a secure wraparound fit, lightweight construction, and long battery life.

Swimming Headphones

Models such as OpenSwim and OpenSwim Pro include built-in MP3 storage because Bluetooth signals do not travel effectively underwater.

Open-Ear Earbuds

Products including OpenFit, OpenFit Air, OpenFit Pro, and the OpenDots series use air-conduction technology instead of bone conduction while keeping the ears open.1

Communication Headsets

Products like OpenComm and OpenMeet UC target business users with microphones optimised for calls and virtual meetings.

• OpenRun
• OpenRun Pro
• OpenMove
• OpenFit
• OpenFit Air
• OpenFit Pro
• OpenSwim
• OpenSwim Pro
• OpenComm
• OpenMeet UC
• OpenDots

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Shokz products are designed primarily for runners, cyclists, swimmers, hikers, triathletes, office workers, remote professionals, commuters, and people who prefer environmental awareness while listening.

Shokz headphones are known for open-ear comfort, excellent stability during exercise, good awareness of surroundings, helmet and glasses compatibility, lightweight design, water-resistant models, and long battery life.1

Compared with premium in-ear headphones, limitations include weaker bass on pure bone-conduction models, limited passive noise isolation, less suitability for very noisy environments such as aeroplanes or subways, some sound leakage at high volumes, and higher prices than many conventional sports headphones.1

According to the company, products are sold in more than 60 countries and regions to over 7 million customers worldwide. The portfolio includes more than 4,000 patent assets related to open-ear audio technologies.

Shokz has continually expanded beyond traditional bone-conduction headphones, introducing hybrid audio systems, open-ear earbuds, and professional communication headsets. Company leaders have also discussed future work involving AI-enabled wearables, smart glasses, and hearing-related technologies, though many of these projects remain in development.2

Shokz is widely regarded as one of the leading brands in the open-ear headphone market. Its products are frequently recommended for outdoor sports because they balance audio playback with environmental awareness, a feature valued by runners and cyclists.3

• Bone conduction technology
• Open-ear headphones
• Sports headphones
• Air conduction audio
• Wearable audio technology

1. Sound Starts With Shokz
2. ‘For glasses specifically, we have already gone through several iterations’ -Shokz’ CEO confirms the sports headphones company is working on AI smart glasses, hearing solutions and a ‘record everything’ AI-powered assistant for future headphones
3. “Inspiration is easy, innovation is really hard.” How Shokz built its open-ear empire -from struggles to success