Spring is near. A new shoe is launching. Our company logo takes on a new look. This is all in addition to policy updates and more in the latest edition of the SOM Newsletter.
New Shoe: The Trailhead
Lift Off!! - SOM Footwear is announcing the launch of their newest and most technical shoe -the Trailhead.
When Olie started designing and producing shoes to eliminate his back pain while running, the Trailhead was what he had in mind. Through years of trial and error and feedback from countless customers, Olie has been able to blend the right mix of design and materials to produce a barefoot-inspired shoe that can handle whatever Mother Nature throws your way. See its tech sheet here.
By incorporating SuperFabric® into his design, Olie has produced a shoe that will shed water and grit, allow your foot to breathe and function as it was designed, all the while looking good. The light weight will provide you with extra stamina to complete long adventures and the wide toebox will keep your toes happy.
Utilizing a technical fabric isn’t a game changer in its own right. But combining it with Olie’s barefoot-inspired design certainly is. For anyone looking for a minimalist, barefoot-feel experience while pursuing their outdoor adventures, the Trailhead is the answer.
Shipping and Resoling Policy Changes
SOM Shipping Prime:
As with most things in life, change is inevitable. We have always cherished the fact that we could offer free shipping to our repeat customers. Unfortunately shipping costs keep rising, and have done so to a point where it is no longer viable for us to keep this long-term benefit in effect.
All new orders will attract a SOM Shipping Prime fee ($17.95). Your one-year fee will cover the shipping costs of:
- your new order of SOMs;
- one exchange or one return both ways and;
- your next pair(s) if bought within one year of your initial purchase.
If you need to exchange more than once, you will be invoiced for $10 to ship the replacement pair to you. You will also be responsible for the shipping cost of returning the wrong size pair if you have already resized once before. Please find the new shipping policy here.
Resoling:
We are excited to inform you that we are maintaining our policy of a free resole of your existing pair of SOMs when you purchase a new pair. Customers will still need to ship to the factory at their own cost, and there will be a $10 charge to ship your freshly resoled shoes back to you. Please remember, it is important to send pictures prior to shipping your shoes so we can confirm with you that they are ready for resoling.
Repeat Customer Discount:
As a thank you for ordering another pair, we will take $5 off your purchase of any full-priced new pair of SOMs. This discount is applied manually after you place your order and cannot be combined with other special offers.
The Story Behind SOM’s Logo
by: SOM's Co-Founders
This year marks SOM’s 5 year anniversary! The journey really started in 2011, when Olie our founder, realized that less shoe was better for his back.(Watch the video of the SOM's story here.)
We sold a pair of SOMs for the very first time in July 2014, which is why we are celebrating this year. One additional element to this journey is the Trademark process that was filed in 2012 but officially registered in 2015, almost one year after we sold the first pair of SOMs. Since that joyful moment of relief and satisfaction the SOM logo has evolved.
Our logo (see below) started as a mark of love, bringing a pair of shoes to life that would allow people to rediscover their original sense of motion. Our friends kindly put together the name into natural elements as the sun rays for S, the sun for O and the mountains for M, and included cute feet to remind us of our dedication to feet and their very important function.
Today, we know that SOM shoes are part of the sense of motion of nature as a whole. In our new logo we see the sun or the moon being in complete motion, with nature represented by the mountains. The Sense Of Motion of nature is clearly defined with our omnipresent acronym. Don’t be surprised to see the feet re-appearing from time to time! We are as dedicated as ever to you and your feet, and are over the moon to have you on this journey with us.
Urban Trekker:
Having so many wonderful customers provide us with feedback on their shoes, as well as what they would like to see next from SOM, it is no wonder that the Urban Trekker, released this past December, has moved up to be our #1 best seller.
The feedback we received is that our customers wanted the same feel and benefits of their current SOM shoes, but with a more fashionable flare. Olie listened, and the Urban Trekker was born. Coming in both Steel Blue and Sumptuous Red, the Urban Trekker is flying out the door. Customers are loving the slick leather look (don’t worry, it is synthetic leather as all of SOM’s shoes are vegan!) An added bonus of the material used in the Urban Trekker is that it is highly water repellent, more so than SOM’s other models.
With the combination of comfort, performance and fashion, it is of little surprise that the Urban Trekker is now leading the pack.
Grand Junction Expo:
Earlier this month SOM Footwear attended the “Explore the Outdoors Expo” in Grand Junction. As SOM shoes are primarily available online only, this represented a great chance for people to play with and experience the comfort of SOM’s designs.
SOM’s barefoot-inspired design is unique and yet intuitive. With very few comparable shoes on the market, having the ability to try them on and experience the difference first-hand is a game changer for potential customers. Olie commented: “Once people feel the light weight, free movement provided by the design and materials, they almost forget they are wearing shoes.”
Part of SOM’s industry-leading customer service is their desire to connect with the community. Based in Montrose Colorado, SOM does all that it can to support their local community through sponsorships, donations and offering free tours of their production facility. Attending the Expo is another way in which SOM does its best to connect with their customers and provide everyone with an opportunity to experience the difference their shoes make.
Latest Testimonials:
As mentioned above, we are lucky to have so many customers provide amazing feedback on their experience with our shoes. We love to share these comments as it helps others get a feel for what to expect from their future pair of SOMs. Here are some of the latest comments:
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“I’ve owned several brands of minimalist footwear, including Luna Sandals, Xero Shoes, Vivos and Soft Stars. These are hands down the most comfortable. They did have a few locations of premature wear that I was worried about, but have seemed to reach an equilibrium and are still going strong. They’ve been through the wash about once every three months, a huge benefit.
By far the biggest surprise was how comfortable they are for running. I used to carry along my Lunas for runs, switching in the middle of my work day, but one day I forgot them and wore these instead. They were so much nicer that I’ve since closeted my Lunas and wear these for work and runs. Lately I’ve been logging 10-20 miles a week in them, and that’s only jogging.
Since I bought them about a year ago it looks like the design and sole has been upgraded, so I think it’s about time to score another pair for work and only use these on runs. Fantastic shoes, seriously can’t say enough in their favor.”
A.C of Herndon, Virgina
March 2019
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“I am happy with them. I am impressed with the build quality and attention to detail; that and being made in America makes them worth the price to me. They're still a bit narrow for me but so far the best off-the-shelf casual shoe I've been able to find. I like the style, and this sort of footwear in a conventional street wear style is basically impossible to find. I wore Chuck Taylors for 15 years before I switched to Vibram Five Fingers so I was pretty happy to find out about the Norwood."
B.L. of Canterbury, New Zealand
January 2019
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“I’d like to say that I absolutely enjoy your product and your business model. I continue to try different models and brands in the growing wide toe box market, but am always looking forward to getting my feet back into a pair of SOMs. There is no shoe like it on the market, and I highly value that they're made in the USA! Thank you for following your entrepreneurial ambition and bringing me and my feet some long sought comfort!”
E.A. of Ashville, North Carolina
January 2019
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“I love them. I wear them to the gym and on Saturdays out and about. I receive compliments from random strangers! I love the zero drop flat foot feel. And I love how they look. I'm glad I bought them. I love to support American Made!”
L.R. of Myrtle Creek, Oregon
January 2019
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