Facing the challenges to stay ‘Made in USA’ is rewarded by your support! There is a simple reason we are in love with our customers--you are simply adorable! We do what we can to serve you, and you return the favor by answering a long survey to help us grow!
“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being." - John Joseph Powell
In this edition we share some of the results, the winners to the products made in Colorado gift basket giveaway, and our latest model — Flare, that was released a few weeks ago.
SURVEY: WOULD YOU HELP OUR SHOEMAKER?
You said YES! More than a 55% response rate so far. The deadline to win a basket has passed, but we’ll keep the survey open a few more days for responses. We so appreciate your input and all of the time each of you has taken to share your thoughts on our products. We are also overwhelmed by your positive comments and appreciation.
MADE IN USA AND CUSTOMER SERVICES
As we are answering several comments and compiling all the data, there are two simple messages which you have clearly stated: that SOM should never stop doing: “quality wide toe box minimalist shoes made in USA”; and to keep our “awesome customer service”. Every day our goals are to serve feet the best way we can and to take care of their owners in the same way that we would like to be treated. We have to admit that we are in love with our customers - you! - which makes it easy to take care of them!
Made in USA is a challenge we took up when not many companies were brave or courageous enough to do the same. (Being young and innocent makes you act boldly!) At that time, we went against the flow and it has been more challenging than we could ever imagine. But the satisfaction of being supported by people like you on a daily basis reinforces our beliefs in that endeavor. Let me assure you, wherever we are aiming, the experience has been a priceless, hysterical, incomparable gift! (Maybe we will write a book one day. ;-) )
WHY SOM?
Many of our customers may not have realized what ‘SOM’ stands for. It has been intriguing to learn why you like your SOMs, even though you may not know from where our name is derived. Our primary tagline is “Rediscover your original sense of motion with SOM Sense Of Motion Footwear”. SOM Footwear was born in the minimalist spirit of believing our feet will work at their optimum if they have the space for it. The answers to the survey express exactly what we were hoping to achieve--an everything, go-to, comfortable, wide toe box shoe that allows your feet to do the work they were meant to do. Your sense of motion is the primary focus behind SOM.
KEEP BEING INNOVATIVE
One more thing you want us to continue is to keep innovating and improving our products. Your suggestions are abundant in that area, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your input. We have come a long way since our beginning in 2014. Our founder and shoemaker, Olie, is always looking to raise his standards to offer the best quality product to serve your feet. The process has not been simple, and sometimes it takes longer to get to where we really want to be, which wears down our own patience along the way. We appreciate our customers who have specific requests and patiently wait for us to deliver. Seeing your patience helps us move forward and keep hoping we’ll get where we should be. There are so many more things we would like to accomplish! We’ll get there!
AND THE WINNERS ARE ...
Congratulations to our lucky winners of the gift baskets who have confirmed so far: T. McClure in AK, R. Bush in MN, K. Moors in MD, C. Adams in CA, C. Trant in NY, M. Cotton in KS, B. Egbert in NC, E. Farrington in CO, L. Trebby in NY, D. Shrum in FL, L. Condit in TX, J. Marciano in PA, L. Beeson in OR, J. Carman in TX, B. Parrish in CO, K. Lawrence in CO, J. Lopez in CO, and J. Vantine in TX.
Once again, we are very grateful to all of you who responded to our survey. It was important for us to find a reward that is in line with our philosophy to support other craftsmanship from Colorado every time we can. In the process, we discovered new gem suppliers whom we will be happy to work with again. (See their logos below.)
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Dirty Water Soap Works
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| Handcrafted light from Ridgway, Colorado | Dirts is in the water not on you! |
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| Chocolate is love and makes everything in life better | Sleep mask from excess materials |
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| Nutty granola ! | Proudly stiched in Colorado! |
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Wood postcard: |
Real food for real life! |
FLARE
Recently, we introduced our newest model--Flare! Inspired by the sun’s solar flares, this new model has athletic appeal with a vibrant orange on our abrasive- and water-resistant black. We even added triple orange stitching for charisma. It’s already a popular model!
Flares are constructed with durable black corduroy, including the tongue and toe box, which is different than the Norwood. The orange stitching commands attention, making this a chic shoe. We even added bright orange laces for a more luminous glow. Also, we have orange SnapLaces in stock as an add-on for those who prefer an easy on, easy off pair of shoes.
We didn’t sacrifice comfort when designing this shoe. Flares are lightweight and still have the flexible Vibram sole with the wide toe box. Looking stylish and having happy feet is paramount at SOM Footwear.
Naming a new model is no easy task: there are team meetings with a lot of brainstorming and many questions raised. We even solicited input from recent factory tour guests, asking for their help in the naming process. It came down to two names, with each group preferring a different name. Finally, we had to flip a coin to decide between the two! There is very little technology involved in naming a shoe...but certainly a lot of thought and creativity.
ON THE HORIZON, ONE MORE TIME
We still cannot tell you yet what is coming at SOM. It is hard to stay silent because we are very excited for the upcoming improvements to increase the scope of our production (refer to February newsletter). There is a saying in French: "La patience est le maître-mot" which means patience is the master word. ;-) Stay tuned!
SHOW US YOUR SOMS!
We embrace your adventures as if they were ours when we see where your SOMs take you. The next time you get a chance, please share the moment with us, too! You can email photos to us or use your favorite social media platform to #showusyourSOMs. We’ll share your testimonials as well. For email, use somteam@somfootwear.com
"Good to travel with our SOMs in San Cristobal, Mexico." M.Q. & K.Q. of Colona, CO
March 2018
TO STAY IN TOUCH
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Hello Stephen,
We intend to keep doing what we are doing—making shoes in the USA that serve feet!
Thanks for being a valued customer!
Best,
ABSOLUTELY! Just keep on doing what you are doing. I’m 72, have 4 pairs of SOMS and I will probably will them to my nieces and nephews! SOM is ALLLLLL I wear! On the feet, anyway!!!