Have I told you like 9 million times because I have a hard time accepting I gave it up that I worked in the apparel business for over 20 years? Or that The Husband works for Pacific Sunwear a large awesome apparel company? Or that I was raised wearing clothes that had the word ‘sample’ written on the inside great stuff from the brands my dad worked for?
Yeah. Well, apparel manufacturing is beyond just being in my blood. I have been in factories from Peru to Paris to New York and every place in between…so I wasn’t expecting anything all that shocking yesterday when I had the chance to hang out at Sole Technology (Etnies, Emerica …). And boy was I surprised. To sum it up?
These people have sole soul.
Absolutely the best part of the visit was getting to hear from Pierre Andre Senizergues, who is the creator and founder and raw passion behind the brand. I learned about his youth in a Paris suburb where he was forced to duct tape his shoes to keep them together (skating is insanely hard on shoes). From that was born the inspiration to create shoes for skaters that not only last, but help them perform better and safer. Obviously the brand has developed into a multi-level, multi faceted EMPIRE which reaches to snow boarding, BMX and dare I say even…FASHION. But at the core of it all, the real motivator for the brand is technology. And happily they are now applying that to a new line of toddler/child shoes that actually GROW with your child (well technically you remove an insole to gain another 1/2 size) which combines cost effectiveness with comfort shoes for kids. They are called Grow with Me. And while they look like the big boy skater shoes, they have kid technology all of their own.
Do you know what else was pointed out to me I learned yesterday?
Apparently I can not take a photo without making the ‘disney-cheerleader-insane-person’ smile.
Don ‘the marketing stud’ Brown, really really happy ME and Pierre.
(Note: Pierre is holding his breath because he just never wants this moment to end. We are like total BFF’s now.)
Still reading?
LUCKY YOU.
Check out this deal…
Nov 17-Dec 4
For every $40 you spend you get $10 off
AND free shipping
at Etnies.com
Just by using this secret code:
ETNIES FAMILY
-
-
Don’t thank me…thank Etnies.
Who knew they were so glamorous after all?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love that face of yours! Don’t ever change.
I just LOVE reading your posts! :)
Very cool! Love the idea of the toddler shoes!!! (Can you tell I’m tired of buying shoes every two months-ish???) :)
Just checked out their site and it’s very impressive. Easy to shop! No boys in the fam, and no skaters yet, so maybe it’s premature . . . I will bookmark it, though. Thanks, Marcy!
p.s. Your photo smiles are as fun as you are. :)
p.s.s. You started in the apparel industry when you were SIX?! ;)
It was fun to see you!
Ha! Did you edit that photo of me at all? I don’t look as pasty as I do in real life.