Win a Pair of GladSoles

Posted on 2014/03/20 by alis

Enter to win any pair of GladSoles minimalist sandals by using the widget below. Contest ends next Monday March 31st, 2014 at midnight. The winner will receive one pair of GladSoles (any model: Lite, Original or Trail)
*International participants must pay shipping cost if chosen as winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whether you’re hiking the trails or just going for a walk, GladSoles will get you where you need to go in style and comfort. GladSoles come in 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm Vibram® soles. The lace is recessed into the bottom of the sole, and very easy to swap out.

Sizing:
Every pair of GladSoles is completely custom-made by hand, based on tracings of your feet. Take it slowly when you trace your feet, as an accurate tracing ensures a perfect fit.

The GladSoles Trail Specs:
Weight: 3.2 oz (per sandal, laces included, size 9)
Thickness: 8 mm
Tread: aggressive tread – durable, oil resisting, non-slip
Ground Feel: very good – slightly muted feel compared to GladSoles Original
Does it float? yes
Other: Vibram Newflex 8mm is a rubber/foam composite blend with an advanced traction pattern on the out-sole. Lightweight and overall the most comfortable sole material we offer.

Comparing the different GladSoles models:

• GladSoles Lite – As you can tell from the name, this is our lightest weight and thinnest (4mm) model. Great for the pool & beach. This model has less structure than the Original or the Trail. Best suited for those of you who really want to feel every little nook and cranny that you might encounter on and off-road. Kids really love this model.

• GladSoles Original – This is where it all started. The GladSoles Original is our most versatile sandal. It’s 6mm thin, really light weight and works well on many surfaces. Recommended for all first time, barefoot sandal wearers! This sandal has some structure to it, and will mold to your feet after you wear them around for a few days. Perfect for running, walking, hiking, casual wear – it’s a great all-around sandal.

• GladSoles Trail – This is our most secure and rugged sandal. It is 8mm thick, but will mold to your feet within a few days. Great for all of your off-road adventures. It has an aggressive tread that really grips the trails well, but will wear down a little quicker on asphalt and other man-made surfaces. The Trail model is made for all you trail runners out there, plus it’s an all-around, really comfortable everyday sandal.

Warranty:
It’s really simple. If you have an issue with your sandals, just let us know and we will fix it. We take great pride in our sandals and want to make sure that you love them as much as we do!

Shipping to all countries

BAREFOOT SHARK TANK – The Results

Posted on 2013/02/14 by GladSoles Blogger

So, what did you think of the “Shark Tank” Xero Shoes episode? We were jumping out of our chairs here! Even the lead-in to the segment was exciting: a promo for some new ABC show starring ER’s Anthony Edwards! Where has he been all these years?

They opened the segment with a trip to Colorado so we could see Xero in action, running on the Rocky Mountain trails.

Robert Herjavec asked the classic “and you can run in these?” question that we always enjoy answering, and it was cool to see him try them on and walk across several different surfaces. He loved them!

Daymond John had the classic “this is just a piece of rubber and a string,” so he wanted them to explain the valuation. Xero were asking for $400K for an 8% stake in the company – valuing it at $5M.

Kevin O’Leary – “Mr. Wonderful” – pointed out that if the segment is growing as fast as they say it is, that a big competitor could make the same product for less, put its huge distribution behind it and “crush these cockroaches.” I guess I kind of called that one. However, he liked their story and their ‘schtick’ and made them an offer of $400K for 50%.

I thought Barbara got a little personal, saying that Steve gave her a headache and reminded her of her ex-husband. Ouch!

With no other offers on the table, Xero countered O’Leary’s offer and asked for 10%. Mark Cuban suggested they take the one offer on the table, but they opted not to. Mr. Wonderful said “you’re dead to me. Run out of here in your bare feet.”

We were sorry not to see them get a deal, but it was great to see huarache-style sandals worn on national TV. The mass-produced kit is an interesting idea. I’m not sure that we at GladSoles would be ready to go that route. We love making each pair individually and ensuring a perfect fit every time.

What did you think? Are you ready to invest?

–J

BAREFOOT SHARK TANK. Will The Sharks Bite Into The Running Sandal Market?

Posted on 2013/01/31 by GladSoles Blogger

This Friday, one of GladSoles’ fellow travelers, Steve Sachen of Xero Shoes, will be diving into the Shark Tank to pitch his barefoot running sandals to the panel. I can’t wait to watch the show and see what the investors say. This is a great development, in my opinion, as it’s a clear sign that barefoot huarache-style sandals, similar to GladSoles are hitting the mainstream in a big way.

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to stand in front of the Sharks and present GladSoles, so I’m curious to see how the Xero pitch will work. Will it be focused on the advantages of barefoot running? Will he try to sell the sharks on the customizable nature of the sandal?

Will the pitch center on the market? According to Flip-Flop Shop franchisee Scott Santy, flip-flop sales have grown 8.2% in the last 3 years, accounting for $1.5 billion of U.S. surf-wear retail sales. If all those flip-flop wearers decided to become barefoot huarache style sandal wearers that could be huge!

Which shark will take the bait? Mark Cuban? I’m not sure if footwear will appeal to him, although he does endorse Sketchers sneakers. What about Daymond John? He’s in the clothing biz, so what will he make of the sandals? Are they going to be a hot item for Lori Greiner to bring to QVC? Will “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary crush the idea like a bug? I hope not! Hopefully there’ll be a bidding war, but whatever the outcome, you can’t buy better exposure.

We hope that this signals a time when people will come to us and already know about custom-made barefoot sandals, and we won’t have quite as much explaining to do.

We can’t wait to see the results and we wish them good luck!

Links:

Shark Tank Website

Xero Shoes Website

The Perfect Look For The Overnight Millionare

Posted on 2012/05/18 by GladSoles Blogger

With Facebook’s IPO all over the news, the New York Times posted an article on the understated wealth of Silicon Valley’s overnight millionaires. According to the story, the preference in Palo Alto is not to shove one’s good fortune in peoples’ faces. A photo of your flashy new car posted online is more likely to get ridiculed than admired, and instead of a handmade tailored suit, jeans and hoodies are the preferred uniform.

The creature comforts are there, but in an understated fashion: Home theaters are buried underground, away from view. People ride the streets on 20,000 hand-painted Italian bicycles. And some executives are sporting custom-made jeans from 3×1, that cost $1,200.

It occurs to me that a great pair of our hand-made GladSoles could be the perfect shoe to complete the look, and the perfect complement to a pair of custom-made jeans. Like 3×1, we don’t see any benefit to a mass-produced product. We take pride in making each and every pair of our sandals, by hand, for the individual. And like those $20,000 bikes, each pair of our sandals has its own individual look.

The big difference is that you don’t have to be an overnight Facebook millionaire to outfit yourself with GladSoles. Imagine only paying $60 for a pair of completely custom-made sandals that fit only your feet, and that will last and last and last.

Links:

NYT Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/technology/a-start-up-is-gold-for-facebooks-new-millionaires.html?hpw

VeloTech cycles: http://velotechcycles.com/

3×1: http://3×1.us/

BAREFOOT IN HONG KONG PART IV – OFF TO THE RACES AND FOOTCARE HK STYLE

Posted on 2012/04/11 by GladSoles Blogger

Wednesday night is horse-racing night in Hong Kong, and it’s only open to adults. So we took advantage of the fact that our kids are older now, and left them playing Uno at the hotel, while a group of us headed to the Happy Valley Race Track. For extra youth and vigor we brought nephews Yoni and Eitan.

Happy Valley is amazing. The floodlights make it look like it’s the middle of the afternoon, and it’s a cool contrast with the Hong Kong skyscrapers lit up against the night sky. We took a spot in the stands with a good view of all the frenzied activity, while Eitan went to place a bet, telling us casually that he always does well with these types of things.

Then the horses came out and took their places inside the gates that had been set up across the course. With a BANG they were off! The instant they left the groundskeepers had a race of their own to take the starting gates down and smooth out the turf before the horses got back to start lap 2. It was a real nail-biter! I’ve never seen rakes fly that fast! Eitan, true to his word, won his bet, and another 2 after that, and was flush with cash for the rest of the trip!

: Foot Massage in Hong Kong

The next evening was the first “official” event before the weekend’s festivities. We gathered at Sevva, on the roof of the Princes Building for drinks and appetizers. Sis-in-law Debby had arranged for people to get foot massages at Happy Foot Massage near the hotel. In Hong Kong, foot massages are a very popular way to relax. Between the cocktails we’d enjoyed at our hotel’s happy hour before, and the free flowing alcohol on the roof deck, I was relaxed enough so I took the opportunity to spend some rare quality time with my parents.

The foot massage was right up Rich’s alley as you can imagine. As someone who has spent the past 2 years focusing on strengthening his feet, he was only too happy to slip off his GladSoles and get some expert footcare! From what I was told, it was quite the scene of blissed out debauchery, and one of the high points of our extraordinary trip!

Links:

http://www.happyvalleyracecourse.com/

http://www.sevva.hk/

http://www.happyfoot.hk/mavista/cms/en/home

Still Running, Adding More Yoga, and Vibram KomodoSport LS

Posted on 2012/04/08 by GladSoles Blogger

March was a pretty good month. The weather was warmer than normal, I got to run barefoot a few times, I can now comfortably touch my knees to my nose (yeah yoga!), and it was my birthday. I managed to exercise every single day except for the last two, but I have a good excuse for one of the days since we were on-site at the Jivamukti Yoga Center for a trunk show. Goodbye Winter, hello Spring!

It is so much easier to exercise when it’s nice outside. I go running no matter what the conditions are, but the sun helps a lot. I also find many of the yoga poses much easier to do when the house isn’t freezing cold in the morning. I also don’t miss the clanging of the radiators at the crack of dawn. I really hope that the cold days are gone until next winter.

Being my birthday and all, I went out and bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Komodosport LS shoes for the upcoming tennis season. Last year I used the regular Komodosports and had much success. The new model (LS) adds laces to the top instead of a velcro closure. They’re a little easier to put on my extra wide feet because the opening is wider than the old model. Plus they look really cool, I promise they do! I anticipate that I will like them very much on the tennis courts as they are really very similar to my other pair, with the addition of the laces. If anyone knows of another minimal tennis shoe that you can recommend, please let me know as I am always looking for the latest and greatest in the world of minimalist sneakers.

Anyway, here are my exercise stats for March: (February stats here)

Running (in my GladSoles when not barefoot): 17 times for a total of 128.75 km
Yoga: 12 sessions (new record for 1 month)
Tennis: 0 matches – soon
Rest Days: 2