I know it has been a minute since I posted something relevant, but being a small business owner, juggling a family and trying to keep up with the best product to bring to my people takes a lot of time and dedication :) Regardless, I am always working, constantly listening and sticking to my values and beliefs in the ever changing footwear world.
My biggest question I have is 'where have all these NEW companies come from'?!? Every week another new brand pops up with uber cool kicks and a funky name/story which I find very interesting, only to learn they are 'financed' by a Chinese factory who are building shoes designed in the U.S. by some fresh designer and trying to capitalize in a cluttered market. I am not going to mention any brands out there and have definitely seen some really cool concepts/materials/outsoles/etc. but the problem is the people running the factories know how to make a shoe but don't know how to sell a shoe. When they get hot in the U.S. and the designer/creator of this new brand goes back for more product/marketing dollars/etc. the sh#t hits the fan and they usually fall short getting the necessary working capital to get to the 'next level'. I am down with doing it all yourself but the footwear industry has way too many 'established' companies waiting for the fresh product to come out and knock off, hence putting the small, new up-start company out of business :/ Rambling, I know, but just thinking about what I am seeing.
There are a lot of new brands coming to ATEAM the next few weeks and hopefully they are 'not' what I have mentioned, but WE are always going to go with our gut and the people who sell us the product. If they are real, we will believe!
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