Hello! Hi! First of all, thank you for joining us in our early days. This automatically makes you a SAOLA "VIP" member for life! Which doesn't mean much at the moment—we grant you that, but we hope you'll soon be very proud of it!
For us, this is the beginning of a great adventure. So, it's a good time to update you on what's been happening over the past few months and give an update on the brand's development. But first...
A bit of history
It was about a year and a half ago that SAOLA went from a concept to a real project. Passionate about the environment and the world of the outdoors, SAOLA had been on Guillaume's mind for a long time.
In 2015, the time had come to take action (and no…it wasn't a midlife crisis!). After 13 years in Colorado, he quit his job in the outdoor industry, packed his bags, and put his family on a plane to return to France and start a new adventure. Yallah!
Design + Development
The constantly evolving shoe design process has taught us some great lessons in humility. We've gotten used to plan B... or C... well, okay, or even D, but all without compromising our initial goal. But with each prototype we receive, we get closer and closer to what we had imagined... the foot! Obviously, we're under pressure, but who wouldn't want to design their own shoes, and eco-designed ones too?! And we're almost there.
Nine months of development later, we went to meet our suppliers again. We're happy to tell you that the shoes look great and are comfortable. Along the way, we realize – Oh! how difficult it is to stay true to our responsible commitment, and so we understand why the range of eco-designed shoes on the market is so underdeveloped. Well, we'll explain all that in a new post next time, but for now, we guarantee that we're pushing hard for the most environmentally friendly practices and materials possible.Â
The launch
Oh yes... that little detail... (gulp). The preview launch is planned for you—our super VIP network—via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter® next May. Grab your calendar and mark it in red, with exclamation points and happy emojis because you'll be the first to own a pair of sneakers that's committed to the planet. We promise, we'll give you more info very soon. Otherwise, SAOLA shoes will be available in stores and on our website from the beginning of 2018. We've already started talking to representatives and retailers, who all loved the concept. So excited! But first things first: let's blow up the counter on Kickstarter!
The Outdoor Sports Valley Incubator
Based in Annecy, Outdoor Sports Valley (OSV) is the professional association that brings together companies in the outdoor sector in France. So, of course, when SAOLA was accepted among the first projects to be “incubated” last summer, it gave us a boost, but above all, it was the first time that someone “official” showed us a little love. Besides the fact that they love us and reassure us (which is very, very important?), the OSV offers us a roof… support, their network, and media visibility. We have just completed the second phase of the incubator and are entering phase 3 for a period of one year. Thank you to the OSV community!
And there you have it! We're so excited to be able to show you the shoes soon, and we can't wait for you to wear them!
But what makes us even happier is that, thanks to you, we can support these projects that will help preserve OUR planet!
Together, we can #MAKEANIMPACT
