I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. -Henry David Thoreau
It all started in a school bus
Back in 2014 I was looking for a fun craft to make with my daughters when I came across a few YouTube clips on making basic huaraches. After crafting the whole family a pair, a couple of weeks later I read Born to Run and realized what I had made. Immediately, I became a barefoot running enthusiast. I spent the following years testing and developing the perfect minimalist running sandals using the best materials available (Vibram rubber and re-purposed rock climbing slings). These sandals have taken me on some of my biggest adventures such as running multiple trail ultras and thru-hiking the Long Trail in Vermont’s Green Mountains.
Sandal making requires little space, and by keeping my shop simple with a small footprint I was able to work on the go as my family and I backpacked, rock climbed and traveled the country for 3 years in our self-built Skoolie (school bus/tiny house conversion).
The adventure continues in Vermont
As the business has grown and as our family adventure shifted to putting down roots in the beautiful Green Mountains of Northern Vermont, I’ve moved the workshop, from the bus, into a 10x18’ heated shed, and now I am currently moving my workspace into the basement of our new home. With the expansion of my space, I’ve been able to work more and more efficiently, expand my materials to offer more colors and sole options, keep up with the growing demand, and develop new ordering options to best serve all the unique foot shapes out there. My family and just finished building our new home this winter. We can now be found taking refreshing dips in brooks, digging into the local community, hiking and running the local trails, and in the winter, embracing the strong ski culture here.