Once upon a time, comfortable shoes were called "sensible." Today, thanks to Carlsbad local Christine Davis and her store, Coolest Shoes in California, comfortable shoes are now called "cool."
"The shoes we sell are rather unique," Davis said. "We are all about feature-rich shoes that offer all-day comfort. One line we carry is ventilated for cooler, drier feet. It is also a functional water-shoe and is machine washable. Another line we carry weighs only 3.3 ounces and offers a patented comfort, mogul foot bed. We also carry products made in the USA."
In the summer of 2008, with the encouragement and assistance of her husband, Bill, Coolest Shoes in California began selling the European-designed Glagla (glah-glah) nearly every weekend at street fairs, boat shows, music festivals, private trunk shows at local gyms and more. When consumers wanted to buy shoes during the week, Davis would load up her car with a variety of sizes and colors of the 5.5 ounce, ventilated shoe and meet her would-be customers at her local Starbucks and other places.
"Some people questioned my timing of starting a business in such a poor economy," Davis said. "And at times when I was meeting people at the park-and-ride by the freeway, I questioned my judgment as well. But our customers were becoming addicted to our shoes and our customer service, so I kept going."
In late 2009, Coolest Shoes in California moved into a warehouse with a small front office in a Carlsbad business park to make it easier for customers to have access to their shoes. Just three months later, local celebrity Larry Himmel of KFMB-TV Channel 8, stumbled across the Coolest Shoes in California at the San Diego Sunroad Boat Show and became a customer. Intrigued by the shoe and the method in which it was sold, he contacted Davis to be featured on his "In Your Neighborhood" segment.
"As the credits for the segment aired, my phone started ringing," Davis said. "Calls started coming in wanting to know what our hours were the next day and online orders started hitting my inbox. We had no idea what was ahead."
The following day more than 40 people visited their small, unassuming warehouse that only seated four people in the lobby, and the visits continued for weeks. To this day, people still say that they first learned about the shoes from that newscast.
In 2011, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce gave Davis its Entrepreneur of the Year award. According to Davis, the award put a stamp of approval on her business. To that end, three years after popping up the first tent at a San Diego street fair, Davis opened up a boutique on State Street in the heart of the Village and began adding additional brands of shoes. She just recently hired her first employee.
"We're very excited about the new lines of shoes we've added to meet the needs of our customers," Davis said. "We've stayed true to our point-of view to offer shoes that provide both comfort and style at affordable prices. Our newest line, called Latitude 33, is headquartered here in Carlsbad. It offers the classic style of a women's deck shoe with the added benefit of being ridiculously lightweight. A Latitude 33 men's line debuts this summer. And our dressy casual Bernie Mev line offers extreme comfort in its woven elastic fabric and weighs only 5 ounces."
The Glagla line of shoes that started it all is expanding later this month with the addition of three new adult styles for men and women as well as two new children's styles. Davis said they are adding another line of light weight "sock optional" shoes in late March as well as a line of flip flops to round out the two (ToeSox and Okabashi) that they currently carry.
"We love being in the Carlsbad Village," Davis said. "We've only been here a short while, but we feel like we've found the perfect home for Coolest Shoes in California."
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The Business Spotlight is a paid editorial feature. For information about getting your company in the spotlight, contact Terry Thomas at 760-931-8400 or [email protected]
"The shoes we sell are rather unique," Davis said. "We are all about feature-rich shoes that offer all-day comfort. One line we carry is ventilated for cooler, drier feet. It is also a functional water-shoe and is machine washable. Another line we carry weighs only 3.3 ounces and offers a patented comfort, mogul foot bed. We also carry products made in the USA."
In the summer of 2008, with the encouragement and assistance of her husband, Bill, Coolest Shoes in California began selling the European-designed Glagla (glah-glah) nearly every weekend at street fairs, boat shows, music festivals, private trunk shows at local gyms and more. When consumers wanted to buy shoes during the week, Davis would load up her car with a variety of sizes and colors of the 5.5 ounce, ventilated shoe and meet her would-be customers at her local Starbucks and other places.
"Some people questioned my timing of starting a business in such a poor economy," Davis said. "And at times when I was meeting people at the park-and-ride by the freeway, I questioned my judgment as well. But our customers were becoming addicted to our shoes and our customer service, so I kept going."
In late 2009, Coolest Shoes in California moved into a warehouse with a small front office in a Carlsbad business park to make it easier for customers to have access to their shoes. Just three months later, local celebrity Larry Himmel of KFMB-TV Channel 8, stumbled across the Coolest Shoes in California at the San Diego Sunroad Boat Show and became a customer. Intrigued by the shoe and the method in which it was sold, he contacted Davis to be featured on his "In Your Neighborhood" segment.
"As the credits for the segment aired, my phone started ringing," Davis said. "Calls started coming in wanting to know what our hours were the next day and online orders started hitting my inbox. We had no idea what was ahead."
The following day more than 40 people visited their small, unassuming warehouse that only seated four people in the lobby, and the visits continued for weeks. To this day, people still say that they first learned about the shoes from that newscast.
In 2011, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce gave Davis its Entrepreneur of the Year award. According to Davis, the award put a stamp of approval on her business. To that end, three years after popping up the first tent at a San Diego street fair, Davis opened up a boutique on State Street in the heart of the Village and began adding additional brands of shoes. She just recently hired her first employee.
"We're very excited about the new lines of shoes we've added to meet the needs of our customers," Davis said. "We've stayed true to our point-of view to offer shoes that provide both comfort and style at affordable prices. Our newest line, called Latitude 33, is headquartered here in Carlsbad. It offers the classic style of a women's deck shoe with the added benefit of being ridiculously lightweight. A Latitude 33 men's line debuts this summer. And our dressy casual Bernie Mev line offers extreme comfort in its woven elastic fabric and weighs only 5 ounces."
The Glagla line of shoes that started it all is expanding later this month with the addition of three new adult styles for men and women as well as two new children's styles. Davis said they are adding another line of light weight "sock optional" shoes in late March as well as a line of flip flops to round out the two (ToeSox and Okabashi) that they currently carry.
"We love being in the Carlsbad Village," Davis said. "We've only been here a short while, but we feel like we've found the perfect home for Coolest Shoes in California."
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The Business Spotlight is a paid editorial feature. For information about getting your company in the spotlight, contact Terry Thomas at 760-931-8400 or [email protected]