Authors
Hi fans, We created Leming Footwear as a solution for most of humankind, and we begin to share our stories here.
RunBARE with STEM Interview Video
Salt Lake City, UT- Michael Sandler, author of Barefoot Running Book, interviews the creator of STEM Footwear.
The video was taken at the Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow Jan. 22, 2011.
STEM Booth at OR Show
Wow.
Our first OR Show was an incredible trip and overwhelming success we
will never forget. The booth was so busy we had to wait until after
show hours to be able to take a picture. Over the fours days and 36
hours of showtime the Booth looked more like the picture below this one.
We
shared our story with everyone we could: clients, consumers and even
competitors. Our philosophy is to educate people about living an more
natural and healthy lifestyle by starting with the understanding "it all
STEM's from the ground up" and so we did not exclude anyone from
hearing our story. We had such great conversations about shoes, bare
feet, our evolution, foot pain, and so many others topics and that's
what made it such a touching experience for us.
We
had all types of people try on STEM's: people that wear Fivefingers,
people that never would, people that sometimes like to go barefoot, and
people that their doctors told them never to go without shoes. Everyone
was first shocked how lightweight they are (6.3oz.) and then how comfy
they felt. One guy was so excited that he offered to pay as much as he
had to, in order to get a pair. It was the first pair of shoes that he
EVER put on that didn't hurt his bunion joint. We cut a deal with him
so he walked out with the first pair of STEM's ever sold.
Another
guy tried on STEM's and said it was the first pair of shoes that he
wanted that were made by "someone other than himself." He is a
professional shoe tailor and has made all his own shoes for 40 years.
He stopped by the booth all four days of the Show asking if he could buy
a pair yet.
Our old friends, Micheal and Jessica Sandler, authors of Barefoot Running and RunBARE,
paid us a visit. Also in the picture is Mike (world's greatest
salesperson) and David getting their 15 minutes of fame next to the
stars. We are so thankful to have had the chance to work along side
David, or should I say Dr. Lesher, he takes Natural and Ancestral Health
to new heights in his lifestyle and just like Michael and Jessica
inspires us. Check out his blog
I
had to show this, check out Jessica's TOES. She's gained back the
dexterity so much that she can pick up a baseball with her feet, like
it's her hand. Absolutely incredible.
To
wrap up the end of the Show, it was such a hit that none of us could
have ever prepared for it. Now we look forward to continuing the
conversation, changing people's lives and spreading STEM seeds
everywhere. Look for some taking root in your area. That's me in the
center, my fiance and our Marketing VP, Allie, and my father John.
Thanks to everyone who worked to make the Show happen from our booth
builder to our print designer, sales team and logistics planners.
written by Andrew
written by Andrew
"Great Toe" positioning
The Great Toe, otherwise know as the Big Toe, is the centerpiece in so many foot functions. Simply correcting the positioning of the Great Toe and giving the other toes space to splay can cure pain from plantar fasciitis to bunions, and neuropathology (numbness). There is a great product designed by a podiatrist at NW Foot & Ankle, Dr. Ray McClanahan. His product called Correct Toes can be worn barefoot or with shoes with a wide toebox such as STEMs. Correct Toes will undo and un-deform what years of wearing poorly designed shoes has done to our toes. It's truly miraculous.
Stem Footwear Status: Product Development
I've had many fans message me asking when our shoe is going to be
available. To answer your question: our expected release date is August
2011, however we will be releasing spy photos and be sending out
testing samples in the next 3 months. Currently, our shoes are being
developed with our manufacturers. Look for press on our Shoe line over
the next several months.
I have some great news about the development of our shoes: they will be like nothing else currently out there. We cannot share all the details but I will tell you that the sole compound is specially developed for Stem Footwear to be remarkably flexible, lightweight, and ideal firmness and is not yet being used by any other shoe manufacturers in the market. Also, the FIT (Last) of the shoe has been developed from the ground up specifically for Stem Footwear so it will fit unlike anything else out there, with a naturally W I D E toebox and closeness around the heel. If you can't wait to see this shoe and try it on for yourself, then send me a message on our comment form and I will add you to our newsletter so you're the first to hear about Stem Footwear Status.
I have some great news about the development of our shoes: they will be like nothing else currently out there. We cannot share all the details but I will tell you that the sole compound is specially developed for Stem Footwear to be remarkably flexible, lightweight, and ideal firmness and is not yet being used by any other shoe manufacturers in the market. Also, the FIT (Last) of the shoe has been developed from the ground up specifically for Stem Footwear so it will fit unlike anything else out there, with a naturally W I D E toebox and closeness around the heel. If you can't wait to see this shoe and try it on for yourself, then send me a message on our comment form and I will add you to our newsletter so you're the first to hear about Stem Footwear Status.
American Children Off on the Wrong Foot
When working as a shoe salesperson nothing is more emotionally raging than when a parent walks in and asks, "I want a supportive shoe for my child because I want him/her to have a healthy back and knees when he/she gets older." This request comes up in every concerned parent. They think they are taking care of their child's future, when in fact, they are doing just the opposite. Concerned parents are so determined to get the most supportive and cushioned shoe for their child that there is absolutely no stopping them. They are adamant that their children wear the "best shoe" with complete disregard for the realistic negative effects on development of their child's feet. I've gotten into many heated debates with such parents but they are so brainwashed, there is no chance of talking sense into them. And so as a result I, as the shoe salesperson, am forced to sell what the parent thinks is best for the child instead of what is best in reality.
Parents are under the false belief that children need just as much cushioning in the sole as adults. What you don't realize is that putting the average one inch of cushioning under the heel in a child's shoe is like wearing high heels for a child. The sad part is that the major shoe companies not only making these high heel shoes for children, but actually prescribing them as the best thing for them. One inch under the heel in a child's shoe is actually a "modest amount" in the shoe market. On a such a short shoe this heel cushioning results in a downward slope from the heel to the ball of the foot of more than 20 degrees and as much as 30 degrees in smaller sizes. This means in order to stand upright the child has to slope their pelvis downward and arch their lower back. More weight is bearing on the front of the knees and the spine is no longer in natural alignment but is drastically curved. The more parents require their children to wear these shoes, the more this sloped pelvis position and back curvature permanently take hold. As our children develop into teenagers and then into adults they begin to feel the painful effects of this unnatural positioning in their knees, back, and neck.
A life of joint and spine pain all because as children their parents wanted them to wear the "best shoes." A word to all the parents out there "When shoes are necessary put the least amount of a shoe on your children's feet, a shoe with nothing to it."
Parents are under the false belief that children need just as much cushioning in the sole as adults. What you don't realize is that putting the average one inch of cushioning under the heel in a child's shoe is like wearing high heels for a child. The sad part is that the major shoe companies not only making these high heel shoes for children, but actually prescribing them as the best thing for them. One inch under the heel in a child's shoe is actually a "modest amount" in the shoe market. On a such a short shoe this heel cushioning results in a downward slope from the heel to the ball of the foot of more than 20 degrees and as much as 30 degrees in smaller sizes. This means in order to stand upright the child has to slope their pelvis downward and arch their lower back. More weight is bearing on the front of the knees and the spine is no longer in natural alignment but is drastically curved. The more parents require their children to wear these shoes, the more this sloped pelvis position and back curvature permanently take hold. As our children develop into teenagers and then into adults they begin to feel the painful effects of this unnatural positioning in their knees, back, and neck.
A life of joint and spine pain all because as children their parents wanted them to wear the "best shoes." A word to all the parents out there "When shoes are necessary put the least amount of a shoe on your children's feet, a shoe with nothing to it."
