Monthly Archives: July 2020

Why BENDY, our stylish comfortable shoe, is different:

Women owned business. We are female run which is very uncommon in the shoe industry. We embrace the amazing power of women as one of our core values.

Ethical production. There are not many companies out there doing what we are doing.  By making our shoe in California, we can ensure safe working conditions and fair wages.

Best materials. We look at every material through an environmental lens and choose the ones with the lowest impact to our planet.

Comfort, comfort comfort. We know that all the above is great but it doesn’t matter unless our shoes are stylish a comfortable. We obsess of comfort and always trying to improve BENDY.

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The BENDY may just be a shoe, but our community of inspiring women makes it feel like a whole lot more.
 
We're lucky to know so many strong, creative women who make a difference in their everyday lives, just by being them. 
 
We've been following small business owners who are zigging and zaggingto support their families and keep their momentum, and Alicia Guckenheimer is one of them.
 
A San Francisco illustrator, photographer and sculptor, Alicia has a lot on her palette. Better known to her 600 grade school students as Ms. A, she teaches art so children know "if YOU can imagine it, YOU can make it and YOU can change the world."
 
I stumbled upon Alicia's pet portraits on Facebook and melted. Her knack for capturing an animal's spirit was obvious. Having rebooted her pet portrait business after losing her teaching job from the pandemic, I knew she had a story to tell.
 
Teaching is Alicia's passion, and no pandemic was going to stop her. Staying stagnant was not an option for this mother of 3 and grandmother of 5. She had to connect with her students, somehow.
 
She got busy:
 

• She started up her pet portrait business again, the commissions rolled in.

• She launched a YouTube channel — ART with Ms. A —  to teach her students from afar.

• She also used the opportunity to finish a dormant project: a picture book she'd started years ago, but never got around to finishing. Now, she expects her book to come out by the end of 2020 and hopes to eventually travel to schools to share her story.

 
What better time than now to teach children they have the power within them to change the world?
 
Alicia's story is unique, but it also reminds me of all the everyday heroes out there — mothers, teachers and artists who work to bring hope, light and color to the world.
 
"I am inspired every day by the children I teach. Their wonder and imagination...they just need a push and some encouragement." - Alicia, aka Ms. A
 
Now that's something I can get behind.

Alicia on her BENDYs

My favorite thing about my BENDYs? Quality, design and comfort! I tend to wear out shoes very quickly, so I need a shoe that is sturdy...but I also want it to have some unique design elements and feel good on the feet. I wore my BENDYs on a bike ride this week and they were amazing. Once I put them on my feet I feel in love with the comfort. BENDY really has done all three, all while being eco-friendly. Win-win.

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Starting a business is a lot like having a family.   There are ups and downs, nothing ever really goes *perfectly* to plan, but if you commit to strong principles prioritize your relationships, and work hard......things have a funny way of working themselves out.     I met my co-founder Caroline at my first job after college. We both got our starts in the shoe industry at the same time and even though we went our separate ways for a while - we always stayed in touch.     When 2017 rolled around, Caroline and I decided to take our own shot at creating a shoe - OUR shoe.     By that point, we'd spent over 30 years in footwear/fashion and we were both feeling increasingly uncomfortable with how most big brands shoes are made (and what they're made of).     We decided to design and manufacture a shoe that's:     1) Planet-friendly, with a low carbon footprint 2) Sourced from solid, transparent businesses we could build long-term relationships with 3) Ethically-made, with fair worker wages and no child labor;Locally handcrafted right here in California; 4) (all of the above) without sacrificing comfort, style, or versatility!     Once we committed to the idea, we set off on a wild, wonderful ride:     2017: The first BENDY sketches. 2018: Our successful Kickstarter campaign! 2019: Features in Fast Company, Forbes, and more! 2020: (Stick around for some exciting news!)     We've come this far because of our incredible community.     People like you have connected with the shoe we've created and we are genuinely grateful!     Thanks again for being part of our journey!     Stay well!   Mary Sue   shop bendy

Phew. This year has brought us fear. It has brought us heartache. And no one's been spared from the pain that has gripped our world and our country the last few months.

These tough times sure do challenge our resilience and strength.

We all have something or someone that prompts us to completely lose ourselves and forget about our problems, if only for a bit.

For me, it was my pug Biscuit.

Biscuit could lift me from my darkest moods. Whether it was my evil inner voice feeding my worries about my small business riding out this economic tsunami, or watching the news and seeing a worldwide pandemic unfold in front of my eyes, or embracing the pain of racial injustice in hopes of creating change in our country, Biscuit could ease the sting.

It was Biscuit who never left my side when our only child left for college last fall and my husband and I faced our empty nest — the unfamiliar silence echoing in the house, our next phase as parents.

When BENDY was hatched, Biscuit was the heroic sidekick. Caroline and I stuck our necks out and launched our comfy, planet-friendly shoe while he laid snoring, reminding us to take things wave by wave.

But pet ownership always comes with the knowledge that these days will not last forever.

Last week, we said goodbye to Biscuit the pug after 12.5 years, almost a full baker's dozen — quite fitting for his name. 

It seemed cruel to lose him at a time when I needed him the most. But as I'm sure we've all learned over the years, many things in life don’t turn out as planned.

With a heavy heart, in a bit of a daze, I write this. Today, I honor Biscuit and all the other little buddies and good girls, all of whom sit by our sides through laughter and heartache just the same.

Stay safe, stay strong and give your pets (or that person you count on) some extra love today.

Much love,

Mary Sue