CrossStep Footwear

Industry Talk
21

[quote="$1"]

I do like your even-keeled approach to posting!

[/quote]

mike..thank-you..

 

i just have to remember the words of don miguel ruiz..especially in regards to negative people/personal attacks

"don't take anything personally. what others say and do is a projection of their own reality..

nothing other people do is because of you. it's because of themselves..because the truth is that

this person is dealing with his or her own feelings, beliefs, and opinions."

 

 

a note on crowdfunding..because i have gotten alot of questions..and it's really new to me..

how much?..anything bro..really..anything you can spare..i have several people

who will be donating soon, and this will put my campaign on the radar on this site,

there are others who tune into it specifically to donate...plus you get a cool gift as thanks..

 

so please keep those comments, questions, advice..coming..

and a special thanks to brian hilbers...for your help..you are so dialed into  "it"

 

 

22

…hello Dansan,

first time in this forum section in years

then I found your post. Hope you dont feel as I disrespect you…

Im in a cold area, water here in winter is around 10Cº and in summer may be 18Cº or less; I dont like booties but I use them all year, 5mm normally.

My current board is a 5´ fish; Basically I use the boots in summer for the traction, I slip without them plus to prevent possible hurts with the pointy sharpie tails.

I dont see the use of your product among older out of shape recreative surfers than need to spend some money in something to keep the stoke alive.

For a shortboard seems that lot of water can enter between skin (instep) and neoprene resulting in more time to jump on the board.

Looks very silly and a bit gay too

What s exactly the concept behind?

Which or what maneuver or action trying to prevent?

Which is the public you want to hit?

 

thanks

23

no worries..input is good...hey this is the beginning..i'm gonna stumble a lot..

i got thick skin...as i mentioned we are a re-designing it

to cover the entire foot but leave the toes free..like a yoga sock, but be more durable..thus made of neoprene..

and to offer some warmth and protection from doing the "rock dance"

this was made after advice from respected shapers/surfers..like brian hilbers fineline surfboards.. and other sway members like yourself

 

did you mean "the concept behind it"..right?

and you said you wanted "protection from sharp points" like the tail of your fish right?

well  i hate booties too..try to wear the thinnest ones like the oneill ninjas

or the xcel reef botties. ..reason? it's to protect my instep..old injury from reefs in hawaii

and i actually usually only wear one bootie on my left foot.. to protect me from the tail of my fish too...

and some how i tend to smack the top of my left foot on the deck of my log...

anyway... i wanted to have the ball of foot and heel free...not just for longboarding.but also shortboarding,

to me this is key..for balance..i hate the fact that booties interfere  the contact between your foot and  the board...

..i also have worn them under my fins when handplaning..just don't like those socks..and just for shits and giggles i wore them to

yoga class and they seem to dig it..in fact peggy and david hall of yoga for surfers dvd series/clinics

is doing cross promotion....also i like the feel of them when kicking the bag(kenpo practice)

i have also had interest from a pro skimboarder, a gymnast, and a friend  who practice pilates..

i have worn them here in 50 degree water..while not offering warmth..and because of the cross tape re-inforcement they do protect but don't flap..

 i'm lucky since moving from california..it's all sandy beaches here...but i do realize that they need more protection for surfers who have to deal with a rocky coast..

who will buy them? i guess i think anyone who wants some protection, but doesn't want over kill on material , and  doesn't want to pay $90 for those vibram five fingers..man i hope this helps..feel like i was just repeating myself here..

 

and in the end whether or not i succeed..at least i can sleep at night knowing i tried...

because in the past i have let two ideas slip..and they are doing well..and i kicked myself for not following thru

plus at the very least.. i made something that works for me..

so ..clear as mud?

 

 

 

24

Hi Dan,

Being in sales, a surfer, and a patent chaser myself. I have some real questions.

What is your target market?

Have you done any market research on this target market or is this blog post part of your market reseach?

Based off what I have seen in the blog and my own personal response, I am not really seeing a demand.

For this product to really take off people need to see it and instantly see the value. 

There are loads of people with great ideas for surf board locks, but not a ton of demand.

 

What are the features and benefits of using your product?

What I am getting is: You can feel the board and still kinda keep your feet warmish for the 3-4 weeks on either side of winter when it’s not quite warm enough to ditch the booties…if you surf on a sandy beach.

You are going to need to hone your message.

 

I really like your optimism.  Don’t mistake the kindness of people you know for market research.  When face to face, your want for someone to like you product will push them to tell you that they like your product.  Every surfer would love to make a living surfing, but the making a living part is never as much fun as actually surfing.  You either do it for love or money. How many of these would you have to sell a year to make it worth persuing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

25

mike,

awesome questions

 

i'd love to discuss them  over the phone...so pm your info and i will pm mine..

again thanx for your insights,

dano

26

Your invention is in the same category as the "Hooded Terry Poncho"(for changing into your wetsuit in Public), not of necessity.  Go to an SI trade show sometime and you will see what I mean.  There are usually sooo many of these types of "inventions" that it is amazing.  Some of them are on their third and fourth time around.  Primarily because no one spends the money to patent an idea until it's a proven money maker.  If it doesn't pan out you generally see the same idea re-circulated within a few years by someone else.

27

Paging Mr. Ivan Yacinov.  Paging Mr. Ivan Yacinov.  Howz my grammars bro?

28

oh i've been to  trade shows.. i know what you're talking about..

like i said before....at the very least/worst

i did.it..followed thru...instead of wondering...procrastinating

like  i did with  two ideas before  that i sat on and now they are doing well. and .i kick myself for it..

so in the end  if it doesn't pan out..  i made something that works for me...

which kinda was the motivation in the first place...

 

yur gramma?..i dunno how iz yur gramma?

29

I fully understand what you are saying and encourage you to go for it.  You never know until you try.

30

don’t loose any sleep over it.

good luck

31

McDing,

Have you ever tried one of the hooded terry ponchos?  They are GREAT!!! Way better than a towel.  I got mine from Surfer’s Surplus for something like $30.00.  I hate the feeling of cold wind on my back on some frigid evening after surfing the afternoon glass off.  My wife thinks I look like a smurf mexican when I wear it. (mine is blue).

32

Surfboard + leggie + boardies + wax + towel and toe less booties, Toe?less?booties!

33

      Hello Yorky, havn't you got any boards to do?  Bit bored mate?

     Yea I know that sounds and looks weird,"toeless boots" sort of like the bikini to the one piece or the g string, lol. I was talking to a mate the other day about booties, I hate them and previously I have got away without them, mostly for the reef dance at low tide Ulus and G Land [harder] by toughening up my feet before hand and during my trips there. Now everything has gone soft , including my feet, I would like some kind of protection , without the slipping and sliding, sort of like a condom with no end. Good luck with it, cheers H.

34

All you need is an "Urban Sombrero" and your in biz.

35

 

Hey Mate,

Bored Yep! And shit loads of work to do. Its Just me plugging away, Got No workers yet! And I’m getting behind, Fast!

Brett York, my Uncle, will be coming up next week, he’s real good with his hands so I hope he fits in well. He can work up here 3 days a week so that will be great. I’m just closing the doors and getting into it. Bit lonely in here at times ha ha. So a few cuppas and Sways through out the day helps.

 

But I’m really enjoying breaking it down and tuning my sanding glassing etc. I layed up 4 boards with carbon mesh tail patches yesterday, they look pretty cool, So its fun.

 

I like surfing in booties, love it a Bingin, low tide, wipe out put your feet out and grind across the reef. When you can sprint across the reef and your mate takes half an hour. Thats the shit, ha

36

Hey Mate, yea that will be a casualty of the shaping machine as well, workers, cause the guys struggle to make a decent wage now , with no perks, so less are interested, they all want to start off shaping, good luck with it all, cheers H.