April Showers Brought More Than May Flowers! May 01 2013

Rubber Boots Spotted in Canada, Australia and Dublin, Ireland

Well, those April showers did not only bring May flowers...it also showered LUME with some amazing traffic to our site and Facebook page!  

 
We had some great firsts in April.  Three orders shipped successfully to Canada, our rubber rain boots, which they affectionately refer to as "gum boots" also made it all the way "down under" to Australia! Plus the Jr. Sleeve was spotted in Dublin, Ireland!  It feels so great to have an International status and friends from literally all over the world are starting to follow us with excitement about the products. They are raving about the quality construction and great functional storage in the pockets.  Not your average rubber, rain boots!
 
I reach out to various avenues all the time and I love it when we get a great review and endorsement of the Jr. Sleeve.  Our most recent praise comes from a cool blogger's site called the Country Barbie.  Her motto is "look pretty and play dirty" and that's exactly what she's doing in her Carnation Pink Jr. Sleeve Boots!  Our site exploded and orders were placed...a "win-win" for everyone.
 

Oh, and remember the Jr. Sleeve makes a great gardening boot, too.  I can't wait for fresh, organic goodies from the garden!

Summer is fast approaching and LUME has some great events and shows lined up!  If your local, we hope to see you soon and for all of our International friends, stay tuned and follow us here or on Facebook!


Cheers,
Wrayann

April Fools and April Weather Always Come Along Together! April 10 2013

“Sweet April Showers, Do Spring May Flowers”

“Sweet April Showers, Do Spring May Flowers” that’s the original rhyme, circa 1557, that we all know and love to recite this time of year.  Well, this spring season has started without disappointment – at least up here in the Pacific NW.  

It’s no secret it rains in this region, a lot!  But after living here for the past fifteen years (wow…did I really just type that – where has the time gone?) I’ve truly grown to appreciate the benefits of all the rain when I see the daffodils blooming all around the property at the end of March.  Next will be the tulips; which are my very favorite flowers.

I’m even more excited for gardening season to start.  There is no comparison to the organically grown goods from our own back yard and the Jr. Sleeve is perfect for the garden!  I still love to frequent local farmer’s markets, too.  In fact, look for LUME this year at the West Linn Farmer’s Market which happens every Wednesday evening beginning June 19th.  We will be there once a month.

All in all, that famous rhyme is really just a reminder that out of a little rain, something beautiful grows, so we need to be patient of our wet, friendly skies and soon we’ll be complaining about the heat and endless summer nights, right?  Wrong…bring on summer!

Tic-Tack-Tow March 19 2013

Tic-Tack-Tow! 

What a great day LUME had at the Canby Tack Sale this past weekend.  I think I’ve admitted we’re new to the equestrian world and I’m learning more and more with each new adventure.  What is “tack” and why is it necessary to have a sale devoted to it?  “Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack” (according to Wikipedia!)

So it only makes sense that our Jr. Sleeve rubber and neoprene boots make the perfect barn or stall boots!  My booth was slammed all day and I sold many pairs to kids and women alike.  The largest youth size equals about a lady’s size nine so for everyone that doesn’t want to wait till September for the launch of our Women’s lines, it’s a great option!

Speaking of the Women’s line…since I was set up and standing in an arena all day, on dirt, I snuck a pair of the “Emily’s” from my sample run and they were amazingly comfortable and warm!  Plus they looked really cute with my jeans tucked in.  I was even told by some ladies that our sleek toe and instep design resembles a riding boot.  They were actually touching my feet to get a better feel and idea of the high quality construction plus they LOVED the pockets.  My 4G phone was tucked safely in the right pocket and my car key hooked in the left boot pocket.   One purchaser even commented that if she’d had these boots six months ago with her cell phone in the pocket she could’ve been found several hours earlier, when she fell and broke her leg in the stall while tending to her horse!  Now that is a great definition of “functional storage”!

Green Kids…Green World March 05 2013

LUME Gnomes Gardening

“Green Kids…Green World” This was the theme for the 5^th Annual Fundraising Auction at Springwater Environmental Science School.  We were thrilled to offer our continued support by donating this pair of Jr. Sleeve Boots along with some gardening goodies.  Over 200 supporters were in attendance all lending to their huge success.

Spring is right around the corner and I’m actually excited for everything the season brings!  Gardening is such a great way to come together…it’s all based on great results.  No matter how small or large your garden area is or even if it’s an urban garden on a roof top, wet, cold feet can detour the most dedicated.  Especially kids!  Our rubber and neoprene boots are perfect for the garden.  They are waterproof, warm and the pockets are handy for small gardening tools, seed packets or gloves. 

Shop today and be prepared for the first planting. There is nothing better than organically grown veggies, fruits and herbs!

I think we nailed it with our Women’s Fall 2013 Footwear Collection! February 06 2013

Although LUME Footwear didn’t exhibit in this year’s Winter Market a few weeks ago, we were there in attendance.  Andrew and Ron, along with a few of our National Reps, met and spent some quality time and endless hours “walking the floor” to gather valuable information about all things Fall/Winter ’13 in the Outdoor Industry; which is actually the motive for my blog entry today.

Snowmen, Snowballs and Snow-tubing January 25 2013

Snowmen, Snowballs, Snow-tubing and LUME – the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Those are all things I LOVE so I was super excited when Springwater Environmental Science School invited me to their Annual “SNOWDAY”.  It takes place at majestic Mt. Hood Ski Bowl in their amazing Adventure Park.  The students and families count down the days till this event and this year held up to all the hype.  Over 275 students, parents, families and friends occupied the rented out snow park for a fun filled day.  The weather was unbelievable with the recent Inversion of a heat spell bringing sunshine streaming down till almost the end of the event.

LUME sponsored the “biggest snowball contest” and crowned Thor the winner with a new pair of Jr. Sleeve Rubber Boots!  The principal’s two boys were donning Jr. Sleeves, as were several other kids and she told me “this was the third time to the mountain and no complaints of frozen toes which has never happened” so she is one happy mom!

I love being a part of Springwater…it warms my heart to see all the kids wearing our boots with warm, dry feet and smiling faces! 

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! January 09 2013

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I think I was actually more excited for feedback on the Jr. Sleeve from kids when wearing them in the snow.  Living in Metro Portland supplies plenty of rainy days to test the boots but snow; now we’re talkin’!

That’s why I was so happy to receive these darling photos of kiddos “keeping warm and having fun tubing” in beautiful British Columbia over the recent winter break from school.   Judge for yourself but I think these bright smiles wouldn’t be in place if their toes were frozen!  The family had a great time in the snow and the kids love the boots.

Thanks for sharing your customer feedback and your continued support!  Happy New Year!

Rain, Rain Go Away December 05 2012

Walking in a Water Wonderland

This time of year is always busy…no matter which holiday you’re celebrating.  Throw pouring rain into the picture and it’s downright crazy!  Here in Oregon, it rains a lot so you’d think we were all used to it but not really. 

Yesterday I was out for most of the afternoon in a monsoon of a storm and all I could think of was “when are my women’s LUME boots going to be here??”  Running in and out of our retailer’s stores, FedEx drop offs and just work errands in general were all on the agenda.

Well, hang in there ladies…our first round of samples for fall 2013 arrived last week and all three styles are amazing!  I could have worn any one of them and had warm, dry feet and a place to store my phone, CC and car key.

“The Emily” stands 15 inches tall and is inspired by a traditional equestrian style boot.  The colorful sole keeps it current in the fashion world and of course the pockets are great!

“Manga” is the same as the pictures on Facebook and still scores high with three color choices.

And by popular demand, based on feedback from Mom’s all over, we’re introducing “The Sleeve”. It mimics the Jr. Sleeve in construction but with a more sophisticated, functional look in all four colors.

Trust me when I tell you…they are well worth the wait.  Next holiday season will make shopping easier, dryer and more stylish in which ever LUME rubber boots you choose!

Put a little holiday cheer in your pockets this season and keep the rain out!

A family of color, LUME Footwear having fun November 27 2012

We love them!

I love receiving photos and stories from our LUME customers and this one is pretty cool.  I met this great mother of four at a Lake Oswego soccer tournament in July.  We had literally just launched the brand and I was set up with my boots for kids to try on before and after games. 

Stacey stopped by my table and promised to come back after Kennedy played in her game.  Keep in mind, it was close to 90 degrees out and she saw the value in the products for fall and winter.  As promised, she and her crew came back.  They all tried on and purchased LUME Jr. Sleeve boots; we shipped the next business day and that was that.

At the end of October, I received this story and photos from a very happy family!

“I purchased 4 pair of boots in all different colors this summer for my kids and myself.  We love them! Just last Sunday we each put on our unique color, which makes them much easier to keep track of, and went on a hike to Lost Leaf Lake in Camas.  We were actually able to wade around IN the lake!!!

The kids were diggin’ that big time!  No water got in and we couldn't feel the cold!  On the hike I took off my hoodie and was able to tuck my cell phone inside the pocket of my hot pink boots! Camdyn had a blue flower pinned on her purple pocket.  Kennedy had a piece of Halloween candy in her green boot pocket and Brody had a toy safely nestled into his red boot!”

She also sent this adorable picture of her and Brody in the Pumpkin Patch.

I love them all but my favorite reminds me of pretty painted toe nails in the water…only it’s waterproof rubber boots with awesome colors! 

Thanks to Stacey and her family for sharing their experience in their LUME boots!

LUME Footwear and GRABBER Hand Warmers Keeping Kids Warm all Winter November 16 2012

BOOTS WITH A POCKET KEEP LEGS AND FEET WARM AND DRY

This winter LUME Footwear (LU-ME) partnered with Grabber to add of a free pair of Hand Warmers ( or what we call pocket warmers) with each pair of Jr. Sleeve Rubber Boots bought online at LUME Footwear.

Our kids like to venture outside. And when they do; having an extra pocket comes in handy. That’s why LUME decided to ship a free pair of the popular hand warmers with each sale of the Jr. Sleeve now through March 2013. The unique design features a built in neoprene sleeve on the boot that is capable of stretching to the size of any small thing they put in it—while still offering insulated comfort.

“When kids are out exploring it is important that not only their feet stay warm and dry but their legs, also.” said Wrayann Estey, Co-Founder at LUME Footwear, “so we researched another purpose for the boots with a built-in-sleeve. Grabber is the perfect winter partner and their product is extremely reliable and fits inside the pockets with ease.”

Grabber Hand Warmers are air activated and proven to stay warm for over seven hours. No shaking required, just open and insert the original hand warmers in the side pockets and wait for a few minutes for the warming process to start.

Designed with a 100% waterproof construction for quality splashing and a flexible / resilient Neoprene boot, the Jr. Sleeve stays on their feet no matter what they’re scrambling over—even when the thermometer drops below zero. Add to that a non-marking deep lug herringbone rubber outer sole for increased traction and an antimicrobial insole and these boots will last as long as a kid’s energy does.

The Jr. Sleeve by LUME is the perfect addition to any outdoor activity where Play, Comfort and Insulation are a must when playing outside. LUME Footwear launched its Fall/Winter line at LUMEfootwear.com and is having a great response.

Autumn is about Sweaters, Jeans, Boots and Jackets October 17 2012

Autumn is about Sweaters, Jeans, Boots and Jackets

Finally!  My hands-down favorite time of year is autumn.  Sweaters, jeans, boots, jackets and the changing foliage of the trees are just a few things that make me love the fall season.  Falling leaves are not my husband’s favorite part because of the thirty plus giant oak trees on the property.  But they make for a great photo op with the little ones.
 
When we relocated from New England I was really bummed at the thought of losing the picturesque beauty of the changing colors during September, October and early November but was pleasantly surprised to find this area of Oregon to be almost a mirror image.  
 
The rainy season is upon us here and abroad and the LUME Jr. Sleeve Rubber Boots are perfect for quality puddle splashing, keeping feet warm and dry, and leaf kicking!
 
What do you put in your pockets?  I put all these beautiful leaves in mine!

Historic Willamette General Store in the Old Willamette September 26 2012

Sharing Stories and Selling Boots in Old Willamette

One of the best things about LUME originating in an old Oregon town like West Linn is definitely the history.  One of our most recent ventures is with the Historic Willamette General Store in the Old Willamette section of town.  It has all of the advantages of being close to the urban amenities of the metropolitan area, while still retaining small town charm.  The store has new ownership with in the last year or so and the change has been extraordinary!  
 
LUME’s POP (Point of Purchase) Display was designed and created from a single piece of 4x8 foot plywood.  Our mission was to create a simple display that would reference the northwest, showcase LUME’s products and provide us a place to share our brand story.  There isn’t a better place to do this than in this great community meeting place.
 
So, support two local business and pick up your Jr. Sleeve Rubber Boots at the Historic Willamette General Store located at the corner of Willamette Falls Drive and 14th Street in Old Willamette.
 
What do you put in your pockets?  Today I tried to stuff a pulled pork slider and a beer but I had to stay and enjoy, instead!

LUME Made Lots of New Friends at Portland's Sunday Parkways September 19 2012

Living in the Pacific NW is just an added bonus during the summer months.  It’s arguably one of the best places on the planet from July thru September .  The days are extra-long and the weather is pretty sweet!  
 
Having just come off a very busy five days in Las Vegas, at the FN Platform Shoe Show in mid-August, I packed up my boots and set out for a beautiful afternoon to head up towards the Hawthorne area of SE Portland.  We’ve been involved in a few community events this summer but none of them really prepared me for my first experience at  a Portland Sunday Parkways Day; I really didn’t know what to expect.
 
“Portland Sunday Parkways promotes healthy active living through a series of free events opening the city's largest public space - its streets - to walk, bike, roll, and discover active transportation while fostering civic pride, stimulating economic development, and represents the community, business, and government investments in Portland's vitality, livability, and diversity.”
 
I set up my tent and table, banners and complimentary water bottles for all the passersby and didn’t sit down once!  The response to LUME’s Jr. Sleeve Rubber Boots WAY exceeded my expectations.  It’s a busy, family filled day of bikes, strollers, runners, and just people moving through the streets.  My booth was slammed!  The few kids vendors right across the way came over and stood at the end of my area to hand out their very useful information about “everything kids” from PDX Kids Calendar.   They also offered helmet and bike decorating, so darn cute!
 
It made me extremely proud to bring an authentic, high quality boot to the kids of Metro Portland.  We received several on-line orders and even more people just signing up to receive the latest 411 from LUME Footwear.  
 
The last Sunday Parkways event for this year is Sunday, September 30th and the trail is attached in this link.  http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/401377
 
LUME will be there hydrating the crowd with H2O and offering the Jr. Sleeves  at the same discount of $50 per pair (limited time offer.)  I’m looking forward to another outstanding Sunday afternoon!
 
What do you put in your pockets?  That day I put a little bit of SE Portland in mine!

Jr. Sleeve Video: The story of our kids rain boots. September 04 2012

LUME Footwear: The Jr. Sleeve from LUME Footwear on Vimeo.

Please note, in the video we mention that the Jr. Sleeve is rated to 30F below zero, the correct rating should be 20F below zero.

Will Sketchers Knock us off? August 24 2012

Will Sketchers Knock us off?
 
First off, I want to be clear and say that Skechers has not knocked us off and I don’t know if Sketches will knock us off.  
 
This past week LUME was in Las Vegas at the FN Platform Shoe Show.  Since our launch a few months ago, this was our first time that we were able to introduce the brand to the retail community.  Being in Vegas in August, the weather was a bit warm but the show was great. We had a number of retailers, media and friends stop by and despite being in the back of the convention center, those who found us really liked what we are doing.  This seasons show gave us an opportunity to introduced the Magna, a women’s all weather rubber / neoprene boot based on the idea of Pitchfork Fashion that compliments the kids Jr. Sleeve that we launched last month. Keep an eye out as the Manga should launch and be available by the end of the year.
 
As I mentioned, we had a number of individuals and groups stop by and one was a pair of guys from Skechers.  They spent a bit of time in the booth and seemed very interested in what we were doing, they commented on how much they liked the idea...I believe their quote was “This is a brilliant idea”!!!  Well, we all know what they did with Toms and how Bobs by Skechers mimics the design and concept created by Blake Mycoskie, Toms founder.
 
People say that “imitation is the highest form of flattery”, but being a young brand trying to get a foot hold in marketplace by doing something new and innovative and having another company come along and copy you makes me feel a bit uneasy.
 
We are going to keep doing what we do best and create great products for both Women and Kids...lets hope Skechers will do the right thing and just complement us for doing a great job and leave it at that.

What is it about an Old Time Fair that makes everyone feel youthful? July 24 2012

What is it about an Old Time Fair that makes everyone feel youthful?  Is it the smell of cotton candy or funnel cakes, barbeque grills, or the sounds and lights from the Carnival Rides?  Face painting and balloon figures?

Well it was all of that for me this past weekend at the West Linn Old Time Fair, at Willamette Park.  Plus all of the happy little people running around collecting the smallest of trinkets and candy from the vendors and games won; perfect size to fit in the pocket of the Jr. Sleeve.

LUME Footwear was super proud to be a part of this big Annual Family Event in West Linn, Oregon.  This marked the 56^th year for the weekend long Old Time Fair which is held around the same time in July, rain or shine!  Luckily, the weather was perfect and so was the addition of the unveiling of the LUME Jr. Sleeve.

I really had no idea what to expect but was just happy to get out amongst old friends and make several new ones!  We were highlighted in the local publication, The West Linn Tidings and Lake Oswego Review the day before and it warmed my heart to hear time after time, “I saw you in the paper and had to come check out these cool looking rubber boots!”  Timing was perfect to connect the official launch of the website (the week prior) and to unveil our first line of new products.  We had some inventory with us and were elated to have a dozen sales.  That was a true bonus!

The overwhelming feeling of genuine support and well wishes for the success of a new brand, born right here in our home town, was electrifying for us!  You always hear, “it’s a small world we live in” but until you are in the moment you can’t really describe how it feels.  I made some great contacts for future opportunities to have the Jr. Sleeve reach kids in our community and abroad.  I’m so excited to take the next steps to help keep the feet warm and dry on a little person plus see their smile when they stuff their favorite toy or treat for a horse or dog in the pocket of their new boots!

Thanks West Linn and Metro Portland for coming out and contributing to our successful launch and introduction of LUME Footwear!  I look forward to seeing and hearing much more from everyone!

Samples of our next product for Women, the Manga, were also well received!  Lots of ladies are looking forward to their launch in Spring 2013.  Follow us on our website and Facebook for updates.

What do you put in your pockets?  This weekend I put good old fashion FUN!

Photo Shoot in the Garden with Spiderman at Luscher Farms July 14 2012

FA'12 Photo Shoot in the Garden with Spiderman at Luscher Farms

This past Friday, LUME spent part of the day off site at Luscher Farms in Lake Oswego with our young model Sawyer on a photo shoot for the Fall 2012 new kids line of all weather rubber boots.  I have to tell you, photographing kids is a bit different than adults; first of all they like to move, there’s not a whole lot of standing still and getting them to focus for more than ten seconds is out of the question.  Second, in a garden, the distractions are multiplied when you add in all the things growing, the bugs and especially when the farm just put out about 50 new scarecrows.  Check our some of the photos from the shoot on our Facebook page and let us know what you think.

July DIY Project, A Tabletop Herb Garden with Old Sales Samples July 08 2012

LUME’s tabletop herb garden made from old sale sample Jr. Sleeves.

Do you ever wonder what footwear companies do with their old samples? Most throw them out or they get shredded. We wanted to have some fun so we did some brainstorming and came up with a few ideas to see what we could do with ours (samples) and show you a fun way to use the outgrown boots that you don’t pass onto to someone else.

Like a lot of homes, we do have a nice size garden in the backyard that is growing some wonderful vegetables but I wanted something a bit closer to the kitchen for the fresh ingredients I cook with almost daily. What if we built a smaller herb garden? Can we create a garden that we could move in and out of the house? Like in a rubber boot?

With that, we set out to make use of our otherwise discarded samples and turn it into a simple DIY herb garden.  Anyone can do this with some old rain boots or discarded footwear (rain boots are nice because they don’t leek).

Below is our first DYI project showing how we accomplished turning a few half pairs of the Jr. Sleeves into a tabletop herb garden. I am sure that we will be adding more herbs in the future.  Or even some flowers for a garden party centerpiece!

It’s so simple…if I can do it, you can do it and kids can even help!

Supplies needed:

Boots, potting soil, potting tools, herb starts (or seeds if preferred), scissors, water.

To start, spoon in enough potting soil to fill the boot.  Make sure it goes all the way to the tip of the toe and stops about three inches from the top.

Carefully remove the herb from its container, place it in the soil and press into place.  Cover with a little more potting soil at top.

Place the small scissors or gardening sheers in the convenient pocket, if using our Jr. Sleeve.  They will always be there when clipping herbs for use!

Water and enjoy.  Make sure the herbs are in a sunny place to grow nicely.

A little bit of creativity June 26 2012

Welcome LUME Friends June 14 2012

Hello LUME fans!  I'm starting to write messages to stay in touch with all of you and here's my first shot.  It's very important to me, as the co-founder to make sure we succeed at keeping you in the continuous loop with all things LUME! 

I just returned from visiting my family, in So Cal; Beautiful Long Beach to be exact.  We grew up there and have lived away for eighteen years, which doesn't even seem possible but it is.  It was the first time in three years that all of my siblings were in one place and it was very special.

Being the avid walker that I am, dragging my sister and niece on a four mile walk along the beach and through the peninsula near Naples seemed like a treat to me!   We saw four dolphins, or maybe porpoise...not sure, swimming and circling right near the shore line.  Such a cool thing to witness!  Almost as good as swimming with the dolphins.  Life in Metro Portland offers a completely different landscape to the one I grew up in.  It was so cute to see kids riding their bikes along the boardwalk to get to school that morning.  And then they passed us at the end of the day on trending 2nd Street, in Belmont Shore.  It reminded me of my early teens and made me smile!

I love my visits with my beautiful eighty year old Mother and cherish the times we have left.  So, life is a gift...wrap yours with fun, family and friends.  Life is good!

What do you put in your pockets?  I put sunshine in mine this trip!