So Ill kickstarter

C. Archibald wrote:I thought it was weird that an established company has a Kickstarter. I usually see Kickstarter campaigns for people starting businesses in their vans, or in other words, people that don't have access to traditional sources of lending. SoIll already has a nice gym, a line of holds, chalk, bags, etc. If their shoe line is worth a damn, why couldn't they get a traditional loan to launch that department?

There are a lot of ways to finance an extension of your business. None are as cheap as kickstarter.

This is a really good way to fund a new product line. They are basically just selling their new line at a discount to what they will retail at. It is great for them because they are still getting more per item than they would selling wholesale, plus the customer is getting a discount so it is win-win. Plus all the exposure and no interest charged.

Also, it is a dick move to assume they will not perform having never even tried them on and go on a public forum and deter others. I think they look pretty sweet, but then again, I am from Boulder so what do I know.

So for all of you guys saying they look like crap, what is your problem with the Street model? It just looks like an agressive version of the Evolv Defy:

Vegan shoes? Did they talk the cow into killing itself in a more humane way? People will get offended at just about anything. Good luck growing a thicker skin on a diet of quinoa and flax!

To quote the great Ice T: "Vegan? Fuck a vegan! I could give a fuck if you eat sawdust motherfucker!."

Tylerpratt wrote:Ok, now between moves make ballerina poses and twinkle your toes! FASHION CLIMBING COME ON GUYS FASHION! I just threw up.

Dude! I am waiting for a shoe company to make those led kicks that light up when kids walk around - that would be SIC!
Imagine me, flashing that red/hard problem at my gym in a beanie, and those fashionable running shoe inspired what-evers. Well, you, probably, can't, but I definitely see yoga pant wearing honeys giving my junk proper spotting after bouldering sesh.

Tylerpratt wrote:I'm going to design a cam that's somewhere between fashion and function. I'm thinking a modern art model and a classical model. I think I'll do a harness with pretty rainbow tassels hanging off it too. I understand function but... REALLY? Fashion!?? Really!? With F*$king climbing shoes? COME ON! Ok, now between moves make ballerina poses and twinkle your toes! FASHION CLIMBING COME ON GUYS FASHION! I just threw up.

Almost all high end shoes and gear have fashion in mind. If you don't think so I would take a minute to think about it. Marketing and design can be subtle yet powerful.

Don't overthink my sarcastic statement. You might hurt your brain.

Tylerpratt wrote:Don't overthink my sarcastic statement. You might hurt your brain.

Nice. But my brain generally hurts anyways.

Jonathan Awerbuch wrote:The Runner and Street models are vegan. Vegan rock shoes can be hard to come by. My girlfriend is going to give them a try.

nearly all five ten and evolv shoes are vegan. I'm actually baffled at how easy it is to find vegan climbing shoes.

Tylerpratt wrote:I'm going to design a cam that's somewhere between fashion and function. I'm thinking a modern art model and a classical model. I think I'll do a harness with pretty rainbow tassels hanging off it too. I understand function but... REALLY? Fashion!?? Really!? With F*$king climbing shoes? COME ON! Ok, now between moves make ballerina poses and twinkle your toes! FASHION CLIMBING COME ON GUYS FASHION! I just threw up.

... Lets be realistic about the difference between a cam and a shoe.... Remember that 30 years ago dudes were climbing harder than you in leather work boots and bitchin spandex. this is such a ridiculous comparison. If you can't climb in SoIll shoes because they don't perform as well, then your fooling yourself into thinking your better than YOU really are.

And lets also be realistic about how awesome cams look these days. If you think that black diamond and DMM aren't paying designers to make their cams look more appealing to consumers, then your ignorant to the world you live in. The side profile of the DMM cam lobes are practically sculpture in themselves..

All product development revolves around trying to sell a product... regardless of what kind of feel good story the manufacturer tries to feed you. You don't spend your money on ugly shit... unless your girlfriend looks like a bulldog.

DavisMeschke wrote:Vegan shoes? Did they talk the cow into killing itself in a more humane way? People will get offended at just about anything. Good luck growing a thicker skin on a diet of quinoa and flax! To quote the great Ice T: "Vegan? Fuck a vegan! I could give a fuck if you eat sawdust motherfucker!."

ur such a og

I like the idea of colored rubber, but I just can't see myself wearing anything that says "so ill" on it. So douchey.

dave higdon wrote: If you think that black diamond and DMM aren't paying designers to make their cams look more appealing to consumers, then your ignorant to the world you live in.

You bring up an interesting point. The physics behind how cams work means that they would perform better without the teeth that they so often have, but nobody would buy toothless cams because they look like they would fall out.

I forget who originally posted about this, but there was a big diagram explaining it, it was super interesting.

Quinn Baker wrote: You bring up an interesting point. The physics behind how cams work means that they would perform better without the teeth that they so often have, but nobody would buy toothless cams because they look like they would fall out. I forget who originally posted about this, but there was a big diagram explaining it, it was super interesting.

True. The first friends didn't have teeth.

Phil Lauffen wrote: ur such a og

Such AN og

tsherry wrote:I like the idea of colored rubber, but I just can't see myself wearing anything that says "so ill" on it. So douchey.

la sportiva use colored rubber on athletes shoes so they know what is and isn't the prototype rubber.

that guy named seb wrote: la sportiva use colored rubber on athletes shoes so they know what is and isn't the prototype rubber.

They are lying! You should get the BBB involved.

Mike Brady wrote: They are lying! You should get the BBB involved.

So good.

s.price wrote:All this harping on fashion is just dumb. They all have fashion in mind when they are making shoes. Even EB'S were making a "fashion" statement. The original Anasazi's were a fashion as well as function concept. Marketing is more important than many here seem to be able to accept. Just cause you have been duped by the marketing many times in your life doesn't make it bad. And there is no one on this site who has not been duped by marketing at sometime in their life. Good on em I say. I won't buy a pair simply because I am happy with the shoes I have and other than style they offer nothing new. I never thought I would rock purple and yellow shoes for any reason back when I started climbing but those shoes were a step above the Fire's of the time. Give them a chance in the market before you jump all over their concept. Even better, come up with your own design, market it, fund it, market it again, then put up with opinioned rookie climbers throwing out spray about your product. Criticizing something you have no personal experience with is like jacking off in a brothel. Pointless.

i think you are mixing up fashion and eye catching, there's a big difference, let me show you.

Those purple and yellow shoes you speak of, highly doubtful they were trying to appeal to every dirt bags inner fashionista, I think they just want them to stand out on the shelves.

dave higdon wrote: First... Lets be realistic about the difference between a cam and a shoe.... Remember that 30 years ago dudes were climbing harder than you in leather work boots and bitchin spandex. this is such a ridiculous comparison. If you can't climb in SoIll shoes because they don't perform as well, then your fooling yourself into thinking your better than YOU really are. And lets also be realistic about how awesome cams look these days. If you think that black diamond and DMM aren't paying designers to make their cams look more appealing to consumers, then your ignorant to the world you live in. The side profile of the DMM cam lobes are practically sculpture in themselves.. All product development revolves around trying to sell a product... regardless of what kind of feel good story the manufacturer tries to feed you. You don't spend your money on ugly shit... unless your girlfriend looks like a bulldog.

Someone needs a snickers.

amarius wrote: Dude! I am waiting for a shoe company to make those led kicks that light up when kids walk around - that would be SIC! Imagine me, flashing that red/hard problem at my gym in a beanie, and those fashionable running shoe inspired what-evers. Well, you, probably, can't, but I definitely see yoga pant wearing honeys giving my junk proper spotting after bouldering sesh.

Real talk though, I would rock the shit out of those light-up climbing shoes