Im passionate about shoes. Theyre what I love. Ever since I the first time I saw Michael Jordan play basketball, all the way back in 1988, I knew that I wanted to work with shoes. In some way, in some capacity, shoes had to become my life. The drive inside me was that strong. I was totally captivated. Then, as a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, I simulated the creation of a shoe start-up for my thesis project. This was a great learning experience for me, and after graduation, I accepted the position of creative director at a shoe startup based out of Memphis. Soon after that, the startup sent me to China on a six-week business trip. During those six weeks, however, the startup went under. Instead of returning to the comfort of the States, I decided to stay in China and see what I could learn.

What I saw will always stick with me. The conditions in the shoe factory were abysmal, often unspeakable. The workers health was failing collectively, and the environment was unsafe in a lot of glaringly obvious ways. Every day I went home with a headache or a stomachache, sick from breathing in the fumes with which these people were living their lives, months, years, decades apiece. While I picked up a good many lessons relating to creating the shoe themselves, my main takeaway from this experience was what I wanted to do differently. I was as devoted to shoes as ever, but now with a caveat: I must do no evil in the world along the way.

My name is Jamien Sills, and I am the founder of HEROS Footwear, a small shoe startup based out of Tennessee. I recently ran my first half marathon after losing more than 100 pounds, and in doing so, I have decided to focus the attention of HEROS on HOPERUNNER, a specialized running shoe for people like me. HOPERUNNER is designed to be lightweight and durable with a unique structure that compensates for supination or pronation, a condition in which people run on either the inside or the outside of their feet. Because HEROS is unlike any other shoe company, we will be donating $30 from every shoe sale to St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, the charity of choice of HOPERUNNERs namesake, Chris Hope, whose running group Team Hope has themselves raised thousands of dollars for St. Judes already.

Right now, we are turning to you, Indiegogo, for help raising $50,000. This capital will cover the costs of manufacturing, marketing, and distributing HOPERUNNER. We have already gone through two prototypes on this shoe, and we are just about ready to get it out to market. Your contributions will make that possible. Thank you.

Life. Hope. Achievement. These are the values upon which HEROS FOOTWEAR operates. We are a team of scientist-athletes, dedicated to producing a shoe that is better in every way, a shoe that improves on aspects that other shoe companies have come to ignore, a shoe that is made from runners minds with runners needs and wants at heart. The HOPERUNNER is the culmination of hundreds of hours of study and experimentation. Super lightweight at just 10.5 ounces, wearing a HOPERUNNER has the feel of an ultra-supportive sock. Designed to reduce foot fatigue and to facilitate a smooth heel-to-toe transition, HOPERUNNER will encourage longer and more intense runs by creating a comforting environment for your foot. Plus, with our O-ring support system, which locks the top of the shoe over your foot without any pinch, you will wonder why the traditional shoelace is not already a thing that we only read about in history books. Truly, HOPERUNNER is the shoe of the future, brought to you today with steady work and smart effort.

Both developed and tested by a marathon runner, these shoes were most recently worn in competition at the St. Judes Marathon in (city). Each HOPERUNNER shoe is named after someone who has fought cancer: the pink is Rosalind, after the designers sister who passed away from breast cancer in February 2015, and the blue is Eli, after a survivor who was treated at St. Judes.

HEROS is footwear for the EVERYDAY HERO. We are problem solvers, providing footwear solutions for the unique needs of the EVERYDAY HERO. We are not a typical shoe company, All of our products will derive directly from the needs, input, and feedback of the EVERYDAY HERO.We will innovate and reinvent in order to accommodate the EVERYDAY HERO. We are committed to producing Eco-friendly footwear and bringing our manufacturing back to America, and making shoes with purpose.

HEROS is not only about making shoes for the EVERYDAY HERO, we are about supporting the EVERYDAY HERO. A portion of the proceeds of EVERY shoe we make will be donated to St, Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. We will also be partnering with non-profit and charitable organizations to design a shoe, and raise money for their cause. A portion of the proceeds of their shoe will be shared with their organization as well as St. Jude. Every shoe we make, no matter the color, will feature a crimson red lining to show our support and pay homage to St. Jude.

Our risks mostly involve manufacturing and shipping from China. We have been working closely with our manufacturers since 2007 and have built a trusting relationship. We know who is making our shoes, and that they are treated well, and paid a fair wage. The risks come from production being delayed by either being placed behind an abundance of orders, labor strikes, and natural disasters. The same applies to shipping by sea, delays and even loss can occur due to natural disasters or accidents. We will purchase insurance and use a very reliable and reputable shipping company that we have built a relationship with.

Now, thanks to Indiegogo, we have a platform to present the HOPERUNNER to you, the EVERYDAY HERO. We need your help to bring this product to the market. Knowing that the HOPERUNNER is just the beginning, we will continue to innovate and revolutionize the shoe industry. Our goal is to become the best shoe company in the world by providing the footwear solutions that you need. We will be there with you, because we are here for you. We need your help to get the word out to as many people as possible, so please share this on your social media feeds, email, text, and with friends, family, and co-workers!!

I want to thank you in advance for your support.
You are Our Hero!