A note of good news in troubled times / THE 01 is en-route
almost 4 years ago
– Tue, Jun 02, 2020 at 09:58:04 PM
Good morning backers,
Let me start by saying that I realize there are many more important things happening in the world and in the US right now than an update for a Kickstarter project. Though I remain committed as ever to the promises this campaign has made, there are more important things than a pair of shoes, or an Instagram post, or a business. I won't forget that. I hope you won't, either. Please stay safe. Please stay healthy.
VIRTUE stands for the right of every human to live a healthy life, and at the moment the world is desperate for the empathy needed to understand that not everyone shares that right.
_
I do, however, have a note of good news to share today. The first production order of THE 01 has been confirmed on-board its shipping vessel and is on it's way across the Pacific. The shoes are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on June 15 and will be transported up to Santa Cruz for shipping once they've cleared US customs. Warehouse space and shipping needs are all in order, and I'm excited to start sending your shoes out the door as soon as they come in.
As always thank you for giving everyone the opportunity to #DOMOREWITHLESS
Cheers,
Jeff Engelhardt - Founder VIRTUE Athletic
Marine color update
almost 4 years ago
– Sat, May 16, 2020 at 04:03:45 AM
Hello Backers,
To those of you that have pre-ordered the Marine color, we’ve had a small hiccup in our material sourcing. The bulk production material arrived slightly more teal than our original material spec, and as a result the Marine shoes will appear slightly different in color from the original photos. The updated production color is what you see above. The photos on our website have been updated, as well.
The difference in color is minor, but as VIRTUE’s first believers you deserve to know.
Under normal circumstances we would have requested the supplier reproduce the material to the proper spec, but due to changes in business surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic the material supplier is only booking large, repeat orders at this time.
Our factory would also not agree to produce and ship the other three colors while waiting to produce the Marine shoes, again due to uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. The result would have been a delay for the entire production run until at least August or September - with no guarantee that we could negotiate to have the Marine material reproduced at all.
This is not the type of update we wish to share, but it is the truth and the sometimes harsh reality of starting something from nothing. If you have questions or want additional information please don’t hesitate to comment/message here on Kickstarter or to shoot us an email at [email protected]
Again, we apologize for the change and appreciate your understanding.
Sincerely,
Jeff - Founder VIRTUE Athletic
It's been a while, but your shoes are nearly on their way!
about 4 years ago
– Thu, Apr 30, 2020 at 01:51:05 PM
Hola backers,
I hope everyone is staying sane, fit, and healthy throughout all of the current craziness. More than ever it's a good opportunity to reflect on the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle and to really see how much more you can do with less - be it a jump rope, a couple of dumbbells, or...I don't know...a heavy rock. Keep it up, and keep supporting your local boxes any way you can.
On to the good stuff. Pre-production of THE 01 has been moving slowly but steadily throughout the global coronavirus crisis, with the main impact being my inability to be on the ground at the factory due to travel restrictions. We've proceeded with the final confirmation steps by mail, and despite all of these challenges we now have an estimated exit-factory date of May 15 - only two weeks behind our original schedule.
So what does this mean for you, our splendiferous backers? It means that the shoes will arrive stateside in mid-June. We should be able to get a solid chunk of our orders out by the end of June, but there will likely be some backers that won't receive their shoes until July. We truly apologize for the slight delay. If anyone is really sore about it, I'm willing to make up for it via burpee penalty during a back patio quarantine workout ;)
As always thank you so much for your support and patience. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll be sending out updates more frequently from here on out since more exciting news will be coming in, and we'll be sure to give everyone a chance to update their shipping information before we start delivering orders.
Stay healthy. Stay safe. Do more with less.
Cheers,
Jeff - Founder VIRTUE Athletic
Things are moving forward for VIRTUE and THE 01
about 4 years ago
– Thu, Feb 27, 2020 at 09:08:31 AM
Good morning backers,
I hope you've all had a great start to your 2020. I wanted to check in with a quick update on the progress we've made with VIRTUE and THE 01 since you last heard from us.
First thing's first - we're still on track to hit our June ship date. I've been in constant contact with our development partner, and while the coronavirus outbreak has thrown a monkey in the wrench of manufacturing all across China we're still confident we can complete our first production run in time. The situation in China is rapidly improving. Provided things continue on that path and factories continue to come back online we will be in good shape. There is always the possibility of another unforeseen hurdle, but if anything comes up that threatens our June ship date you will be the first to know.
On to what we've been doing for the past couple of months. Following the success of the Kickstarter campaign (thank you again for believing in VIRTUE) we headed straight into the final stages of pre-production. This included kicking off manufacturing of the full size run of rubber outsole molds as well as making a couple of final tweaks to the upper material package based on the feedback from our awesome testers. These final steps take some time, and the coronavirus certainly hasn't helped, but we're well on our way to delivering on everything we promised you.
At the same time I've been working to secure the future of VIRTUE beyond this first production run. We want to roll straight into normal operations after delivering to our amazing backers. For that next step we're seeking investment capital. If you know someone with lots of money that they would like to turn that money into more money, please have them send some our way. We prefer bearer bonds, undeniably the coolest form of money ;)
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I'm always available via email or Instagram message, and if you happen to be in Santa Cruz just yell really loud. It's a small town.
Cheers and Thank You,
Jeff - Founder VIRTUE Athletic
[email protected] - instagram.com/virtueathletic
FInal chance to specify color & size
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Dec 31, 2019 at 11:14:27 AM
Happy almost New Year backers. Today is your final day to specify your color & size choices before we lock orders. There are still about 50 backers out there who haven't yet completed their surveys, so please message here on Kickstarter or via email at [email protected] if you need your survey link re-sent.
All the best heading into 2020.
Jeff - Founder VIRTUE Athletic.
