Local Mom Develops Environmentally Friendly Footwear

What started as a simple discussion during a road trip turned into a brainstorming session, and several years later, blossomed into a growing family business.

Rachelle Kuramoto, local entrepreneur, wife and mother of two, explains, “My mother-in-law (and now business partner as well) lives part time in Chicago, part time in Colorado. When in Chicago, she uses public transportation every day, and in Colorado, she skies in the winter.  

She had an idea for a lightweight yet durable and protective shoe that could fold up and stow in a coat pocket or small bag in order to make commuting or getting to and from activities (like skiing) more comfortable.”

Seeing potential in the product and brand, the two women began working on the concept in 2007, at a time when Rachelle and husband Kenji had an infant (Stella, now 6) and a toddler (Sam, now 9) at home. 

They spent the following year working on design and engineering, textile resourcing, copyrights, patents and prototyping.  In 2009, production on the first lines began, and when brought to market in August, kigo footwear was officially born.

Their main customers are men and women who are interested in minimalist or “barefoot” shoes. Many of those people are active, either in athletics or outdoor activities; kigo footwear also resonates with people who care about wearing eco-friendly, responsibly made, vegan apparel for active and lifestyle.

The vision of the company, which took its products to markets outside of the United States within a year of launching, is to provide comfortable minimalist footwear, stylish enough for everyday wear, sturdy enough for athletics and constructed to be as good for the Earth as for the body.

Constructed to be durable enough for active and athletic wear, kigo shoes are extremely protective and water resistant, and feature technical elements like an anatomical footprint that allows for feet to move and spread naturally during any activity.  

The designers firmly believe (and research backs it up) that it is just as good for your body to wear minimalist shoes for everyday activities as it is for athletics – perhaps better – because lifestyle wear allows the feet and lower legs to strengthen gradually, reducing the chance of injury while transitioning out of the heavy, stiff, built up shoes we have become accustomed to wearing.

The shoes are durable and made with a unique combination of environmentally friendly and lightweight materials (post-consumer, recycled and non-toxic) and processes, and responsibly constructed with a thin, flexible outsole, removable contoured insoles and lightweight breathable uppers; kigos feel as light and malleable as a second skin.

Of course, running a growing business while balancing family life has its challenges, to which Rachelle replies, “Being an entrepreneur, especially a mom entrepreneur, is difficult. There are not set hours; I work whenever I’m not with or doing things for my family. But I’m motivated to keep it going because I’m proud of what we’re doing.  Our products are eco-friendly and recyclable, and I value being my own boss and knowing that my time is mine, meaning that I can do things like be on the PTA and do homework with my kids in the afternoon.”

Her advice for other moms looking to start their own business:

• Take stock of your priorities.
• Remember that a business is just a business.
• Your kids and your husband are the most important. That doesn’t mean you have excuses not to work at your business. It just might mean that sometimes you have to find (or create) time to get your work done when they are not looking for your time as well.
• Be prepared to pull collegiate all nighters occasionally so you can play with your kids during the day.
• Wait until your kids are old enough. You’ll know when that happens. If you’re still doing everything for them and they can’t play together or alone for a little while, you either have to hire a nanny, work nights or wait.
• Running a business should be rewarding, but if you’re too split between it and your family, you won’t enjoy it. And know that you won’t always enjoy it – and that’s okay.

In the long term, the company plans to continue to evolve and expand their product lines, to include enlisting more sales reps in the US and internationally to grow distribution as they grow inventory. 

Rachelle adds, “We’re also looking at enlisting a marketing/PR team to help me to build the brand – all of this has been an in-house effort to date and we need more (wo)man power! Our exit plans are written but we’re hopeful to keep building the kigo footwear brand for a long time to come.”