Janet submitted her design in 2006. Along with submitting her design, she emailed us long poetic letters about why her boot was a necessity in the world – her first email was titled, simply “Please don’t say no”. Her arguments were convincing and well structured and revolved around the lack of stylish, approved footwear available to equestrians – she informed us that the future ofFluequestrianism was in our hands. Up until then, we’d had no idea.
My very first pair of Fluevogs. Oh, my first time! I went with my sister to the NYC store, intending to purchase Mini Sugars. But, I fell in love with the Adagios. What a versatile shoe! That must have been 3 or 4 years ago. Now, it’s a tradition. Every year, my sister and I go in late spring to the NYC store and treat ourselves. Last year, I got the Fellowship Rosabelle boots. I wore them right out of the store. For the next 2 days, we walked miles of sidewalks, bridges and city blocks, without a complaint from either foot.
So, with a boot as comfortable and fashionable as the Rosabelle, I eventually thought I’d try riding my horse in them. I wanted to evangelize the brand to the equestrian community, all obediently conforming to age-old standards in riding apparel. Hmmm. The inside zipper was a problem. It rubbed against the inside of my leg due to contact with the saddle.
BUT, if I could convince the fine folks at Fluevog to create a boot suitable for riding, it would be revolutionary. So, I got to work on my renderings and uploaded them to the Open Source Footwear, where it luckily got the attention of the design team.
TODAY: The birth of Fluequestrianism! Once again, riding saves soles. Unless you’re the horse.
Janet is a designer, creative writer, and inventor of a U.S. patent-pending equine hoof grooming tool. She lives in North Carolina with her husband Rick, dog Foster Brown, and horse Hootie.
The Nannette was part of Fluevog’s Fall 07 line.