The OTZshoes story

In 2005, Ludo, creative director of a leading athletic lifestyle brand, came across an article written by Petr Hlavacek describing the oldest shoes ever found. These belonged to Oetzi, the iceman, and dated back to 3300B.C. The shoes were quite remarkable considering the time period – made of deer skin stitched to a bear skin sole with an internal woven net filled with dried grass and moss for warmth and comfort. Inspired by Oetzi’s ingenuity, Ludo realized he could redesign this iconic shoe incorporating today’s trend, comfort and technology. Hence the concept of OeTZI3300 shoes was born.

Fast forward to May 2009, to a time when Ludo was bedridden for 2 weeks with herniated disks in his lower back. The only movement he could tolerate was going for a walk on the beach. The soft sand under his feet made his back feel better. For company on these walks he took Cowgirl, his French bulldog, who over the 2 weeks became acquainted with Spot, the splitting image of Cowgirl except that he was a Boston Terrier with reverse coloring. Spot’s owner Skip, a avid surfer who looking for a change from a 30 year law career, and Ludo walked and talked while Cowgirl and Spot became best friends.

At some point in these conversations the boys started talking about the business plan that Ludo had been working on over the prior 4 years and was near completion.

Ludo: “I’m looking for an investment partner that will help me build OeTZI3300″ a lifestyle shoe brand utilizing a cork footbed for comfort. As Ludo stated though: “I am very particular about whom I want to invest in this company. They need to be the perfect fit that can understand the philosophy of the brand and the many potential hurdles ahead.”

Skip: “I know an investor perfect for you.”

Ludo: “Who?”

Skip: “You’re looking at him!.. haha”

One week later on May 11th 2009, OeTZI3300 LLC was created with the addition of Skip’s childhood friend Peter (also as avid surfer) who relocated to Malibu after spending a lifetime in the Financial/Real Estate markets on the East coast.

The original team, including John Spillman as ” the salesman,” opened up the best sneaker boutiques in the USA including Bodega in Boston, Conveyer in Santa Monica and A-Team in Manhattan Beach just to name drop a few!!

In May 2010, Melissa arrived at her scheduled sales appointment at the “A-Team” sneaker store in Manhattan Beach, CA. She was there representing two athletic sneaker brands. The storeowner, Adrian, had an incredible wall installation that represented our brand and our story that depicts our uniqueness to the footwear industry. The sight of this stunning installation was a culmination of everything Melissa had sought in a brand. Upon putting on the OTZ-1low in sand, she had an epiphany. She knew that OeTZI3300 would be a brand that would revolutionize the industry, and Melissa knew that she had to be a part of Oetzi3300′s growth and journey. Adrian explained the origin of the company’s name to Melissa’s disbelief. The historic explanation drove her determination even further to become a part of this unique product. Following this experience, Melissa swiftly reached out to Oetzi3300 with an e-mail to express her deep instantaneous passion for the craft of the product and how she could become involved.

Melissa’s determination translated easily to John and Ludo who hired her on the spot the next day. The age-old cliché of a first impression being crucial is proven with Melissa’s experience. Her loyalty and confidence in the brand from its beginning has brought her to the position of National Sales Manager today. She has stood by Oetzi to ensure that consumers around the world can share the experience she had when first putting on the OTZ-1 low.

In such a short amount of time, and a slight shift in name from OeTZI3300 to OTZshoes, our brand has become recognized worldwide and gaining incredible momentum daily. We are a happy family of workers who share the same passion and intensity for this brand, and the footwear we create which utilizes our CORK footbed technology that is made to make you feet smile – true barefoot comfort.

CorkFit^®

CorkFit^® is our classic cork footbed made from cork and latex with a heel Pu cushion. The footbed is lined with a 1.8mm suede leather cover. This provides a firm ride that gradually moulds to the shape of your feet.

CorkLite^®

CorkLite^®is our lightweight soft cork footbed. It is made from a compression molded EVA form wrapped with a 1.8mm cork casing. The footbed is lined with a 1.8mm suede leather cover. This provides a softer cushioned ride that gradually molds to the shape of your feet.

A TRUE ORGANIC FIT

The antimicrobial properties of the cork reduces bacterial build up and allows you to wear the shoes with or without socks.

Browse our selection of OTZshoes at http://www.dardanos.com/otzshoes?sec=all

Dardano’s Shoes first introduced Ahnu Shoes & Hiking Boots to their store lineup in the fall of 2012. “The hiking boots like the Montara & the Sequoia were extremely successful at our store. The unique colors and streamlined design really went over well with our comfort footwear customers, so we brought them back again this season.” said Store Manager, Ryan Dardano. This spring they have also added some light casual options for women like the Crissy Mary Jane and the Inverness Sandal. “We hope they receive the same successful response that the heavier boots and hikers did last year.” said Dardano. Ahnu boots and shoes are available at the Dardano’s retail location, as well as online at Dardanos.com

Ahnu was founded by Bay Area mothers and athletes, Jenny Frederics and Jacqueline Van Dine in 2007. They were shoe industry veterans that preferred running trails to running  treadmills and wanted to make a shoe that made the outdoors more accessible. With the addition of the third founder, Jim Van Dine, they began engineering a progressive breed of outdoor footwear that combined vibrant colors, sleek designs and natural aesthetics. Named for Anu, the Celtic goddess of abundance and balance, the brand continues to personify those core values in their designs today.

Shop online at Dardanos.com all weekend for Ahnu specials and visit Dardano’s Shoes at 1550 S Colorado Blvd for the Ahnu event Saturday May 4th.

About Dardano’s Shoes:
Shortly after migrating from Italy in 1938, Frank Dardano opened his first shoe repair shop in Denver, Colorado and it was an instant success. Years later, the second Dardano generation saw an opportunity to grow the business and expanded the small repair shops into retail facilities specializing in comfort footwear and orthopedic services. Several decades later the third and fourth Dardano generations are still keeping tradition alive with reliable repair service and one of the largest and best selections of comfort footwear from around the world.

Visit the store that has survived on family tradition and customer satisfaction for over 70 years, or shop online at the new Dardanos.com.

For more information, contact:
Brandi Shedd
E-Commerce Marketing Manager
Dardano’s Shoes
303.692.9355 ext. 21
brandi@dardanos.com
https://www.dardanos.com
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Many of our clearance items may still be marked down 45% or more but unless it is marked FINAL SALE it is still returnable.

More about SOPA and PIPA

Members of Congress are trying to do the right thing by going after pirates and counterfeiters but SOPA and PIPA are the wrong way to do it.

1. SOPA and PIPA would censor the Web
The U.S. government could order the blocking of sites using methods similar to those employed by China. Among other things, search engines could be forced to delete entire websites from their search results. That’s why 41 human rights organizations and 110 prominent law professors have expressed grave concerns about the bills.

2. SOPA and PIPA would be job-killers because they would create a new era of uncertainty for American business
Law-abiding U.S. internet companies would have to monitor everything users link to or upload or face the risk of time-consuming litigation. That’s why AOL, EBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo and Zynga wrote a letter to Congress saying these bills “pose a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job-creation.” It’s also why 55 of America’s most successful venture capitalists expressed concern that PIPA “would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation, and hurt American competitiveness”. More than 204 entrepreneurs told Congress that PIPA and SOPA would “hurt economic growth and chill innovation”.

3. SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy
To make matters worse, SOPA and PIPA won’t even work. The censorship regulations written into these bills won’t shut down pirate sites. These sites will just change their addresses and continue their criminal activities, while law-abiding companies will suffer high penalties for breaches they can’t possibly control.

There are effective ways to combat foreign “rogue” websites dedicated to copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, while preserving the innovation and dynamism that have made the Internet such an important driver of American economic growth and job creation. Congress should consider alternatives like the OPEN Act, which takes targeted and focused steps to cut off the money supply from foreign pirate sites without making US companies censor the Web.

The best analogy I have heard to explain these bills is ” like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”, sure the nut will get cracked but you’ll pretty much be destroying what you were trying to get to in the process. Small websites such as Dardanos.com (seriously we are 2 people and a hamster on a wheel running our server) rely on some of the methods which under the new restriction would be called piracy in our daily operations. A lot of our website traffic comes from other sites reviewing products that we carry and using our images. We like that….other sites driving business to our site is a good thing. Under the new restrictions something as simple as re-posting a picture of an LOL cat to your Facebook page would result in that image being removed or censored and is committing an act of piracy that Facebook would be punished for as well.If you would like to keep small internet businesses thriving and keep the same internet freedoms you have enjoyed so far CLICK HERE to tell Congress not to censor your internet.

We have committed at least 3 acts of high piracy with this image...Arrrrrrgggg

*Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

Justin Timberlake was spotted wearing a pair of Sorel Caribou boots while on the set of his movie Bad Teacher.

* Photo courtesy of blog.planetshoes.com

Elle Macpherson was spotted out in Aspen Colorado wearing a pair of Sorel’s stylish and warm Joan of Arctic snow boots.

* Photo courtesy of coolspotters.com

Kate Hudson rocks the classic Sorel look in a pair of the rugged Glacier boots.

* Photo courtesy of coolspotters.com

Megan Fox looked cozy yet edgy in a pair of Helen of Tundra II boots from Sorel while running errands.

* Photo courtesy of uggboots4sale-online.com

UGG Australia boots have been a celebrity favorite for years thanks to their ultra comfortable and relaxed fit. Brad Pitt, Ronnie Wood and Justin Timberlake look casual and cool while rocking the Classic Boot from UGG.

* Photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

Eva Longoria shows you can dress up your UGG boots in a pair of Sundance II boots, while Jennifer Aniston and Kate Moss look casual chic in Classic UGG boots.

* Photo courtesy of coolspotters.com

Hilary Duff looked comfortable and fashionable in a pair of Bailey Button boots from UGG Australia.

* Photo Courtesy of sheknows.com

Frye boots danced their way to the big screen in the movie Footloose. Actress Julianne Hough wore a pair of Taylor Pull on boots throughout the film.

* Photo Courtesy of Mamasarollingstone.com

Celebrities have been known to love Frye boots and young Hollywood is no different. Stars like Leighton Meester, Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, and Vanessa Minnillo have been seen wearing varying colors of Frye’s Veronica Slouch Boot, while Camilla Belle has been spotted wearing Frye Harness boots. 

Santa still has some presents left on his sleigh! Visit Dardanos.com everyday between December 26th and January 6th to see which one of your favorite brands is on sale that day. Everyday there will be a new coupon code posted for 12 of our top selling brands. The coupon codes can be used on our in-season full price merchandise and even our clearance merchandise, but they are only good for one day, so don’t miss out!

Browse our selection of handbags here

Browse our selection of socks here

Shop Bette K’s New feet here

Shop Osgoode Marley wallets here

Shop our gift cards here

This cozy outfit is perfect for running errands or relaxing on a cold winter day. A pair of Classic Tall UGG boots in Chestnut will keep your feet warm and comfortable when temperatures drop, while the Cristel shoulder bag in caramel from Hobo International will keep you organized during busy days.

Do you have a holiday party to attend? Dress up your favorite red dress with a pair of the ultra stylish and comfortable Florina booties in black from Sofft. The petite Sable clutch in black from Hobo International will add the perfect stylish pop to your outfit.

This outfit is great for a casual day at work or a dinner date with friends. The Frey Jane 14″L boots in black dress up the traditional jeans and t-shirt combo. Accessorize your outfit with the sassy and functional Lola bag in black from Hobo International for a complete look.

HOLIDAY SHIPPING INFORMATION
Please note the following dates for guaranteed Christmas delivery (Dec 25th)

Ground Delivery: December 16th
3 Day Select: December 19th
2 Day Air: December 20th

HOLIDAY STORE HOURS:
Christmas Eve, December 24th: 9am – 4pm
Christmas Day, December 25th: CLOSED

New Year’s Eve, December 31st: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day, January 1st: CLOSED

      

During the holiday season it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, with that in mind we would like to take the opportunity to give back to our loyal supporters! For that reason Dardano’s Shoes is hosting a Holiday Shoe Giveaway Sweepstakes where we are offering exclusive prizes and discounts simply for being a fan of our company! To take advantage of this offer “Like” our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DardanosShoes, and then enter the Holiday Shoe Giveaway by using the Sweepstakes tab on the left hand side of the page. Good luck and happy holidays!