Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Pastorkovich Loftin Dortch. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alex Pastorkovich, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Üni is the first antimicrobial, fluid resistant shoe designed to look good on AND off the clock. Current healthcare shoes on the market are designed by individuals who have never experienced a day in the life of a healthcare professional. We are both nurses who have worked in the industry for many years and have identified a real need in the footwear market. We have shoe companies that focus on providing the functionality necessary for the healthcare environment, but they have neglected the visual appeal of the shoe. Many nurses we talked with never bought “healthcare” shoes, because they didn’t like they way they looked, so they would wear regular tennis shoes that would allow body fluids to soak through and break down way too fast. Being a part of the community we serve through our footwear provides us with the unique opportunity to create a product specifically for the people who are wearing them.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Alex spent most of my nursing career in the Emergency Room at UCLA. Loftin spent the first 4 years of his nursing career in the acute care setting on medical-surgical and telemetry units. He then transitioned into outpatient surgery doing pre and post-operative care.

We met during a shift at a concierge IV hydration studio in Beverly Hills. We chatted briefly, exchanged contact info, and 3 hours later parted ways. Loftin soon moved away to NYC, but we stayed connected over the years and would chat about our mutual areas of interest in business, nursing, health, and fitness. We had both started our own business ventures separately, but after spending time talking and brainstorming, we knew it was time to partner up!

With other types of athletic footwear on the market designed specifically for healthcare professionals, what makes Üni unique are the design and materials. For instance, not only are the shoes comfortable, slip-resistant, and stain-repellent, but Üni is the first healthcare shoe on the market to use fabric which contains antimicrobial properties designed to kill viruses, bacteria, and microbes on its surface. The fabric’s guard plate technology is antimicrobial and creates a fluid-resistant layer without needing to be treated with sprays or chemicals like many other water-resistant fabrics on the market.

Along with function, the aesthetics of Üni shoes were equally as important —and a gap we found lacking in the market. Healthcare shoes on the market are functional, but lack all aesthetic appeal. Those who opt for a more stylish sneaker look great in their scrubs, but their feet pay the price. The lack of function from regular sneakers leaves feet tired and sore, while the shoes become stained and worn out due to constant wear. So, those of us in healthcare are left to choose between fashion and function.

Just as scrubs have come a long way in matching elevated performance and style, Üni will become associated with the next generation of footwear for nurses looking to feel good and look at work. Ünis sleek modern design and neutral color tones make them one of the most versatile shoes on the market and will look just as good in scrubs as they do in street clothes or athletic wear. Footwear is the one aspect of our uniform that we have some freedom to choose our own individual style. We wanted a shoe that we, and all healthcare workers, could be excited to put on each day. We thought, ‘Why can’t we have a shoe that takes care of our feet for a 12-hour shift, while also looking super stylish?’ So we said, ‘Let’s make our own!’

We are proud to be the first nurse owned and operated footwear brand for healthcare. We want our customers to know that we have literally walked miles in their shoes and have created a shoe just for them.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Loftin and I had no idea how to manufacture a shoe going into this project. We had the initial idea, and figured the rest out as we went. The process started with a lot of Google-ing, but we were lucky enough to find an amazing designer early on who helped us out a lot. We worked with him for months, going back and forth with sketches and mock ups until we finally landed on our design. He then introduced us to a manufacturer he had previously worked with, and we started working on prototypes. We probably spent another 6 months sending shoes back and forth making minor adjustments until we were satisfied with the final product.

There is so much that goes into creating a shoe that we had no idea about, and we have so much left to learn. Launching Üni has been one of the funnest, most frustrating, but rewarding processes we have ever experienced. We wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

One of the most important strategies we initiated early on was collecting as many emails from potential clients as possible. As a new business, it is extremely important to develop a strong reputation and trust within our market. In order to do this, communication has been key. We launched a pre-order campaign that has helped fund our first inventory order, but as you can imagine, it takes a lot longer for customers to receive their product. We have used our email list as a way to send updates on shoe production, estimated shipping dates, and when they can expect to receive their shoes. Customers have trusted us with their business and we want to make sure they always have an open line of communication to voice any questions or concerns.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.uni.shoes/
• Instagram: @wear.uni
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wear.uni.shoes/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/%C3%BCniwear/