We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer & Brian Eschbach recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jennifer & Brian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of sales or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.

At Easy Wind we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to protect and conserve our public lands. The spaces are given to us, but we must maintain and respect our natural surroundings. We believe in giving back and doing our part to preserve our outdoor spaces. So we are pledging to give 5% of our sales to Virginia State Parks.

As a company owned by hikers we are doing much more than that. Since we log hundreds of miles each year on the trails we see the attention our parks need. We are taking action and are working side by side with amazing non-profits such as Keep Virginia Cozy and NICA to maintain the trails. Our parks and public lands rely on volunteers to pull off the behind the scenes stuff, so that everyone can enjoy these spaces. It is our goal to donate more time and money to our parks as our business becomes more established. So if you believe in our mission we would love to see you out there! Join the Easy Wind community, grab a pair of socks, get outside and support your local parks.

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?

We at Easy Wind Outfitters, are a husband and wife team that design true trail inspired merino wool hiking socks. We are outdoor enthusiasts that spend a lot of time hiking and biking the trails of Virginia. As hikers, we were tired of the boring and bulky gray ribbed hiking sock. We provide lightweight merino wool socks that eliminates slipping and chaffing in your shoe. And the designs are bold and fun! Our socks are perfect for any outdoor adventure – from hiking to backpacking, rock climbing and trail running and any adventure in between.

One of the main reasons we started Easy Wind was to work together as a family and be involved in the outdoor community. As an outdoor brand we believe in inspiring adventure and protecting our trails.. Our sustainable merino wool hiking socks not only serve as a practical function but also gives back to protect our trails and public lands.

All of Easy Winds socks are made right here in the USA with ethically sourced yarn from Australia and New Zealand. We chose merino wool because of it’s positive impact on the environment. As a natural fiber, merino wool is soft on the skin, odor resistant, moisture wicking, breathable, stain resistant and temperature regulating. Merino wool truly is a magical fabric!

As on online business we market our brand on social media platforms, podcasts and magazine articles. Our products can be found in local shops in the Richmond area, with more being added this year.

For hikers, bikers, trail runners and the casual outdoor enthusiast, Easy Wind Outfitters makes merino wool socks to stand up to all of your adventures. Made to perform and built to last, here in the USA. Our socks are backed by a Lifetime Guarantee – so you can trust your socks will work hard no matter how hard you play.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

As outdoor enthusiasts, we feel the best way to represent our brand is to live our brand. We regularly travel the country selling directly to like-minded individuals at Adventure Expos and Festivals. We can often be found sharing the trails and building relationships with our fellow adventurers. Getting out there and interacting with our customers conveys that we are authentic which in turn allows them to experience for themselves what our brand is about.

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

As hikers, we were tired of the boring ol’ gray hiking socks. We were tired of socks that slipped and bunched up in our boots. And we were tired of bulky socks that made our shoes feel tight, which would ultimately create blisters. We knew there had to be something different. But after looking and trying different socks, there just wasn’t a sock that fit the bill. So we set out to create a sock that would be lightweight, stay put and most importantly have some fun, bold designs. After a couple of years of research on materials, sourcing and manufacturing we finally decided on merino wool. We chose merino wool for our hiking socks because it is perfect for every adventure regardless of season. Once we decided on the material that we wanted to use for our socks, we needed to find a knitter that would be able to knit the socks for us. It took us approximately two years to research, interview and select a hosiery that we wanted to partner with. One of the most important factors for us was that not only did they need to be made in the USA, but the merino wool needed to be ethically sourced. The merino wool is sourced from Australia or New Zealand. It is then sent off to Germany to be processed and spun into yarn. From Germany the wool is shipped to the fabric mills in the US where it is dyed and then sent to the hosiery to knit our socks.

There are very few hosieries left in the USA. Over the course of 2 years we emailed, spoke to and interviewed many of them. The biggest issue we faced as a small business was that we couldn’t meet their minimum quantity requirements. We finally found one who was willing to take a chance on us. They had a low MOQ and were excellent in there customer service. They helped get our brand off the ground. However, approximately a year into our partnership they shuttered their doors. We found ourselves once again in search of a new hosiery. This time the search was easier. With prayers and patience we were referred to a hosiery in Alabama. The owner of the company reached out and although his MOQ’s were very high, he was willing to partner with us. He has taught us so much in the short time that we have been working with him. We can safely say that we now have a partner for the long haul.

Running a business has its share of ups and downs. Especially when you have to rely on others to manufacture your products. It is hard not be in full control. There are shipping delays, unavailability of yarn colors, or broken knitting machines. We have learned to roll with the punches and pivot when needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://easywindoutfitters.com
• Instagram: Easywindoutfitters
• Facebook: Easywindoutfitters

Image Credits
Creative Heat Boon Dog Outdoors