Behind the Bandits
Wrapping up our Holiday Work August 30, 2018 09:43
'Tis the season for holiday planning
While winter may seem like a long way away, we have spent our summer prepping for it. And no, we haven't been hoarding shovels, or doing constant squats to get ready for ski season (although our legs and calves are always on point), but rather, we've been knee deep designing socks with our incredible partners for their holiday orders.
We officially kicked off holiday planning in May and it's been non-stop since. All throughout the summer, we've been heads down, pushing ourselves to continue to crank out new and unique designs. We pride ourselves on never taking a templated approach to custom sock design; each sock that we design is totally different and special to our customer. This combined with the quality of our socks has created many happy customers and solid repeat business for us, which as a young company is the best type of business for us.
Check back regularly starting in October, as we begin to share the newest sock designs, and announce our newest partners. And if you are interested in socks for your company, team or business this holiday season (they make an outstanding gift), we have a couple of weeks left to make it happen-- reach out ASAP!
Summer Camp with Ohio Dreams June 26, 2018 13:22
Now that summer is in full swing, we are excited to write about our partnership with the Ohio Dreams action sports camp in Butler, Ohio. We were lucky enough to work with Ohio Dreams back in 2015 when we launched Neon Bandits, and could not be more excited for our continued relationship with one of the most renowned action sports camps in the country.
Just like Neon Bandits, Ohio Dreams is a family run and operated business. Athletes ranging from 7 to 17 years old from all over the globe travel to their campus in Butler to attend the camp to take their respected action sports skills (skateboarding, scootering, skiing, BMX riding and even snowboarding) to the next level. The camps signature activity is the world famous “Slip N Fly.” Pictured below, this slip-n-slide on steroids launches people straight into the air and into a pool for an epic splash landing. (Also a great way to practice ski/ snowboard tricks with a softer landing...)
So how is Neon Bandits involved? Our socks are being worn by camp counselors and are also being used as prizes at competitions that the camp hosts throughout the summer. Be sure to stay tuned to our social media channels as we highlight some great footage that we get from these incredible action sports athletes throughout the summer!
Team Sea to See June 05, 2018 08:00
A couple of months back, we spotlighted sock partner, Team with a Vision, whom we worked with during the Boston Marathon. It is through that relationship that we learned of the Race Across America (RAAM) and Team Sea to See. Immediately upon learning about what they were embarking on, we knew we wanted to get involved and support the team and their goals however we could.
June 16th, the team of 8 riders (+ many others in crew and support) will begin the race literally across America. They are the first RAAM team with all blind stokers. By taking on this challenge, the team and crew hope to highlight the collaboration, intelligence and perseverance all present within the human spirit. And show just how capable all humans are. Through both the race and strategic media outreach, the team will also be raising awareness about the disappointing employment rate of the blind.
To learn more about Team Sea to See, please visit their website and be sure to follow along their journey June 12-25. We’ll be highlighting snapshots as they come in on our own Instagram Story (@neonbandits) and we’re excited to say the team will be rocking custom limited edition cycling socks throughout their journey! (Pictures below) We’re proud to be able to support them in even this small way.
Heartbreak Hill Running x Neon Bandits (Marathon Edition) April 01, 2018 15:48
When it came to Boston '18, we didn't stop with Team with a Vision. As we mentioned a few months back, we partnered with with the team over at the Heartbreak Hill Running Company to develop a performance running sock. Given that the Boston Marathon is the biggest running event here in Boston, we worked with them to develop four exclusive Heartbreak Hill x Neon Bandits designs exclusive to HHRC for the race; they launched a couple of weeks back and are only available at their three retail locations and online.
The four designs that we launched with them are were designed to celebrate the famous Boston 26.2... the signature “mismatched” sock plays homage to the start and finish lines of the race- both iconic landmarks to the Boston Marathon runners. The black sock maps out the area around the starting line in Hopkinton, MA while the white sock maps out the details around the finish line in downtown Boston.
Check out the complete collection below and be sure to #grabapair of these socks from HB before they are gone!
Team with a Vision March 19, 2018 09:00
In only a few short weeks, runners from around the world will arrive in Hopkinton, Massachusetts to start the 26.2-mile journey to the finish line of the 2018 Boston Marathon. Known as arguably the most iconic marathon in the world, professional and charity runners alike run shoulder to shoulder along the route with the goal of finishing the race on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.
This year, we have partnered with a few local-to-Boston charity teams to develop socks for their runners to wear on race day. From now until race day, we will be highlighting the teams we are working with right here on our blog and on our Instagram page by showcasing the socks that were developed for them. First up? The incredible Team with a Vision.
For the past 25 years, members of Team with a Vision have shown the world that disability does not mean inability. The team fields an international team of runners who are visually impaired. Runners are joined by sighted guides and together they navigate the race. The team has been fostered and grown up as a part of Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The organization, the oldest social service agency in the country, delivers professional, peer, and volunteer support to more than 1,400 individuals who are blind or visually impaired in any given year. Their mission? Support those with vision loss to break barriers and create opportunities, and in doing so, to foster community and transform lives.
We are so happy to be working with such a great charity in our home town of Boston. When you're out cheering on race day (Monday, April 16th), be sure to cheer extra loud and proud for those running with Team with a Vision-- they are a true inspiration, and we can promise their socks will be on point.
If you are interested in volunteering or supporting Team with a Vision please check out MABVI.org or United Stride.
The Home Court Advantage November 27, 2017 06:46
Boston. The city that we grew up in, and have called home our entire lives. The city is a special place for us and one that fits (and helped form) the Neon Bandits lifestyle.
As a young business, we’ve had our fair share of trying to figure out just who we wanted to be. We made some mistakes (as everyone does) that first year, and tried to be everything to everyone. While we were able to get points of distribution and develop great partnerships all across the country, we have spent the past few months getting back to the basics and focusing on developing ties with fellow Boston-brands to help build the Neon Bandits name while introducing some new types of socks to the market.
Over the course of the next several months, you will see what we consider to be our most exciting projects come to life thanks to us teaming up with fellow Bostonians. We looked within our home city to connect with some of the most exciting brands and businesses across the lifestyle and performance spaces to develop these new and custom socks.
Here’s a sneak peek of three projects that are just about to (or already have) dropped.
The Heartbreak Hill Running Company x Neon Bandits performance running sock
You read that right. And as you may have seen, we’re thrilled to be adding performance running socks to our portfolio. Go for a run in Boston and it’s hard not to notice runners wearing the iconic “broken heart” logo for the Heartbreak Hill Running Company. With three locations throughout the city (including one at Mile 20 of the Boston Marathon, where Heartbreak Hill starts to take its toll on runners) this specialty running store possesses the strongest brand among the Boston running community.
We were pumped when co-founders agreed to meet with us months ago, and were even more excited when they agreed we team-up to develop a performance running sock together. Over the course of the past few months, we have been working hand-in-hand with Dan and Justin to develop what we all consider to be a top of the line performance running sock. We combined their experience in the running space with our knowledge of socks to develop this unique new product. With three exclusive “Heartbreak” deigns set to drop in time for this holiday season (and more on the way for the Spring), you better run (pun intended) to #grabapair of these socks before they are gone.
Parlor Skis x Neon Bandits performance ski sock
Parlor Skis set out to change the way people order custom ski’s and well let’s just say that they have done just that. Also based out of Boston, founder Mark Wallace and his team have been blowing up the New England Ski scene with individually designed and crafted skis. With ski season just about here, Parlor wanted to be able to offer customers the ability to #grabapair of ski socks when they picked up their fresh skis for the season.
But they didn’t want an ordinary off-the-shelf ski sock. Since many of Parlor’s customers are performance skiers, we worked with them to build a streamlined and functional Thermalite ski sock to keep shredders comfortable on the slopes.
Roxy’s Grilled Cheese x Neon Bandits
As one of the first food trucks to take to the streets in Boston years ago, James Sabatino of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese has turned his grilled cheese truck into an iconic staple of the Boston food scene. Now with four brick and mortar locations, in addition to many food trucks, Roxy’s has a following that simply needed some swag. We teamed up with James and his team to create a special edition grilled cheese sock. Yup, you read that right, a grilled cheese sock. One downside? Neon Bandits socks are not edible…
More details on where you can #grabapair of Roxy’s limited-edition socks to come. A portion of proceeds from these socks will be donated to support local schools.
We could not be more excited about these projects, as we’ve been able to work alongside experts in various spaces, and develop/ diversify our product offerings. What’s cooler? This is just the start to us “owning” Boston and we can’t wait to share some other local collaborations, as those continue to take flight. (Hint: “a flight” has something to do with an upcoming custom sock…)
Stay tuned to our blog and Instagram to keep up to date on our latest projects!
Boston Children's Hospital, meet Neon Bandits July 27, 2017 11:17
For the past few months, we've been working along side the Partnership Team at Boston Children's Hospital to develop and design a custom sock for the Corporate Cup Challenge. The event is a field-day competition among some of the largest businesses in the city of Boston designed to raise money for the Boston Children's Hospital. We can't totally say that our custom tubes lead the victor to the podium, but we can say that we were honored to partner and support this one-of-a-kind Boston-based institution.
These limited edition custom socks won't be available online and are only available through the Boston Children's Hospital Trust but we wanted to show off some of our fine work!
Meet the New Additions April 14, 2017 12:10
The sun is (finally) out and signs of Spring are all around us-- baseball has started, the Boston Marathon is Monday and we've put away our winter boots... for the time being. But long before the weather took a positive turn, we started thinking about new styles for Spring.
Earlier this week, we launched The Yardarm and The Monomoy, both named for the camp that Dan and I spent many summers growing up. Stay tuned for more of those stories... Yes, you'll notice their fresh designs and their bold colorways, but you should also notice that these two styles are available in two sizes!
At Neon Bandits, we are listening and digesting your feedback. And size was something we were beginning to hear more often, as our consumer-base grew. Our newest styles are still offered in Neon Bandits original "one size" size, fitting men's shoe sizes 9-12, and are also now offered in a "medium" size, fitting men's shoe sizes 6-9. The latter size is perfect for tween, teen and many female feet.
We're really excited about both-- the new socks AND the new size offering, and look forward to your feedback!
We also can't wait to see where you take The Yardarm and The Monomoy this Spring and Summer, on all of your adventures. Be sure to tag your sock pics @neonbandits or use #grabapair so we can see how you sock it to 'um.
Why being Knit-In Matters February 20, 2017 19:35
Before launching Neon Bandits in June of 2015, we spent over 18 months trying to find a factory partner that could produce the highest quality socks. We didn’t want just any socks to have our name on them; we wanted to make a quality sock that met (or exceeded) the durability and functionality of the largest brands in the space. And over the past year and a half, based on the feedback that we have received from customers, teams and partners, we have done just that.
A major point of differentiation (and one that us sock geeks love to boast about) between Neon Bandits and other socks, is that all of our socks feature knit-in design. When we create or develop a new style, or a custom design, we do just that—create and develop. All of our socks are built from the toe up via a process called circle stitching.
Having a sock that is knit-in means that everything from the yarn to the colors of the sock must be extremely well thought-out to translate into a design that is both functional and fun. Our designs compliment the structure of the sock. A couple of big perks of a knit-in sock? Knit-in socks maintain their structure and color—even with extreme wearing and washing.
The drawback? The development timeline of a knit-in sock is a bit more involved than a typical sock timeline, which does mean our lead-times for custom designs can run a little longer. The good news is that we’re always thinking ahead in terms of design and sampling, and continue to prioritize quality and customer satisfaction at the top of our list.
Thinking about a custom sock for your crew would be a great way to kick-off Spring and Summer? Us too!
Sock it to ‘um this Valentines Day February 06, 2017 16:00
You’ve been married forever, you’ve been dating for years or you just met on Tinder. Whatever your relationship status, say it with Neon Bandits this Valentines Day.
Now, we may be biased, but we’re strong believers that socks make the perfect gift. And here are five reasons why:
- You really can’t screw-up in the size department. Quit worrying about if someone will be offended if you get them their actual size (the whole world can’t be a Medium!) and buy them a pair of socks.
- They’re practical! Neon Bandits can be worn while working out or hanging out. If your date is a coach potato or CrossFit superstar, they’re going to find a need (and love) these socks.
- No special instructions required. You don’t need to water your socks. And they don’t need to be dry-cleaned. Wash and dry your Neon Bandits without worry of shrinking, color bleeding or pilling. Folding (or not folding) is on you.
- They won’t break the bank. And, now through Valentines Day, use promo code “Flowers” to add a pair of The Meadow to your cart for just $5.
- They’re easy to wrap. We needn’t say anymore.
Go on and #GrabAPair for whoever this Valentines Day! And we can assure you that every order is packed with love. Feel the Neon Bandits difference.
2016, the Year that Was December 18, 2016 19:56
Hard to believe that 2016 is almost a wrap. It’s been a fun year for Neon Bandits- one where we released a bunch of new styles, opened a number of new accounts, and met some great new friends.
So, what’s ahead of 2017? While we can’t give away all our secrets, here’s a sneak-peak of what’s ahead:
- Expect to see Snaps like you have never seen before. Be sure to follow along (@NeonBandits) for a chance to win free swag.
- We are going back to school (well sort of…) with a number of Neon Bandits campus reps that we have staffed up around the country.
- Did you expect anything differently? New styles are in development.
- New partners. Expect to see some of the fun custom work we’re doing amplified on our blog and social channels.
Anything you want to see? Drop us a line (info@neonbandits.com) to let us know. 2017, we’re comin’ for ya.
Taking you Behind the Scenes of The Buzz Photo Shoot July 11, 2016 10:49
Early in June we dropped it low with the launch of The Buzz. And to get some content, we put together a small but powerful squad to shoot in one of the most special places in Boston—a rooftop deck overlooking the city skyline.
Our friends at Surreal Sunglasses hooked us up for the shoot with some of their awesome new specs. Be sure to check out their new bamboo shades, in particular, which are bound to be a summer fav.
As always, we couldn’t have done it without our trusty photographer (and childhood friend), Madeline. Lady always shows up ready to go and to take our ideas to the next level, visually.
(No windows were broken while golfing off the roof deck!)
Have you had a chance to check out The Buzz? Be sure to #grabapair and then send us pictures as they adorn your legs throughout your summer adventures! We’ll be waiting!
Drop it low with The Buzz June 16, 2016 21:19
Yup, your eyes are seeing things clearly, one can now drop it low with the launch of The Buzz. We made sure not to take away from the loud & proud nature of our socks when launching our first high ankle sock. The Buzz is made from the same great materials as our signature mid-calf socks but affords those that want to show a little bit more leg during the ability to.
It took months of work to come up with the look of The Buzz. We wanted to build a sock that turned heads like our current styles yet had the function to be worn in an athletic setting but also had the style to be worn while you are living your life.
As you may or may not know, each one of our socks has a name for a reason and The Buzz is no different. Named after Buzzards Bay, the gateway to Cape Cod- a place where Sammy and Dan grew up spending summers (and still go down most weekends).
So what are you waiting for? don’t be afraid to drop it low when you #grabapair.
The Freshest Pairings May 01, 2016 12:56
Just like pairing a fine wine with cheese, at Neon Bandits we like to pair fine socks with fresh kicks. We stay on top of the latest and greatest sneaker releases, and are always thinking about how we can pair them up with Neon Bandits. In the spirit of summer being just around the corner, we’ve paired up Neon Bandits with some of the hottest new sneaker releases. You can thank us later…
Nike recently released the Air Presto Flyknit. We could easily rattle off 20 adjectives to describe how awesome these are. Pair the Air Presto Flyknit with The 781 white and you will have just about every jaw dropping when you walk by.
Sticking in the Nike Flyknit family, if you are looking for the classic 1980’s Andre Agassi look, pair up the NikeCourt Tennis Classic Ultra Flyknit with (the green) Flip. Fresh.
If you are looking to stay a bit more conservative with your kick-game, we suggest pairing the “Triple White” Adidas Ultra Boost with The Loop. These two complement each other like John Stockton and Karl Malone.
Have your favorite sneaker pairing with Neon Bandits? Send it along (with a picture) to info@neonbandits.com for a chance to be featured on our Instagram.
History of The Tube (sock) March 30, 2016 19:57
Back in ancient times (and we’re not talking pre- Y2K) socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. It wasn’t until the late 16th century that the first machine knit socks were produced, but even then, up until post-WWI, a majority of socks were hand knit.
So, what was the role of socks, after all?
With the main goal of absorbing sweat, socks main goal was to add a layer of protection from the elements, while mitigating rubbing (i.e. sores, blisters, etc.) that came from direct contact with hard shoes. It’s a little known fact that feet are actually one of the body’s heaviest producers of sweat, which is why it’s so important to have a sock that has your feet covered (literally, and figuratively, of course).
Back to tubes…
Tube socks, in particular, became popular in the ‘60s with the boom of athletics. Everyone from basketball stars to track and field phenoms were wearing tubes and the fashion statement quickly spread to the general population, too.
The look continued to boom into the 80’s with aerobics (hello, Jane Fonda) and started to fade until skaters began adopting tube socks in the 90’s as “retro cool.”
One of the reasons Neon Bandits was brought to market was to introduce a new twist on Tube Socks to the market. Think of Neon Bandits as the Swiss-Army Knife of Tubes- a no-slip mid-calf option with excellent foot support and ultra breathability that can be worn while working out, while also have the style to be worn in everyday life. Yup, go ahead and #grabapair.
The Reasoning Behind our Product Names February 29, 2016 07:28
As we outlined when we launched our first line in June, we like to have meaning behind our product names. While we had some fun creating names for The Dawson, The Ozz and The Flip, it's safe to say that we had just as much fun coming up with the names for our new socks. Without further ado, the meaning behind our latest styles names:
The Meadow- Named after where Dan started his youth basketball career, and Sammy moonlighted as a kick-ball captain, “The Meadow” is named after Dan and Sammy’s elementary school, Broadmeadow.
The 781- In tradition of playing homage to where it all began, “The 781” is named for the 3 digit phone code of Dan and Sammy’s hometown. How does blue and gold play into this area code? None other than the Needham Rockets.
The Loop- Yup. This sock will have people doing loops around you, checking out your calves. And you should know this sock is named after Loop beach where Dan and Sammy spent many a childhood days hunting for periwinkles, fishing for hermit crabs and digging giant holes.
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The Crush- Everyone has a childhood pet that leaves a lasting memory. Dan had Crush, the best goldfish a kid could ask for, Crush. He lived to be 7 years old and swam upside down for the final 2 years of his life. This one’s for you, buddy.
Have you ever had a goldish that swam upside down? If so, drop us a note (info@neonbandits.com) and we may need to name our next sock after him or her.
Hanging in the Minors with Matt Brazis January 28, 2016 18:18
Over the weekend, we had a chance to sit down with our great friend, Matt Brazis, who is a rising star in the Chicago Cubs Minor League Organization. Matt gave us some insight into what it is like playing in the Minors:
Playing in the Cubs Organization has been a great experience, and one that I recognize not many people get the chance to go through. Being a part of such a storied franchise with incredible fans and great staff is all I could ask for. The Cubs take great pride in their minor league system, and spare no expense at all the different levels leading up to the majors.
I've been playing baseball for as long as I can remember, so it's hard to imagine life without it. When I was younger, I remember going to the Little League with my dad, and trying to compete with my older brother who was always much better than I was. It was that competition that has paid off, as I continue to work as hard as I can to outwork “the other guy”.
I guess it might sound cliché, but what I love most about baseball is winning. For example, if someone turned on a random baseball game on TV, I wouldn't be too interested. However, drop me into that game, and the competitiveness in me fires up. The drive to succeed and win, especially in a one-on-one matchup with the hitter, is exhilarating.
My offseason is a mixture of workouts, throwing, seeing friends, and odd jobs. My lifting and baseball workouts start at 9am and end around 3pm; this leaves me the rest of the day to relax or work. This offseason I've been giving pitching lessons to little leaguers, working as a bartender, hell, I've even sold some Neon Bandits on the side! I like to have a fair amount of balance in my offseason, which I consider as my time off.
Neon Bandits aren't only a handsome-looking sock, but they're also a very practical fit for me. I'm constantly working out and being active, and the sock really reflects that lifestyle. Neon Bandits bold looks, colors and patterns are fantastic. They're incredibly comfortable and don't slide down your calves like most other similar socks do. Whether I'm squatting, lunging, or throwing a bullpen in my baseball cleats, I got my Neon Bandits on and ready to take on anything.
We’ll be checking in with Matt throughout the season as he and his Neon Bandits collection take on Spring Training, and then hit the road to the majors. Stay tuned and in the meantime, #GrabAPair!
Athleisure, it's Officially a Word November 28, 2015 15:24
The next time the national spelling bee comes around, the word “athleisure” is going to be front and center, as it has officially been added to the dictionary.
And what does that mean for Neon Bandits? Well, we officially have a word to point to in the dictionary to classify ourselves. As we have mentioned many times, we have built and designed Neon Bandits to be the perfect blend between a performance sock and a lifestyle sock; if you want all of the technical details of our socks check out the below diagram.
In honor of “Athleisure” now officially be part of the dictionary, here are the top three reasons we are stoked this has happened:
- It is now only a matter of time before sweatpants are acceptable for men to wear to work on a regular basis (heck- some dress sweatpants already exist… )
- As a society, we will be able to conserve water because we will have to do less laundry by wearing the same clothes to work, and to workout.
- You really have zero excuse not to #grabapair.
So, next year at the spelling bee, when someone asks to use “athleisure” in a sentence, you have this in your back pocket: “Neon Bandits is an athleisure sock brand that blends performance with lifestyle.”
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and #Grabapair.
Neon Bandits x UMass Lowell Women's Lax November 13, 2015 16:00
We already detailed our partnership with the Gonzaga Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams and today we are ready to unveil another partnership, this one right in our backyard.
We are excited to announce that we will be working with the UMass Lowell Women’s Club team for the 2015-2016 season. As part of our deal, the ladies will be wearing The Ozz on the field and in practice. As a company, it was important for us to develop a relationship with a strong club that is located in the same state that we were founded and one that is passionate about our brand.
Team captain (and Neon Bandit super fan) Rachael Rennie describes her experience working with us as “awesome” and adds “I've seen first-hand how many lacrosse players really love these socks, and I couldn't be happier about that."
The team had a Fall-ball tournament where they introduced Neon Bandits to the New England college lacrosse community. Stay up to date on the blog and follow our social media channels for the latest news related to our partnership with the team!
Neon Bandits 2.0 October 24, 2015 17:52
It’s official: the second line of Neon Bandits has been developed and ordered with the factory. You can expect to see our Spring 2016 line mid to late winter.
What’s different about our second line? While you will have to wait and see, we will tease you and say we have new designs and new colors coming in hot. Our new line includes 4 totally fresh, bold designs, in 2 color options each. Quality, functionality and fun are still paramount to all of our socks. For our SS16 line, we were able to listen to customer feedback on what people liked and what they wanted to see changed.
As we developed the second line with our ever talented designers, we took a look around the marketplace. We did our trend research, to see where the sock world was veering, but, as always, we really pushed ourselves to be different than what was already out there.
We are excited to share subtle hints with you as to what our second line of socks will look like so be sure to stay tuned to our blog and social media channels!
Behind the Scenes at the Boston College Photo-Shoot October 11, 2015 19:54
Imagery is the basis for everything that we do, so having a database of content to pull from is imperative for us. We love when people send us their pictures of them wearing Neon Bandits (and we share them all the time!!), but sometimes, it's helpful to have our own internal database to pull from. Sammy typically leads the charge for photo-shoots, and starts by coordinating a photographer and drafting a shot-list, pictures that we know we want or need. From there, the shot-list grows to pictures that we would like to have and some more vague actions or ideas for shots. We often use Pinterest as an inspiration tool, because it's so visual, it's really great to use to get everyone aligned.
The Sibling Startup October 03, 2015 18:27
We have now officially been live for four whole months, and get this: Dan and Sammy are still on speaking terms! Did anyone (but family members) really think that we still would be talking to each other?
For those of you that didn’t know it, Sammy and I are brother and sister. Not only are Sammy and I siblings and business partners, but we are also (along with our older brother) best friends. In fact, even though I am a little more than three years older than Sammy, for the first time since we were little kids, at some recent meetings, we were mistaken for twins. While we are not twins, we are very similar and understand how we each think which is great (in some instances) but also means it’s incredibly easy to get under each other's skin, and get frustrated with one another.
During the first month that we were live, we argued a lot (about big things, and small things), which made it difficult to forget about Neon Bandits when we were together hanging outside of work (and for those of you that live in start-up world, you know that “work” is essentially anytime you are not sleeping). At family dinners, our parents often became referees for our arguments, texting conversations were all about socks and ideas. Friday afternoons, happy hour time, became war-room time—in more than one way.
While I can’t say that we have stopped yelling entirely, we quickly realized that while it is easy to yell at each other, ultimately it got and still gets us nowhere. While we thought we knew each other very well (heck we are siblings), we had not really worked this closely before. So now, we have tried our best to split up the workload so I have certain facets that I run, and Sammy has certain areas that she runs. Certainly, there is a lot of overlap (and still some toes stepped on) but we are making a concerted effort to divide and conquer.
Since we are able to work so closely together that people think that we’re twins, we are both excited about the future of the brand. We have been able to feed off one another and lay the foundation for a bright (no pun intended) future.
Meet LJ Powers August 15, 2015 10:30
My name is Laura Powers but my close friends and family call me LJ which are my initials of my first and middle name (Laura Jayne). I am from the Florida Keys and have grown up on the water.
I got into action sports from my Dad. He was always into all kinds of crazy sports like para-motoring, kite boarding, surfing, skating, wake boarding, etc. Naturally, when I was old enough to do them myself, he taught me and I fell in love with them! Out of all of the sports that I take part in, my favorite sport is probably wake boarding because I can do it in my backyard. I love learning new tricks and going out with my friends who love it as much as I do. As I continue to grow older, I hope to be able to teach the sport to younger kids and continue to advance myself with new tricks.
I try to get out and do what I love as much as possible. During the summer, I go wake boarding almost every day so that’s where I get most of my practice. I am very lucky because when I am out on the water I get to spend time with my two younger sisters who I am really close with. We love to challenge one another and teach each other new tricks. The next trick that I am trying to learn is a back roll.
That's me riding a longboard above rocking The Flip! Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@LauraJPowers) to check out some more pictures of me riding!
What is a “Neon Bandit”?? July 20, 2015 08:00
We’ve told you a bit about us (a killer brother-sister duo), and gave you the thoughts behind #GrabAPair and most recently, took you behind the scenes as we made our “sizzler” video. So now it only seems fair to take you into the thinking of our name, Neon Bandits.
To be fair, we’ve actually owned the name for quite some time. The name resonated with Dan a couple years back now and he went ahead and made it official. (A la Beyonce, “if you like it then you better put a ring on it”.) And after our eureka moment, when Dan and I realized we both wanted to make action lifestyle socks (promise, true story!) we thought about how the name could be applied to a brand. And it worked.
Neon, in nature, is rare. It is bold in color and glows in high intensities. A bandit, by definition, is one that is outlawed, doesn’t follow rules and looks to pave their own path- refusing to take direction or lead from others. When put together, a Neon Bandit becomes someone that refuses to blend-in, someone that makes bold choices and isn’t looking at the “crowd,” and doesn’t need affirmation. A Neon Bandit is someone that has the power and confidence to stand on their own.
When you break the name down like we are doing, you realize that the name Neon Bandits really defines our target customer. Our consumer is bold and takes things to the next level- wanting to stand out, jump hire, skate faster, run with more spunk, etc. And our product aims to give you the confidence to do just that.
So next time you see someone walking down the street with plain white socks, or socks that are miscast, as you’re wearing your Neon Bandits, sigh deeply, keep on moving, and try to keep your smile to yourself. You should know at this moment, you have joined a very special group of people that get it. Neon Bandits. We are bright.
#GrabAPair
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