MORNING. ANTOINETTE. ALL RIGHT. BRIANNA. THANK YOU. QUESTION. LADIES, DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO FIND A FASHION LABEL AND COMFORTABLE SHOE THAT WORKS FOR OFFICE TRAVEL AND EVERYDAY WEAR? YES. WELL, ALL A LOCAL BUSINESS WOMAN FACED THAT SAME PROBLEM AND DECIDED THE ANSWER WAS TO SIMPLY BUILD AND HER OWN LINE OF SHOES FOR WOMEN LIKE HER. AND OF COURSE, YEAH, THEY’RE MADE IN MASS. INSIDE A ONCE NEARLY A ABANDONED LAWRENCE MILL BUILDING, SKILLED CRAFTSMEN ARE BRINGING MANUFACTURING BACK TO LIFE IN MERRIMACK VALLEY, AND THEY HAVE ONE VERY DETERMINED LOCAL WOMAN WITH VISION TO THANK FOR THAT. WE MAKE A SHOE FOR WOMEN WHO DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WHETHER TO LOOK GOOD OR FEEL GOOD, CATHERINE DABEZIES, OWNER OF APROPOS FOOTWEAR IN THE EARLY 90S, THIS FORMER MARKETING MANAGER OF RACKET SPORTS OVER AT CONVERSE DECIDED TO STEP OUT ON HER OWN AND CREATE A SHOE COMPANY THAT CATERED TO WOMEN. HER INSPIRATION COMING DURING A WORK TRIP TO FRANCE. WHEN I WAS IN PARIS, I SAW A HOUSE SHOE AND WENT, IF I COULD ONLY WEAR THIS OUTDOORS. THIS ATHLETE AND RUNNER DIDN’T WANT TO CREATE A SNEAKER, BUT RATHER A SHOE THAT WAS COMFORTABLE, FUNCTIONAL, STABLE AND SUPPORTIVE, ALL THE WHILE PACKAGED IN A COLORFUL AND FASHIONABLE WAY. SO FEEL THE INTERIOR OF THIS. SO THAT’S THE FIRST THING A WOMAN’S GOING TO DO IS GO FOR THAT TACTILE IMPRESSION OF IS THERE ANY CUSHIONING? AND JUST BY RAISING THE HEEL SLIGHTLY, YOU GET MORE OF THAT BALANCED INTEGRATION OF SUPPORT LATERALLY AND TOE THE HEEL. FOR CATHERINE, ESTABLISHING A FOOTING IN A CROWDED SHOE SPACE MEANT FOCUSING ON A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF THE CONSUMER BASE THAT SHE WAS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH, SHE SAYS SHE FOUND HERSELF PART OF A MATURING CULTURE OF WOMEN WHO LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING ACTIVE, BUT ALSO WHO FELT THEY WERE BEING NEUTRAL IZED BY THE FASHION INDUSTRY. MY GOAL WAS TO SAY NO, NO, THERE’S MORE TO THIS GROUP, THIS SUBCULTURE OF WOMEN. THEY STILL EMBRACE WHO THEY ARE. THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THEMSELVES, AND THEY AREN’T LOOKING AT THE NEAREST TREND OR THE LATEST THING. THEY’RE JUST COMFORTABLE WITH THEMSELVES AND THEY WANT TO LOOK AND THEY WANT TO KEEP BEING FASHION FORWARD. ANOTHER IMPORTANT GOAL OF CATHERINE’S WAS TO HAVE HER SHOES MADE IN THE USA, MORE PARTICULARLY IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN LAWRENCE. I DON’T THINK YOU REINVENT IT A HISTORY AND TRY TO BRING IT BACK. THAT’S ROMANTICIZING THE PAST. BUT IF YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO REPURPOSE WHAT WAS BUILT AND EXTEND AND THAT KIND OF LINEAGE IN A PURPOSEFUL WAY, WHY NOT? WHY NOT WRITE DIRECT RETAIL NO LONGER A PART OF CATHERINE’S PIPELINE BY THE WAY, SHE DOES EVERYTHING NOW VIA E-COMMERCE. SO IF YOU’D LIKE MORE INFORMATION, MAYBE BUY SOME SHOES. WE HAVE A LINK FOR APROPOS FOOTWEAR ON OUR WEBSITE WCVB DOT COM. SO, UH, THEY’RE MADE OF TEXTILES TOO. NOT COTTON, BUT IT’S MORE OF THE, THE, THE FABRIC CAN STRETCH A LITTLE BIT. GIVE A LITTLE BIT. AND SHE SAYS HER BIGGEST PURCHASER ARE THOSE THAT TRAVEL