Today was day 2 of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.  I had numerous appointments and gathered enough material for about 10 posts, so bear with me for the next week or so as I sort through it all.  Obviously I met a lot of folks today, learned about a lot of products and green programs and in doing so one particular company really stood out to me as the company I wanted to focus on for my second OR Winter Market post.  END Footwear is the company and they are yet another smaller company, in a sea of big guys, that are doing it right from the start. Working to make a great product with the environment and the consumer in mind.

I first heard of End when I signed up for the OR Twitter feed.  Ben Finklea, a co-founder of END popped up there and I started to follow him and then made a note to stop by their booth.  I was very impressed with what I saw when I did.  First, the name, END – stands for Environmentally Neutral Design, something that they obviously believe in strongly.

The drive for the END ethos is apparent in everything they do, from the design and manufacturing process to the  design of their trade show booth where they market their finished product.  They strive to do more with less in everything that they do.

Our passion for performance is what drives us; our devotion to acting responsibly defines us. Our ethos is rooted in an evolutionary design philosophy that strives to do more with less. At END we see responsible design as the centerpiece of why and how we create. Whether it is the factory floor or the materials in our footwear, we view design as a challenge, a challenge to lessen our footprint, our impact and our output.

In the video below, Ben Finklea, company Co-Founder says it all best in describing what they do.

So I have said a lot, but what about their product? Well, I got a chance to take a first hand look at what they offer, hold it and feel it. I did not get to wear or run in it. So my review will leave out that crucial bit. What I can tell you is that they looked amazing and felt great in my hands. They had the right amount of flex and were very lightweight. If reviews of first hand use are what you are looking for, I would say to check out what people are saying on REI.com where I see nothing less than a four star review.

Take a look below for a small sampling of the END product line.