Meet Jim Ross | Chief Problem Solver for Perfect Fitting Shoes, LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jim Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jim, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I tore the ligaments in my left knee while studying Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University and I was encouraged to pursue designing shoes like my initial mock-up by a Doctor of Podiatry Medicine who was visiting one of my engineering professors. I decided to switch my major to Business Management and told my father about my desire to start a business based upon marketing shoes that I created using my bio-mechanical designs. Unfortunately for me, my father told me that I was “Stupid!” to think about starting a business making shoes and not completing my Chemical Engineering degree. He made sure to let me know that he would not help me in my endeavor. So I decided to prove my father wrong for not seeing my potential in being able to start a new company based upon my new shoe designs that help people with bad fitting shoes. I started asking others to help me make better shoe samples and I gradually gained enough experience to believe in my designs so that I could convince others of my company’s potential to sell shoes that look great and help people with their foot issues.

What should our readers know about your business?
Our business is basically a start-up company that has been beta testing our designs over the years and we have not had any of our testers report any problems with the sample shoes from our first commercial collection. I have made it my goal to introduce a great product to the market with the intention of making better versions as we constantly get feedback from our customers. Our footwear is bio-mechanically designed yet very fashionable for men and women of all ages as well as providing orthopedic benefits without looking geriatric and priced accordingly to the quality of the finished products that we sell. I encountered a financial problem with a previous partner in my business and because of that experience I decided to self-fund my company up to this point so that I will not have another situation like that in the future. Not having a well known partner has made it challenging to get established component suppliers to work with us because we are not fully established brand and well known at this time. This has forced me to look for other high quality suppliers and work with their products as we test our shoes. I had to delay working on my brand for 10 years when I was supporting my wife for her immigration papers so that she could live and work legally here in the USA, as it took 10 years before she was issued her Green Card. I have learned that patience is a virtue and not to rush the testing of our samples so that we have a great product which we can be proud to sell with confidence! We will always make better shoes as we expand our collection of shoes after receiving feedback from our customers! I will never quit in my desire to make and sell the best looking shoes that feel great for a fair price as we grow our business year after year!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I will take my friend and his wife to the Rifle Falls plus Crystal Mill on the Crystal River as we spend time in the mountains and cook out in the wilderness plus ride our bikes on some high mountain passes. I will take them to Aspen and Vail so that I can show them some of the awesome views that can be seen in those beautiful towns. We would take our kayaks out and make some runs on the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers. We would eat some well cooked BBQ at Rib City Grill in Rifle, CO; plus excellent food at the Miner’s Claim restaurant in Silt, CO.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
For the most part, I have carried this business on my shoulders over the many years that I have pursued making better versions of my designs until I had something that I could confidently sell to the market. My friend, Chris Rohde, has helped me over the years with moral support plus occasional financial help when I needed it in the early days. He worked with me when I was selling Salon shoes at the Nordstrom City Centre store in San Francisco where he eventually went into management and became my boss. He is still helping us by assisting our IT dept when we have issues or technical questions. Another of shout outs is to the man “Jose Lourenco” who designed our current MATRIX collection. He also located the factory in Portugal that is making our samples and the production orders that we will make as soon as we close our Kickstarter Campaign. Thank you Jose Lourenco and Chris Rohde!

Website: https://www.PerfectFittingShoes.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectfittingshoes/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-ross-9707529

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@perfectfittingshoes6269

Other: Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/PerfectFittingShoes/

Old You Tube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@PerfectFittingShoes

Kickstarter Campaign Pre-Launch page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/perfectfittingshoes/people-deserve-to-wear-perfect-fitting-shoes-all-day-long