At Gripjoy, we believe that the world is meant to be explored, friendships are to be formed, children are to be chased, and new potentials are to be reached without fear of embarrassment or injury. Our socks are for everyday wearby anyone who wants life to be a little less slippery, including:
- parents, grandparents, and child care providers,
- post-surgical patients,
- pregnant women,
- elderly individuals,
- those living with disabilities, and especiallyanyone who has questioned why socks are so slippery in the first place?!
Alison’s (founder) Story:
I have always been more clumsy than athletic. Slips, trips, and falls were part of everyday life, but in my childhood the damage was limited to a beet-red face, a scraped knee, or at most, a sprained ankle.
In adulthood, those minor missteps led to scarier moments - sliding down the stairs while several months pregnant; slipping on a wood floor while holding my 6-month old infant. I landed in the hospital more than once and was grateful to leave without any lasting damage to myself or my children.
Fast-forward a few years, and I found my clumsiness turning into outright unsteadiness and fatigue. After months of doctors visits, tests, and more tests, I was diagnosed with Pompe disease - a genetic condition which leads to muscle weakness for which there is treatment but no cure. This was no easy pill to swallow, but over time I learned to accept my diagnosis and and chose to gripjoy and move forward with life.
Moving forward meant taking action against one of my biggest adversaries: slippery wood floors. I found myself buying ugly and ill-fitting hospital and slipper socks to avoid falling. While they improved my stability, I flat out did not like them and decided it was time to create my own - normal, comfortable socks with discreet grips and that fit easily into shoes.
When I started this journey, I questioned if I was alone in my need for non-slip socks. But as I have shared my story and listened to yours, I have learned that though our individual circumstances are unique; there is a clear, united desire from men and women across the globe to make the world...just a little less slippery.
Choosing always to grip joy,
Alison