Check out an article from the Marketplace section in the 2/2/2012 Wall Street Journal highlighting Bandals.

CLICK HERE TO READ:  Bandals featured in 2/2/2012 Wall Street Journal

Laurie Johnson will allow Allen Joy Mbabazi of Rwanda to live and work with her from July 16-23^rd to experience American work-family balance, and learn how her trade is practiced in the United States.

IEEW’s PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS™ program empowers women through intense business education as well as teaching the importance of getting involved in public policy.  30 women from both countries are selected annually to visit the United States for Leadership Development and mentorship.  It is widely acknowledged that countries that are economically stable have a much greater capacity for peace.  The women of Afghanistan and Rwanda have endured struggles of war and oppression throughout their lives.  PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS™ offers them an opportunity to overcome challenges, embrace their full potential and realize that they are not alone on their journey.

Johnson is currently the owner and operator of Performing Capital LLC, a distributorship located in Phoenix which sells two major brands of women’s interchangeable handbags and sandals and is developing its own brand of watches and accessories.  Mbabazi owns East Africa and Beyond Craft Shop, located in a high traffic shopping area.  She sells goods made from widows and genocide survivors in remote areas.

FLIP-FLOPS: FN APRIL 25, 2011

Band Mates

Bandals Footwear is speeding ahead with new licensing deals and international growth. 
By Kristen Henning

Bandals Footwear has accomplished a lot in two years, and it’s only getting started.

This year, the Rochester Hills, Mich.-based sandal brand signed two new licenses,
launched a full e-commerce website last month and is focusing on international expansion.
Bandals, which specializes in comfort and value with removable, slide-through bands that
attach to a base, expects to triple business in 2011 (year-to-date sales are up 124 percent
over total revenue in 2010).

“It took [the company] about two years to figure out the best way to get the [brand] message
out to the customer, but a lot of things have started to click, and we’ve already seen a
nearly fivefold increase in sales for [our classic casual style] in 2011,” said President Tom
Sesti, who has worked in the industry for 12 years, including on the private-label business
for Birkenstock and Wolverine World Wide Inc. “We’ve barely scratched the surface.”

Now the firm, which started in spring ’09, is focusing on two new licenses, including one
with Legacy Athletic to make NCAA interchangeable bands. As part of the deal, Bandals will
work with more than 350 colleges to sell the straps featuring university logos and colors.

They will start shipping next month.

The brand is also in business with Tony Little for his Cheeks exercise sandals, which will
incorporate Bandals straps. The new partnership launches on HSN in May.

After positive feedback on both deals, Sesti is pursuing additional licensing opportunities
to help draw industry attention to the company name. “These partnerships are great for
new companies like ours,” he said. “It helps build the brand and drive traffic to the stores.”

The sandals sell for $35 to $45 at a variety of independent retailers, including Foot Solutions
in Austin, Texas; Birkenstock of Old Town in Key West, Fla.; and Good Feet in Las Vegas.
Individual bands can be purchased separately for $14 to $20.

Good Feet has been selling Bandals for about a year, and the product is currently out of
stock, said manager Kathryn Danielson. “They’ve sold so well because they are inexpensive
and easy to use with the bands,” said Danielson. “Some of the other interchangable styles
on the market aren’t as easy to work with and are not as comfortable.”

The brand has plans to expand its style offering. Its Boot Hug product, which launched for fall ’10 and includes feathers and decorative beading for boot shafts, sells for less than $20 at Journeys, Peter Glenn Ski & Sports and Birkenstock Footprints in Claremont, Calif. And a sixth sandal style debuted for spring: The Runway is a thong look with a small wedge for height. Going forward,
more embellishments will be added to draw in a younger consumer.

Ralph Tinney, owner of Foot Solutions’ Austin location, said Bandals has found success in his store, thanks to the look and feel of the sandals. “It’s a great shoe, it’s comfortable and it gives arch support,”  said Tinney. “The bands are colorful, and that’s a lot of fun.”

Sesti noted that the brand’s core customer is a woman age 25 to 30, but it also has a following
among shoppers up to their 50s.

“We want to see some more fashion styles, but everything will still be comfort based,” he said. “As we develop product for next year, we’re looking to present options that take us [away] from being a niche product.”

The entire line is available on Bandals’ e-commerce site, which launched on March 1 and has since seen a 25 percent increase in page views. Sesti has plans to add product and tweak as needed for an improved user experience, and customers are encouraged to provide feedback and testimonials.

“The site becomes an opportunity to A look from the brand’s catalog featuring a Boot Hug band,
which launched for fall ’10. communicate with the customers, and we get [comments] on what they are interested in,” he said. As another way to reach consumers, the brand has become more active on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, using promotional items and
events to draw attention to the product.

While Bandals has not launched a formal advertising campaign, the brand has been involved
in pre-Oscar gifting suites. As a result, celebrities including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Paula Abdul and AnnaLynne McCord of “90210” have all been spotted wearing the footwear. Sesti said he is pursuing other event opportunities, including the Emmys and MTV Video Music Awards.

“It helps put the product on the market, and we’ve found that viral marketing and direct events
[create stronger] consumer interaction than putting out advertisements,” he said. The brand also is
focused on growing its international wholesale accounts, targeting countries such as Japan, Portugal and Spain. Bandals is already in 15 countries within Asia and the Middle East.

“We found a good place in the marketplace to combine style, comfort and value,” Sesti said. We’re looking at doubling [revenue] again in 2012.”

The brand offers six different styles.

Save on space by packing Bandals with interchangeable bands! Buy bandals online here!

These are some of the celebrities that both attended and were gifted the Pre-Oscar Gifting Suite benefitting the Creative Coalition where both Bandals and Boot Hugs were gifted.  The celebs with the pics holding products actually were gifted Bandals and/or Boot Hugs, the others simply stopped by the suite.

Bridget Moynahan		Lindsay Lohan		Wendie Malick
Penelope Ann Miller		Briana Evigan		Paris Hilton
David Arquette		Eliza Dushku		Lea Thompson

Spring is Here: Bandals^® Introduces the ‘Runway’ To Enhance Wardrobe

Latest Style Takes Interchangeable Sandals to New Heights

Rochester, Mich., March 19, 2011 — Spring is here and so is the new Runway^® style by Bandals^® Footwear. This new interchangeable sandal by Bandals footwear, which debuts today, takes fashion and comfort to new heights.

The Runway, which is the 6^th Bandals style, is an interchangeable thong-style band atop a perfect wedge which provides the height of fashion. The Runway will be available in sizes 5-11 and offers seven interchangeable slide bands, silky toe loop for ultimate comfort and versatility.

“Our new Runway design is the first Bandals to introduce a thong style mid-wedge platform to our sandals,” said Tom Sesti, President, Bandals Footwear. “Customers were asking for an interchangeable thong sandal with some height to it and I believe we have delivered with the Runway.”

Additional Runway features include:

• Mid-wedge platform for lift
• Heal cup support and ultra subtle arch
• Slip-resistant textured outsole for all types of surfaces
• Thong-style interchangeable band
• Sponge EVA footbed
• Bands interchange with 3 total Bandals styles – Runway, Beach, and Fashion Flip

How does it work? Bandals^® Footwear has an interchangeable upper or band, allowing a single shoe base to be worn with a variety of uppers. The sandal allows the consumer the ability to create their own personal footwear look to match their character, mood, fashion and pocketbook. The interchangeable bands seamlessly integrate with the base of the shoe. This allows the sandal to be quickly and easily changed, by simply sliding the band through the mid-sole slot.

Bandals’ Runway style retail for approximately $45-$48 per pair, while additional Bandals^® bands are $15-$16.99 per pair and available at www.bandals.com as well as select retailers across the U.S. Please visit www.bandals.com for a listing of retail locations.

About Bandals International Founded in 2008, Bandals International, based in Rochester, Mich., is the manufacturer and distributor of Bandals^®, a patented sandal that is stylish, comfortable and offers interchangeability. For more information about Bandals International, its 2011 product line or to become a Bandals^® retailer, please call 1-800-311-8522 or visit, www.bandals.com.

Media Contact:

Jason Brown

PublicCity PR

248-252-1687

jbrown@PublicCityPR.net

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Redbook Magazine September 2010 Bandals Giveaway — Click HERE to see more!

Redbook Magazine is giving one reader a chance to win a Bandals Wardrobe! 1 winner will receive all 5 of our 2010 styles plus 2 interchangeable bands for each – a total retail value of $450! 25 winners will receive 1 pair of Beach Bandals with 2 extra bands, a retail value of $50 per set! Logon at www.redbookmag.com/winit for a chance to win!