Ugly Sock Moment Spawns a Business
Written by Mary Welch Tuesday, September 06 2011
Snapshot: Shelby Mason, founder, Leg Up 
Going through security and taking off one’s shoes is never fun. Shelby Mason was so horrified that she was wearing her father’s white socks under her boots at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago that she created Bootights, a moisture-wicking sock attached to a pair of tights. Today Mason is owner and founder Leg Up, and Bootights are available online and in boutiques and major retailers such as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.
Womenetics: Tell us about your background.
Shelby Mason: I worked as a vice president of Western sales at Disney ABC Domestic Television and worked for Warner Brothers, Universal Television, and I was at KCPQ-TV in Seattle before that. My background is television programming and syndication sales. I sold TV shows like Live with Regis & Kelly, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Grey’s Anatomy, etc. for Disney to TV stations within my territory.
Womenetics: How did you come up with the idea for Bootights?
Mason: I was making my way through security at O’Hare (International Airport in Chicago) while on my way to Fargo on a business trip. When taking off my boots I was forced to expose my ugly, white “man socks” that I layered over my tights for extra warmth and comfort. I thought that there had to be a better way. Women should able to be warm, comfortable, and stylish when wearing tights with boots.
Womenetics: What made you decide to go for it?
Mason: I was promoted at Disney and had to relocate from Chicago to Los Angeles to work at the studio in Burbank. I didn’t have a social life for a while as sometimes it can take some time to develop a close network of friends (especially in LA where most of your time is spent stuck in traffic) so I had some extra time on my hands and I decided to pursue the idea that continued to nudge at me. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. Although my new position required a lot of travel, I used my downtime to look into why nobody had produced and marketed – a hosiery product with a tight and sock attached.
Womenetics: Did you tell people about your idea/who was your support system?
Mason: I told a friend and colleague at Disney, and she became a partner, but the time and expense that were necessary to make this business and idea happen ended up to be more than she was able to handle. I consulted with Dan St. Louis at the Hosiery Tech Center (HTC) down in Catawba County, N.C., and he thought the idea was brilliant and told me that sometimes it takes someone outside the industry to come up with innovative ideas. I found out that it hadn’t been done because the hosiery and sock mills traditionally did not talk within the industry – different cultures and machinery so it was not intuitive within the industry to bring the two together.
Now, I work with two fantastic mills – Wells Hosiery for my tights and Mayo Knitting for the socks, and we all have a fantastic working relationship.
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Womenetics: How did you go about doing it? What were your steps?
Mason: I began by calling mills, but was afraid of sharing too much information and really wasn’t getting much response. I figured I needed to learn the hosiery lingo – it’s a pretty technical industry with many terms that I did not understand. I wanted to educate myself so I could at least “talk the talk” so they knew that I was serious.
I Googled for a list of hosiery terminology, and I actually found a hosiery glossary that was several pages long and distributed by the Hosiery Tech Center. At the bottom of the glossary it said to contact Dan St. Louis for more information. I did just that and we spoke, signed an NDA (nondisclosure agreement), and he told me that he thought I had the best idea he’s heard in years. I flew down there, and they developed a prototype and introduced me to the mills that he thought would be a good match for me and Bootights.
I then hired Sally Huston, a market research consultant, and we conducted a national survey and found that 72 percent of women wear tights with their boots and that over half actually layer a sock over their tights for extra warmth and comfort when wearing boots. In addition, three out of four of women 25 to 54 would definitely purchase Bootights based on concept alone. That’s when I knew that I wasn’t the only one who stole socks from my Dad’s or boyfriend’s drawer to layer over my tights. There really was a market out there and a problem to be solved.
Womenetics: How did you finance it?
Mason: I personally funded Bootights from the beginning, but am now seeking financing. I’m looking for an investor that has retail/fashion/footwear experience as well as cash. I have some options and am considering the right partnership at this point.
Womenetics: How did you come up with the prototype?
Mason: HTC suggested certain moisture-wicking yarns and gauges. The first couple were really bulky but very warm. Our current Bootight sock is much more contoured to the foot with arch support, top mesh for breathability, contoured cushioning in the toe and heel – the pressure points when wearing boots. It’s a very high quality, moisture-wicking performance sock designed to be comfortable in boots.
Womenetics: Where do you get your materials and where are they made?
Mason: They are proudly made in the USA in North Carolina. Wells Hosiery produces the tights portion, Mayo Knitting produces the sock, and they are connected together at Wells. Both mills are located in North Carolina.
Womenetics: What has been your biggest challenge?
Mason: At first balancing my job with Disney, which required me to be on the road three to four days a week, starting a company, and still having a bit of a life was the hardest. After I left Disney, the financial concerns and how to structure the company outweighed my wanting a life.
Womenetics: What surprised you the most in this venture?
Mason: How supportive other women have been of me and this idea. I also didn’t realize how many creative and intelligent women there are out there making it happen for themselves. This experience has resulted in so many incredible female relationships that I will have for the rest of my life, no matter what happens to Bootights and my company, Leg Up. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
Womenetics: Tell us how Sara Blakely inspired you?
Mason: I knew of her story because I love SPANX, but I heard Sara tell her story herself on Oprah one day, and I sat there and just wondered that if Sara can do it without hosiery or retail knowledge, then why can’t I? I love the idea of bringing women a fashionable solution to a problem, and the response has been incredible. Sara inspired me by taking a risk and working hard until she figured out a way to do it. I’d love to sit down with Sara someday and compare war stories.
Womenetics: Where do you want to take the company?
Mason: I see this as a company run by a women for women to provide innovative and stylish leg wear solutions. I have plans for a partnership with a great boot line and eventually expanding into the specialty outdoor market. There are many opportunities, and I’ve only just begun.
Womenetics: How are you marketing it?
Mason: I have a great business partner who is very connected in PR/marketing so she has been a great help. I also have many broadcast television contacts that are eager to tell my story to their viewers so that has been wonderful. We are placing an ad in InStyle, reaching out to bloggers, stylists, editors, and using social networking to spread the word. I don’t have a big marketing budget, but the incredible thing is that when women discover a great product that solves a problem, they love to tell their mothers, sisters, and friends. That has been tremendously helpful.
Womenetics: How did you get into major chains like Nordstrom?
Mason: I basically just presented the idea, and I had their interest in the beginning. Sometimes buyers change then you have to start all over again. Fortunately, the new buyer also loved Bootights and decided to take a risk on the underdog with the fresh and innovative solution to wearing tights with boots. We are very excited to have Bootights in select Nordstrom stores this year and on Nordstrom.com. It’s a fantastic department store (I am from the Seattle area so I have always loved the chain), with great customer service, and I think the perfect fit for our product and customer. I will say that Dillard’s was my very first account, and the buyer was a man. He got the idea immediately and gave Bootights a chance.
Womenetics: What advice would you give to someone who comes up with an idea and wants to start at business?
Mason: I would say, first of all, make sure it’s something that you are passionate about. You really have to believe in it, and if it is unique and solves a problem, even better. There are great resources out there such as Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a nonprofit organization developed to help startups and entrepreneurs navigate through the process of getting from idea stage to market and profitable. I discovered the organization a bit later than I would have liked.
Also, believe in yourself and go with your gut. I knew nothing about starting a business, developing a product, getting a patent, manufacturing, the hosiery industry, or retail in general. I never even worked at the Gap! I worked in restaurants to support myself through school. But, I what I knew was my gut, and, for the most part, I followed my instincts and used that help guide me.
Womenetics: Looking back, what would you do differently?
Mason: I would not second guess myself. I didn’t always follow my gut, and I regretted it. I would also have really researched all the great resources there are for women and taken advantage of them. Also, find a great team you trust to help you. You cannot do yourself entirely. Sometimes, I have a hard time letting go.
Womenetics: Where do you see the company in five years?
Mason: I see the company expanding into new product lines and also having an active role in our community, helping women through charities and other organizations. I have a lot of plans, but need to take it one step at time. It’s easy to get ahead of yourself.
Womenetics: Where do you come up with your ideas?
Mason: I like to think about how I live my life and what can make my day a bit more comfortable and convenient. Looking good and feeling good are really my motivators for my ideas. I have some very exciting ideas that I can’t wait to share in the near future.
Mary Welch is a freelance writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dawson Times, Plan Your Meeting magazine, and Atlanta Business magazine. Previously, she held many positions with Leader Publishing, including editor-in-chief of Atlanta Woman, editor of Business to Business magazine, and editor of Catalyst magazine. As editor of Business to Business, she assigned, edited, and conceptualized a series that was awarded Silver in the 2005 GAMMA Awards for Best Series. Welch was a reporter for the Atlanta Business Chronicle for eight years and freelanced for publications including Glamour, Advertising Age, South, Georgia Trend, and Oz. From 2000 to 2003, she served as vice president of media relations for Bank of America, during which time she authored Forever Green: A History and Hope of the American Forest with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell.
