Introducing Freshly Picked!
If you're not familiar with Susan Petersen of Freshly Picked, get ready to meet an incredible force of nature! Susan is the hard-working mama and entrepreneur behind the brand Freshly Picked who started making baby moccasins in 2009. When I saw her on Shark Tank earlier this year, her story immediately resonated with me. She worked at her kitchen table, she persisted, she hustled, and she grew her business from its humble beginnings to what is now an extremely successful and focused brand and line of products that people have come to know and love... myself included!
Earlier this spring, I was so honored to be asked to review these beautiful moccs. In full disclosure, I did receive a complimentary pair of moccasins to test for the review, but was not compensated in any other way to write this post. All of the opinions expressed below are mine. And Ethan's, too. After all, he's the one who's worn these around the clock for the past two months! ;-)
Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for giveaway details ... one lucky reader will win a FREE pair of moccs in the color and size of their choice! Our "Inklings + Freshly Picked" Giveaway will launch this Friday, so stay tuned for more details!
Review Time!
Our one-year-old was pleased to volunteer his services by wearing a pair of Freshly Picked soft-soled moccasins, and after two months of good old-fashioned wear-and-tear I'm writing this review.
Packaging
The moccs arrived in the cutest little reusable drawstring bag, complete with a button. I love me some green, eco-friendly packaging that you can re-use:
Elastic Openings
If you're like me, one of the most stressful experiences with young kids is simply getting them out the door. These soft-soled leather moccs feature a unique elastic opening which allows you to simply stretch the shoe opening to slip it on those chubby bare feet easily, which makes leaving the house just a little easier. Better yet, they give a nice snug fit around the ankle that keeps the shoe on when you're out and about with your babe, and the elastic is concealed by leather so there are no rough or exposed edges. They're easy to take off as well. The other day, we got home really late after a week at the cottage. I transferred Ethan to bed, praying that he wouldn't wake up. I was able to slip these off his feet without him waking. Win!
Cute Factor
Maybe this shouldn't be a category, but let me put it this way: every time we go out in these shoes, someone stops to comment on how cute they are. Every. Single. Time. Now Ethan is a second child, which means that most of the clothes he wears are hand-me-downs or mismatched outfits. Fair enough. But with shoes this cute, what does it matter? No-one notices that the pants he's wearing are actually PJ bottoms, or that his onesie is tighter than Beyoncé's body suit in the "Single Ladies" music video. Over time, the fringe has started to curl up a little, which just makes them even more cute in my books... and the soles of the shoes feature a unique FP stamped imprint to show that they're the real thing. These shoes are available in a host of cute colors, including their Neon Pink and Heirloom moccs (cream with gold dots). Gah!
Durability
The moccs are made from 100% genuine leather, which makes them super soft and durable. As I write this, we've used ours for over two months, and they're holding up beautifully. The color is vivid, aside from a few little scuff marks due to our turbo-crawler dragging his feet across the floor. In the past, we've gone through shoes in a matter of months in our household with two busy boys, so the prospect of having one of our littles actually outgrow a pair of shoes before they break down to a pile of rubber and fabric in our front entryway is attractive.
Made in the USA
Each item that Freshly Picked sells is made in the USA. As an American made company ourselves that is focused on building and supporting our local economy, this is something that I really appreciate.
Cost
Now let's talk money. These moccs are unapologetically priced at $60. At first, I felt that this was a little steep for a pair of baby shoes (heck, that's more than I typically spend on my own shoes) but here's the thing: these are a premium product. The materials are beautiful, they're made with care, and they're built to last. And one of the intangible benefits that I'm looking forward to is the footprint wear pattern that others report seeing on the bottoms of the soles after many months of use. We haven't been wearing them long enough to see an imprint, but once our little guy starts walking more I'm sure we'll see it. What a cute way to capture your little one's tiny footprint for years to come!
If you're frugal like me, consider ordering a size larger to get a longer use out of a single pair. I ordered their limted edition Aruba moccs one size larger than our little guy's current foot size (he's 14 months, and I ordered a size 5). While they're just a little loose on him, they do stay on well with the elastic closure. This way, I'll (hopefully) get a good deal of use out of them depending on how fast those toes grow!
Wrapping Up
Would I recommend these for a friend? Absolutely. Would I buy them for a friend? Yes, if I really, really love her. Would I like them in my size? Heck, yes. But I don't think they'd look quite as cute on my size 9 monster feet. ;-)
Want a free pair for yourself?
This FRIDAY we're hosting a giveaway valued at over $100! Win a free pair of Freshly Picked moccasins (view all available colors here) in the color and size of your choice, and a custom Inklings Quote Keeper filled with 120 cards in any combination of colors from our shop! See the sneak peek below. More details are to come, so be sure to follow our Instagram feed and our Facebook page to get a jump start on the giveaway:
Wishing you happy little ones with happy feet,
Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary pair of moccasins to test for the review, but was not compensated in any other way to write this post. All of the opinions expressed above are mine. And Ethan's, too. After all, he's the one who's worn these around the clock for the past two months! ;-)
