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District entrepreneur takes light-up sneakers to the national shoe stage
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Next month, Finish Line will begin carrying a casual model, Bubble Cloud, pictured above, in New York, D.C., Miami, Houston and Los Angeles.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Washington, D.C.-based entrepreneur Jez Marston is taking the cliche “light on his feet” literally.
The 20-something businessman formed his own sneaker company, Jezign, to feature a new brand of light-up sneakers.
The sneakers glow when you wear them, running on a 9-volt battery, rather than responding to pressure from your feet or blinking on and off, Marston explained Monday.
Marston thought up the idea about a decade ago and applied for a patent for his sneaker design five years later.
He received it in February 2005 and soon formed Jezign.
A basketball shoe called Night Eagle by Jezign is available at Downtown Locker Room, an urban shoe chain with more than a dozen stores in the D.C. area and in Baltimore.
Next month, Finish Line will begin carrying a casual model, Bubble Cloud, in New York, D.C., Miami, Houston and Los Angeles.
Finish Line is testing out the shoes, which will sell for $150, to see how they sell before releasing them widely, spokeswoman Elise Hasbrook said Monday.
“We are always looking for new and unique products that help ... differentiate ourselves in the mall,” Hasbrook said. “We also liked the fact that the Jezign is different than previous light-up shoes that have been in the marketplace.”
Jezign is also working on a line of running shoes to be released in the fall. Marston is hoping the shoes appeal to a wide range of customers.
“That’s what’s interesting about the concept; we get positive reactions from all sorts of people, whether they be young, old, kids,” Marston said.
The sneakers are already getting some attention; they were worn in the Brooke Hogan music video “About Us” and by R&B singer Lloyd in a recent concert. Former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah and his entire entourage have also worn the shoes in the ring, Marston said.
Marston, an architect by trade with a creative bent, has a dozen patents pending right now; Jezign is his first success.
He is pursuing deals to release the shoes in the Caribbean and Canada.
melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:47 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 4, 2008 re: "Value City closing Baltimore-area stores"
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11:36 AM MST on Fri., Aug. 15, 2008
re: "Region’s food, gas, energy prices fuel retail inflation"
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Examiner Reader said:
Wow.. You need to do something with the format on this page in Firefox. Black font on a black background does not make for easy reading..
7 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
prices rising are not inflation, Inflation is caused by the devaluation of the dollar and this is caused soley by the federal reserve
9 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Baltimore is one of the oldest cities in this nation; it is rich with a tradition of invention, industrialism, and innovation. It should return to it's former glory...back in the late 1800's and 1900's it was said "If you want tomke money, you will need to go to Baltimore"...
15 agree | 15 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why is nothing ever realesed in australia? i have been looking for light up shoes for years and i finally find a pair and they arent selling in australia!!
20 agree | 15 disagree
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D said:
Still cheap.
61 agree | 66 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Cheap: I said trying not being sucessfull.
74 agree | 81 disagree
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Cheap said:
Well, if you let him. Who's fault is that? Make a call.
84 agree | 54 disagree
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Leaving MD said:
Value City is closing 37 of its 113 stores nationwide yet 7 of 8 of its MD stores are closing! How many jobs is that? How many other businesses will be affected by the MD closings. This is what a hostile business climate does! Thanks O'Malley! Thanks Franchot! Thanks Miller! Thanks Busch! Nice job boys.
76 agree | 69 disagree
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City Resident said:
pretty sure this is O' Malleys fault. that and the fact that liberals are now using craigslist to buy second hand furniture....man, way to go Baltimore!
85 agree | 77 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
WHat is the street address for Penskys???? You give the one for the new one in Falls Church.
295 agree | 281 disagree
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