Live Aloha in the Badger State. Olukai is at Shepherd & Schaller!

What does it mean to live “Aloha” and can you live it in the heartland?

Our search for products that accent and support your outdoor lifestyle leads us to the most amazing companies.  Brands that begin with integrity and end with generosity, tried and true midwest values.  This season our search lead us to beloved OluKai footwear, whose premium sandals and shoes compliment the sense of adventure we have here in Wausau, Wisconsin, thousands of miles from the ocean.  And so we say Yes! You can live Aloha here, and everywhere.

Our friends at OluKai explain it all:

The Aloha Spirit

While you are on the Hawaiian islands you may hear references to the “Aloha Spirit”.  This is one of the largest signs that Aloha means much more than hello/goodbye.  The Aloha spirit is what we strive for in life, and is a good guideline for treating people around you with love and compassion.

Hawaiians say the best part of Aloha is that the more you express your love and compassion for yourself and those around you, the more it comes back to you.  That is why it has become such a part of everyday language in Hawaii.  That is why people say it when greeting or saying goodbye – they want to perpetuate the feeling so that the Aloha Spirit continues throughout the day.

So we encourage you to make Aloha part of your vocabulary, but please do it knowing the true meaning, so that you can say it with significance and sincerity.

With that, we will say “Aloha” to you and your Ohana!

  • ROOTS

    We view our approach today as part of a path; a journey that started with our ancestors that have passed down stories, values, and spirit. We believe that sustainability and positive living is less about an ethos and more about the choices that you make everyday. It’s about your actions, and inspiring the actions of others.

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    Certified B-Corporation
    OluKai heritage of good works stems from Hawaii’s cultural value system. Since inception we have consciously guided our business practices with the ideas of:

    Malama – by giving back to our community we support a collective effort greater than our own.

    Island sustainability – those who live where resources are inherently limited naturally adopt practices that are efficient and sustainable.

    In an effort to formalize our business practices we became a Certified B-Corporation in January 2014. We work parallel with 1,000+ other Certified B-Corporations across 33 nations and 60 industries to revive social and environmental performance standards. With our drive, we plan to create change across our communities and economies.

    To become a Certified B-Corporation, we meet the higher standards of social and environmental performance and accountability. We’ve continued to increase our B-Corporation score with the implementation of new processes and procedures, as well as continuing to reinforce our current sustainable business practices.

    OluKai makes the most impact in the following areas:

    1. Community: We are assessed on our relationship with local communities, which includes community service and charitable giving, diversity, and relationships with our business partners.
    2. Environment: We are evaluated on our environmental performance through energy usage, facilities (including manufacturing), materials and other resources. In particular, our selection of only Gold Certified tanneries to source our leather products helps to ensure we minimize waste water, use of water based cements in manufacturing helps to reduce hazardous substances, and lastly building a quality product that lasts longer helps to minimize our manufacturing footprint.
    3. Workforce: We are measured on our organization’s relationship with its workforce, which includes company culture, compensation, employee benefits, training and work environment.

    For more information on B-Corporation, please visit: BCorporation.net
    OluKai’s B-Corporation Profile: BCorporation.net/Community/OluKai

    the-conservation-alliance

    The Conservation Alliance
    As a member of The Conservation Alliance, OluKai partners with others around a common purpose to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. We serve as a catalyst and direct our collective nature to seek out grassroots conservation plans.

    For more information on The Conservation Alliance, please visit: ConservationAlliance.com

  • ama-olukai

    Ama OluKai Foundation
    Founded in 2014, the Ama OluKai Foundation is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) located in the State of Hawai‘i. The Foundation partners with other committed and progressive organizations interested in the preservation of Hawaiian culture, and honors those who cultivate cultural heritage and the Aloha spirit of Hawai‘i.

    In correlation with other Hawaiian based organizations, The Foundation works to preserve land and ocean, serve our communities, and maintain the Hawaiian culture and traditions. This is conducted through targeted programs designed to explore ancestral past to present day. The Foundation provides encouragement to those who benefit from its partnerships to carry forward the spirit of giving for future generations.

    For more information on The Ama OluKai Foundation, please visit: AmaOluKaiFoundation.org