Never Fear, The Silverton is here
Tom Segura sells out arenas, has over a million podcast listeners, and he has several-hour specials on Netflix. Just one hour special is a sure sign of a successful comedian, but despite the accolades and an audience in the millions, he feels like he still hasn’t “made it” as a comedian.
I can relate. After winning the Western States in 2017, I still felt like I needed to do more and be better, even though winning the Western States was a dream come true. I think many of the greats in any industry might share a similar sentiment. And in a way, I think that is how successful people become, and stay, successful—an unrelenting and infinite need to improve and grow.
However, while complacency can stunt growth, neglecting to acknowledge the wins and reflect on growth can poison the process. If growth isn’t celebrated, then what is even the point?! So in the words of The Zohan, so let’s go:
In August 2021, the seed of Method Seven UltraTrail was planted. Avery Collins and I vibed with the team and aligned with the mission (designing the best trail running glasses imaginable), so before there was even a product to sell, Method Seven UltraTrail had a team. We were believers.
The following November, I was hired as Method Seven UltraTrail Brand Manager. I saw the need in the market for eyewear that performed on trails, and the TRAIL26 lens prototype was IT. The lenses were unlike anything I had ever worn before with more light and more contrast than anything else available, bar none. My trail running game had been forever changed. I had to be a part of it, and didn’t want to be just an athlete: I wanted to help create it as Brand Manager. I felt that Method Seven UltraTrail was on the brink of something great and different. I needed to be at the forefront. My first order of business was connecting with ultra-running legend Dean Karnasas, driving up to his home in Marin and asking him to sign with Method Seven. He already wore our prototypes, he believed in our mission, and he believed in our ever-creative and brilliant CEO, James Cox. We signed Dean the next day.
In December, after piquing the interest of the ultra-running community, we began developing The Huntress and The Closer, two limited editions of Method Seven’s most popular aviation frames, tweaked to perform on the trails and featuring the TRAIL26 lenses. The discussions that followed the development of the Huntress and Closer birthed new frames based on the feedback I collected from ultra-running legend Dean Karnanses and Avery Collins. While Avery couldn’t get enough of the TRAIL26 lenses, he didn’t love the style of the Huntress and Closer as much as I did. I took measurements of other popular glasses and advised the team to make them just a little bit bigger. By the beginning of 2022, our new frame was in the works. Stay tuned.
One year later, after production delays, my trying hard and floundering as a full-time brand manager, the development of our rockstar and loyal team of Beta Testers, and a lot of cold-call style outreach and marketing, we finally launched the Closer and the Huntress. After eighteen months, we had a product. And thanks to KK Fischer, who first reached out to me on behalf of Method Seven, we had structure. She walked into disorganized chaos and, in just a few months, turned our team into a functioning brand. In January 2023, KK took over as brand manager, and much (if not all) of the growth we have seen since can be credited to her.
In March 2023, I took a bag full of demos to sell at our Boundless Arizona Running Retreat, a 3-day running camp in the Phoenix desert. Every single person who demoed the Huntress or the Closer bought a pair on-site. I knew what we were doing at Method Seven UltraTrail was right. I knew our lenses were the best. But in almost two years of spearheading projects with all the gusto in the world but without the traction to match, it was hard not to let doubt creep in. Selling those demos at camp, and converting skeptics into loyal customers, was the proof we all needed at Method Seven UltraTrail. I knew then that all our hard work was worth something.
This week, we launch The Silverton. A frame made to perform on any face and outfitted with the TRAIL26 lens, the piece of technology that started it all, promising unparalleled vision from dawn to dusk. Our first official UltraTrail product, developed from the ground up specifically for ultra trail running. Wow.
The name is an ode to a new technique masterfully paired with a tried and true fixture. We altered what people know about sunglasses, a piece of equipment that has been around longer than any of us have been alive, with innovative, out-there lens technology. Just the old Colorado mountain town of Silverton. Rich with history and tradition and transformed by the new-age, quirky sport of mountain ultra running.
An old town forever altered by a new sport. And hopefully, an old industry revolutionized by a new technology.
But most importantly, The Silverton is named in honor of Avery Collins, the hometown hero of the 2023 Hardrock 100 and Method Seven UltraTrail’s first sponsored athlete.
Avery believed in Method Seven before there was anything to really believe in. His unapologetic yet kind and thoughtful personality fits right in with who Method Seven strives to be. And it is so freaking cool that Method Seven UltraTrail can show up for Avery by memorializing his 2023 Hardrock 100 with the Silverton and by being an official sponsor of this year's race. First or last, Method Seven is proud of Avery and honored for him to be on the team.
This reflection feels important. We still have a long, looong way to go, but two years ago, we couldn’t have even imagined sponsoring one of the most impactful 100-mile races in the world (thank you, KK!! She made this happen!!) while also launching a product dedicated to our athlete running it. It feels right. It feels meant to be. These glasses are dope, but as Runner’s World stated, in their recent gear review, they are definitely a splurge item. Expensive but worth it! To celebrate the launch of The Silverton and Avery’s rookie Hard Rock 100, James decided to give anyone who uses code SILVERTON75, $75 off any trail running product.
The Silverton launched on July 11th and it feels like a beginning. We may not have made it, but finally, we have arrived. See you in Silverton!