Meet Jennetta Spears | CEO of EJ Kicks & Doctor of Physical Therapy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennetta Spears and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennetta, what inspires you?
Throughout my career, I have consistently encountered a universal problem across my work setting- limited footwear options. I have learned that children have limited footwear options when they receive new orthotics (braces). The majority of childrens’ shoes on the market are difficult to put on for children with braces, which frustrates kids and parents. As a result, children do not wear their braces, delaying therapy results. Kids stop wearing their braces because they have difficulty finding shoes that fit and also shoes that are with the current styles for teens. My desire is to see children and teens receive the best physical therapy outcomes utilizing their customized orthotics with stylish and affordable footwear options. The lack of affordability, variety, and accessible footwear inspired me to start EJ Kicks, LLC based in North Carolina.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
EJ Kicks LLC is a stylish, adaptive shoe brand for children and teens who wear foot braces. Our shoes were designed and created by Jennetta Spears, a physical therapist. The shoes have a patent pending design with an elastic stretch around the tongue of the shoe to help the foot braces fit in the shoes more appropriately. This help the shoes fit great over the foot braces. Our shoes are specifically designed with the intentions of people wearing foot braces. We are also bringing a basketball style shoe to the adaptive world. Our high top shoes are a stylish options for our older kids to feel proud of their kicks.

This journey has not been easy! We have learned alot in our first year of business! We are grateful that we continue to push through and get purchases! Owning a shoe business is not a sprint but a marathon. We are in this for the long run!

We are currently a small business, however we are excited to grow to bring about more styles to kids! We want to see more adaptive shoe options of all types for people who wear foot orthotics! People who wear foot orthotics should have more shoe options.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
AHHH I am such an introvert Ha Ha. However I do like to have fun! I would take my best friend to OC Aerial in Durham, NC! This place is amazing! It is a indoor ninja warrior gym! It is so much fun and such a workout! They have this huge slide which I loved! I would also take my bestie to Rush Hour Kart! I love Go-Kart racing! I love places that have you feeling like a big kid!. There is one place I have never been, but would love to go which is Safe & Sound Rugs! You make custom rugs as an activity and get to take them home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So first I would like to shoutout to Jesus Christ! Owning an running a business has been hard however prayers and daily readings of the Word has kept me grounded. I am grateful for the Lord keeping EJ Kicks a float. I am also grateful for my family. My husband Earl, has been the biggest supporter! He continues to help with social media posts, ideas, and helps with our EJ Kicks website. My parents, brother and sister have also been such a huge support financially! My parents have been so active with providing seed money to help start EJ Kicks!! My siblings have been helpful with being a voice and representation. I am a very shy individual and have difficulty with marketing and speaking engagements. My sister, Felicia has been such an amazing support with coaching me on how to speak and keeping me calm during any events. My family overall has been the best support system!

Website: www.ejkicksllc.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ejkicksllc

Facebook: EJ Kicks LLC

Youtube: @ejkicksllc

Image Credits
Felicia Lockhart, Earl Spears