“We Need to Watch Out for Each Other.” How Beckett Simonon’s Founders Are Reacting to the Coronavirus.

Here is how entrepreneurs Andres Nino and Nicholas Hurtado of men’s dress shoe startup Beckett Simonon are responding to the coronavirus crisis.

As the coronavirus continues to send economic shocks through the U.S. and global economies, I have been interested to understand how businesses are reacting, and what they are telling customers.

Derek Tian, co-founder of one of my favorite online custom tailors Black Lapel, told me in an interview that he’s working to shift all operations online, and preparing for every eventuality. He observed:

This too shall pass and we’ll get through it as a country. It’s just going to be a painful 12-18 months for a lot of folks.

Other entrepreneurs have been sending out notes to customers, which were strangely comforting over the past few days.

Andres and Nicholas, who founded Beckett Simonon in 2012 in Colombia with a mission to craft small-batch runs of high-quality dress shoes and leather sneakers, sent one of those messages to its customers and community.

I was impressed by what the pair put in this email about their plans to operate in this new, coronavirus-induced reality.

1. Becket Simonon will donate 1% of their sales to Feeding America, a collection of food banks.  (You should donate too.)
2. Andres and Nicholas pointed to the Beckett Simonon blog, which has tips for mindfulness and de-stressing.
3. They also reminded people that it’s safe to receive packages from online businesses. Their email notes that, “the World Health Organization has explained that the virus does not survive long on objects such as packages. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus from a package that has been moved and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.

It’s critical to support small businesses during this really difficult time. Order takeout from your favorite restaurant, or a gift card to be used later. And support local, ethical and sustainable businesses.

Beckett Simonon is one of my favorite destinations for dress shoes online and a solid choice for leather sneakers for men, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know their team over the past several years. They are thoughtful about their production decisions and, as best I can tell, try to do right by their customers.  I’d encourage you to check them out, and support other innovative brands that are helping men dress sharp in the digital age.