“We can’t be powerful AND feminine?"
If you ask Brittany Coleman, “outdoorsy” is a bad word. “It’s almost triggering,” she says. “It creates this image of who belongs outside and who doesn’t.” Coleman is the founder and CEO of ToughCutie, a performance sock brand made for women, especially those who’ve felt excluded from outdoor spaces. “We lived in apartment buildings and for a while, my mom and I were homeless,” said Coleman. “With the exception of being a really active child and playing at the park, I didn’t have too many experiences with the outdoors growing up.”
Her entry into the industry came through the corporate side. While managing the sock division of a major outdoor brand, she noticed something was off. “The company was majority women, but none of us were part of the decision-making team,” she says. “They designed for the ‘girlfriend of the outdoorsman,’ not real women with their own goals.” She set out to create something different — high-quality gear designed with women’s needs in mind. “We don’t just ‘shrink it and pink it, ’” said Coleman.
Founded in 2019, even the name ToughCutie fights back at the stereotype. “Women constantly get told we’re too assertive, too pretty. Like we can’t be powerful and feminine?” Coleman says. “We’re told we can’t win — so we just go win anyway.”
Being a Black woman in an industry where less than 1% of companies are BIPOC-owned comes with challenges, but Coleman can see the opportunity. “It’s amazing in the sense that I get to pioneer this in so many ways,” she shared. “It is a blessing to be able to represent and show that I belong out here. That my business belongs.”
Brittany’s love and appreciation for the outdoors continues to blossom with her business. “As a founder, I haven’t always taken care of myself,” she says. “I’ve come to rely on the outdoors as a source of replenishment and rejuvenation and actually reap the benefits of being outside.”
ToughCutie launched with the Eve socks, constructed from a Merino Wool blend, designed specifically for women. “My first customer was Title Nine,” said Coleman. “When I pitched them, I didn’t have any packaging. I just had some socks.” Overcoming early setbacks from overstocking and learning to navigate the hardships of a startup, Coleman showed her toughness.
In 2023, she announced a major retail expansion with REI and later made an appearance on season 16 of Shark Tank. “It was such a great experience,” says Coleman. “I was able to push back on things that they got wrong and take feedback on things that hadn’t been going so well.” Coleman was made an offer by Barbara Corcoran, which she accepted.
Ultimately, Coleman sees growth through community. She says, “We have really been able to build community by building strong partnerships.” Through groups like Culture Queens Outdoors, ToughCutie has sponsored gatherings, such as hikes for Mother’s Day, that bring women together to experience the healing values of nature.
“We give away socks at hikes to make getting outside more accessible for everyone,” says Coleman. “I always felt like a fish out of water because I didn’t represent the archetypical outdoorsy person, but I learned that the reason I stand out is because I’m not like everyone else doing this—and that is the win.”
▪️ PHOTOS BY Angela Doran
Featured in Issue No. 6
In the "Outside Issue", we partnered with REI's Path Ahead Ventures to highlight entrepreneurs in the outdoor industry. Founders of color represent only an estimated 1% of outdoor entrepreneurs. We celebrate founders who are making waves and forging new paths for everyone.
