Fitness Inspired Jewelry that Inspires You to Renew Yourself and… “Lift Your Sole”
By: Angela Veugeler
Lift Your Sole is a jewelry line designed for and inspired by women in the running and fitness communities. Founded by Jill Burgett, it was born out of her passion for running and her hobby of deconstructing old or broken pieces of jewelry and reconstructing them into beautiful, new pieces. Burgett comes from a family of avid runners and has completed three marathons and thirteen half-marathons herself. When her sister ran the Marine Corps marathon in 2006, she made her a very special necklace to congratulate her. It was so well received by her sister and friends, that Burgett realized there was a market for her jewelry.
The Lift Your Sole jewelry line is designed to appeal to and motivate women who may be working toward a fitness goal, or have recently conquered one such as: running their first 5K, half or full marathon, or even starting to run for the first time. The fitness-inspired jewelry resonates with women of all ages and fitness levels and is not only geared toward runners, but bikers, swimmers and anyone who uses fitness to renew themselves and “lift their soul”.
Jill and her husband Greg started “Lift Your Sole” out of their Suwanee home, traveling to large athletic events and expos throughout the country. The couple would attend as many as 60 expos per year! In 2010, they moved their office and workshop to historic Buford (coincidentally in an old shoe “sole” factory.) The business is heavily focused on online sales and the local market, but they also open their Buford shop to the public each Saturday.
The storefront boutique and custom online store are full of charms, rings, bracelets, earrings, shirts, 
magnets, handmade bags and more. Much of the sterling silver jewelry is stamped with motivational words or phrases, such as “courage,” “strength,” “faith,” “believe,” “persevere,” and “fearless.” Burgett shared that these themes apply not only to fitness, but to their company’s vision as well. Some of their most popular phrases on shirts and jewelry are “soul sisters,” “motherhood- the ultimate endurance sport” and “my race, my pace.”
The Lift Your Sole logo consists of wings, to illustrate rising from the ashes like the wings of a Phoenix, and accomplishing great things. One of their most popular accessory items is shoe wings that tie to your laces and “make you SOAR,” according to their website and customer reviews. Lift Your Sole accessories are especially crafted to inspire and uplift women and to commemorate the unique challenges they face every day. The 22,000 Facebook followers and long string of testimonials on their website make it clear that their products and mission have warmed many hearts and left many satisfied customers.
If you visit, you may receive a friendly greeting from one of their staff who clearly loves what they do, or Bennie, their office dog that ran right through the front door to their workshop and claimed his home the day before Thanksgiving in 2012.
Lift Your Sole supports several nonprofits, including Soles for Souls, who provide shoes to people in need. They serve as a drop-off location for shoe donations and had an entire van nearly filled with shoes during our interview. They also support Medals4Mettle, a charity who award medals to sick children and others who are facing challenges with courage, as well as Girls on the Run.
The boutique is open to the public on Saturdays or online at liftyoursole.com. ■
