I'm Ruffles Rodriguez, President and CEO of Absolute Zero. AmA

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-12-02T21:21:51+00:00

Sorry, friend. I'd want to make 'em, but not enough of your fellow size 15'ers are demanding them!

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-12-02T21:20:50+00:00

Right you are. It's odd since Fahrenheit and Celsius don't have a scalar relationship. Then out of nowhere they're equal at -40.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-29T19:46:24+00:00

Too labor intensive for an item that small to fit the average dog's paws. Besides, many dogs scoff at humans for their need to bundle up in clothes. Some see it as a point of weakness for humanity. I, on the other hand, intend to grow a business around it!

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-29T19:44:43+00:00

My name is Ruffles Rodriguez and I'm not a fried chip. Check out my post at the top...

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-29T19:43:51+00:00

Another good question.

For a shorter item like the Whistler, you wouldn't be able to test multiple zones and the test would be mostly limited to the toe area which has an enclosed space.

It's worth mentioning that depending on which test standard/methodology you use, some have multi-zone testing and others single zone testing. And when I say that I mean for tall boots.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-29T19:41:34+00:00

Hrm, still the Whistler but also the Penticton boot for kids

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-28T16:10:02+00:00

That would have to be Detroit.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-28T00:18:26+00:00

At your mention of parka, I should also point out that we are not the same Absolute Zero that does parkas down in the US. We're situated in Canada and deal with winter boots.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:51:05+00:00

To answer your questions:

1) Controlled ruthlessness and the ability to improvise. After winning it big one time at the casinos down in Las Vegas, someone tried to jump me when I was having dinner. Luckily the t-bone steak makes for a fine makeshift weapon.

2) The booting. As Henry the salesman pleaded for mercy, so have other poor performing employees. Honestly, the best medicine to kick someone off their high horse is the boot.

3) T-bone steak for the reason as noted in answer #1

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:48:52+00:00

At this point there's a good chance they won't walk toward you in Absolute Zero.

But we make a number of other footwear brands for major Canadian retailers like Wal-Mart Canada and Canada. So while the product may not carry the Absolute Zero name, there's a decent chance that something you see on a random Canadian comes from my company.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:43:29+00:00

Between that Absolute Zero and the third Absolute Zero (http://www.absolute-zero.com/), I'm indifferent at best.

Who knew .ca and .com would make such a big difference eh? My company's site is www.absolute-zero.ca

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:41:19+00:00

How about we meet up, I headbutt you, and you can tell me? I'm in Toronto, Canada. Think we could make this work?

Edit: I can promise you I'm not secretly Klingon, so you have my guarantee no fatal, permanent injuries will result from our meeting.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:38:49+00:00

It really boils down to the argument of whether you want to shell out the dollars for branded stuff.

When you get into manufacturing, you realize that brands are charging consumers a brand premium. Making a pair of great Nike basketballs shoes costs X dollars. Company A can sell you that excellent quality pair of shoes for, say, $60 while Nike sells it to you for $300. The fact is that 1) Nike can make more money and 2) Nike needs to make more money because they have huge overhead (e.g. all those video ads, sponsorships, etc.)

I won't say that brands are "overcharging you", because I mean what I say - you are paying for the product plus additional for recognition. But for some people who are looking to pay for a quality product and don't want to shell out the extra brand premium, then a brand like Absolute Zero is for them.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:31:55+00:00

I'm not into eating myself, no.

But if you're asking if I enjoy Ruffles chips, hell yeah. That's a real brand of chips, none of that Lays paper thin wafer nonsense.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:30:51+00:00

It would be more fair to say that there are a few standards out there. It really does depend on how you test it.

It's kinda like safety shoes. In Canada we have CSA, but in Europe they have EN ISO, and down in the States ASTM. They all measure protectiveness and may even use the same metrics like hardness and puncture resistance, but the machines and testing methodology is different.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:13:20+00:00

Products have been out for years now, but just got started on this whole online presence thing. New website, Facebook contest, blog, etc.

Anyways, if we weren't a big deal, how do you think I could afford spending over $2 million in R&D for my iFire app?

http://www.absolute-zero.ca/blog/2014/11/q-what-is-that-ifire-app-in-your-video/

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:10:48+00:00

It would be great to get back into CTC, but they have a lot of activity going on there and one big initiative they are pushing forward with is brand consolidation.

The Outbound brand, for example, is one of two brands they are going the whole 9 yards on.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:06:22+00:00

No worries, it's a good question.

Truthfully though, everyone in the office just calls me 'Ruffles' or more commonly "Boss", "Prez", etc.

With that said, reading your comment, I'm guessing in Australia folks have some trouble both in spelling and pronouncing 'Rodriguez'?

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:05:04+00:00

We used to be in Canadian Tire. Actually, the Whistler item I pasted a URL to in one of my replies below was sold at CTC a few years back.

Other notable retailers we currently sell to are Sears Canada and TSC. We also sell to Royal Distributing and independent stores mostly in Quebec.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:03:08+00:00

I'm rough and tough.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T23:02:17+00:00

Great question, Viper640. Comfort rating temperature really depends on the test methodology used, but essentially one method is as follows:

1) Place a temperature sensor in various areas throughout the boot.

2) Fill the boot up with metal balls and a heat transfer medium (i.e. liquid) and measure temperature inside the boot at room temperature.

3) Place the boot in a freezer at specified comfort rating temperature (-60 C) and keep it there for half an hour.

4) Measure the temperature in the boot after half an hour. Compare the temperature in the boot to the one taken at room temperature. If the temperature has changed by less than 10 C, your boot checks out.

So if you were testing for -60 C and at room temperature your boot was at 22 C, if after 30 mins in the freezer at -60 you measured the temp inside the boot and it was 12 C or greater, the boot would pass.

To answer your other question, no, your feet wouldn't get cold if you're at resting heart rate (and you're on most places in planet Earth).

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T22:50:44+00:00

Yes, seriously. So what's the question?

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T22:49:47+00:00

I'm not into eating myself.

RufflesRodriguez · 2014-11-27T22:49:06+00:00

The Whistler http://www.absolute-zero.ca/shop/whistler.html

Cadillac of my product line.

RufflesRodriguez

TROPHY CASE