Lokai bracelets are meant to help tell a story. “I feel like the bracelets are for teenagers and older, not only because of the sizes, but also I don’t think they would relate to the story behind them,” said Sophomore Lauren Hafner. The idea behind them is to balance one’s life and create peace. (Erin Lemanski)
Lokai bracelets are meant to help tell a story. “I feel like the bracelets are for teenagers and older, not only because of the sizes, but also I don’t think they would relate to the story behind them,” said Sophomore Lauren Hafner. The idea behind them is to balance one’s life and create peace.

Erin Lemanski

Lokai bracelets, a symbol of perseverance

January 14, 2016

Whether it be summer or winter, Lokai bracelets look amazing year round. These trendy bracelets are flying off the shelves with both boys and girls craving to own one of their own. The bracelets are designed to help keep one’s life balanced and centered.

Lokai bracelets have been around since 2013. It is a company out of New York founded by Steven Izen, making therapeutic bracelets. The jewelry is made out of rubber with a black and white bead on each side of the bracelet. The colored beads symbolize different aspects in a lifetime. The black bead represents mud from the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea, to symbolize the lowest points in life. While the white bead represents the high points of life with water from the highest point in the world, Mount Everest.

Lokai is a major hit on social media. From celebrities to everyday people, many have been Instagramming and tweeting about Lokai, resulting in many wanting a bracelet of their own.

“Two years ago I saw the bracelets on the instagram popular page. This made me want to buy one for myself,” sophomore Lauren Hafner said.

The thing that draws the customers in is Lokai’s saying: “Sometimes you’ve hit a low, stay hopeful. Sometimes you’re on top of the world, stay humble.” Many people like the concept the bracelets have created.

Junior Megan Felsch said, “It’s really cool. I like how it’s water from the highest place and mud from the lowest. It’s interesting how they make up the saying.” Senior Livia Schindel added, “I think it’s great that they have the mud and water incorporated into the bracelets. It really helps with the significance of the message.”

Many customers have taken Lokai’s story to heart. Customers buy these bracelets because 10 percent of profits go to charities such as ‘Save the Children’, ‘Susan G. Komen’, and the ‘Cure Alzheimer’s fund’.

Sometimes you’ve hit a low, stay hopeful. Sometimes you’re on top of the world, stay humble.

— Lokai & Co.

“I have the original clear one and the pink one. I bought the pink one because it was in support of breast cancer, and both my grandmothers are breast cancer survivors,” says Felsch.

Many customers will only buy the bracelets off of Lokai’s website. This way there is a guarantee that $1.80 of the $18 bracelet will go straight to charities in need.

Schindel said, “I like the fact that Lokai donates 10 percent of their profits to charities. That’s the main reason why I want to order one.”

The bracelets make great gifts for a friend or family member. By giving them the bracelet it is like saying to them, ‘Everything is going to be ok.’ Many people also share the same interest in them, so they buy the bracelets together.

“My boyfriend and I both own Lokai. We both find the idea behind them interesting, so we both have them. They’re just kind of cool to us,” said Hafner.

Life is full of joy and sadness, and we can all relate to its highs and lows. I hope that Lokai will remind you to stay balanced and centered along your journey.

— Steve Izen

Izen designed these bracelets after his grandfather developed Alzheimer’s. He created Lokai for others going through similar issues in hopes to remind them to stay hopeful.

“Life is full of joy and sadness, and we can all relate to its highs and lows. I hope that Lokai will remind you to stay balanced and centered along your journey,” said Izen on his website.

 

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Comments (9)

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  • Z

    Zach TooheyFeb 20, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    I thought you had a great opening to the article by straight away stating that this isn’t just a seasonal item, but a year round hot item. There was great contrast between why the bracelets were created and why people like them for personal reasons. The ending of the article is well placed because it sums up the touching story behind a simple but complex bracelet. Loved it!

    Reply
  • C

    Craig SanisloFeb 17, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    This was such a well written story because of how it not only describes the craze that these bracelets are among students, but the origins of them and how they were invented. I liked that the story included an expensive background of the inventor instead of just the products. Great job Erin!

    Reply
  • I

    Isabel BoedigheimerFeb 17, 2016 at 10:26 am

    I love this article. Lokai bracelets are a really great invention and I’m glad you wrote about it to get it out there more. I like the quotes you have because they support the popularity and love of the bracelets. It was well written and fun to read!

    Reply
  • M

    Mary BurchillFeb 17, 2016 at 10:08 am

    I love how you started the piece explaining that the lokai bracelets are a year-round appeal cause that’s a very good point. Your interviews supported everything nicely and you worded the piece in a way that made it very fun to read while still giving me more information about the bracelets and their popularity. I also like how you added in that buying them from online will certainly give to charity because some people may not have known that!

    Reply
  • L

    Lily MarchanFeb 17, 2016 at 6:52 am

    Informative article I liked how you described the bracelets. One thing I would change is that “water from mt Everest mud from Dead Sea” is reiterated a few times and really only needs to be added once. Great article and the pictures are beautiful as well!

    Reply
  • G

    Grace DonnerFeb 17, 2016 at 4:46 am

    Very informative article. I was unaware of the meaning behind them until I read this but you showed how they meaning also persuaded buyers which is good.However, in the beginning it was mentioned that the black and white beads represent the mud and water but they actually contain them. Overall nice work.

    Reply
  • D

    Dylan CookFeb 16, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    Great job describing the background of the bracelets and the motive for people to buy them. Also a nice focus on the benefit instead of just the trend. One thing I would say is that the article lacked a good representation of the controversy surrounding the pricing and legitimacy of the bracelets. Other than that great job!

    Reply
  • A

    Annie SeilerFeb 8, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    I liked this a lot! It gave such a great description about what Lokai Bracelets actually are and why people want them so bad. It also shows the difference between some people wearing them as a trend verses because what they actually mean. I loved the quotes from people, they added a lot of meaning to the overall story. The lead is also very good because it grabs your attention and gets you to actually want to read the article.

    Reply
  • M

    Mikayla ErfFeb 4, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    The hook is very creative and grabs readers attention right away. The article also gives readers a great description of the bracelets and what they stand for. They also provide a reason behind the bracelets, giving readers a full background.

    Reply
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