Custom Ordered Oxfords, Boots and Derbys
Some of the finest items in the closet are vintage models made in Hong Kong in the 60s, mostly, and up until maybe 1970. Many tourists and business travelers visited Hong Kong before it was reabsorbed into China. The area is reknowned for skilled tailors. A savvy traveler ordered a custom suit or coat made to measure and ready before the end of their visit, or even brought a favorite jacket or other tailored piece to copy. This maybe why I am a little more keen to consider items shipped from a Hong Kong address rather than elsewhere in China at times. That may seem hypocritical in a way.
There is an interesting website that offers custom Oxfords, Loafers, Derbys and boots. Handmadebrogues.com boasts that you can create your own Custom shoes from just $179 including free worldwide shipping. I visited the site to see if that held true and just how custom was custom. No, you cannot present a drawing of a shoe designed by you, but you can present a tracing of your foot. They have what they tout as an Easy “5 step” system to select your unique shoes and to receive personal service.
1) Choose the style of shoe.
2 and 3) Pick the material and color. You may have a choice of leather, suede and combinations there of.
3) Next is the construction. You can choose for your soles to be cemented or for the maker to use Goodyear Welt Construction. The cemented sole keeps you in that $179 range; Goodyear Welt is an upgrade. Boots also fall above the $179 mark.
4) Provide your measurements. There is a guide for measuring your foot. Do not merely provide your typical number size. Your length, ball and instep is required. If you like, you can email them a sketch of your foot.
When providing measurements, you will also be asked if you prefer a loose, medium or tight fit and if you have a high or low arch.
Have you given the process a whirl? If so, what did you think?
I wish an American bootmaker or SHOEMAKERS would offer a service like this, even if you had to travel to their shop. If they did, would folks still prefer to order online?
Shoes For a Cause: An Internet Success Story
The shoe manufacturer, Toms has run a campaign to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every shoe that a paying customer buys. During their first year of operation, they sold 10,000 pair of shoes, and donated 10,000. Not too shabby! However with good, search engine optimization, including a robust Twitter presence and other social media management, Tom’s donated one MILLION pairs of shoes to children in 23 countries. Similar success was repeated by One Hope Wine.
Via: Wpromote
Its amazing what can be done with just one shoe purchase or the click of the “Like” button. It seems that internet campaigns are replacing the old fashioned act of going door to door to neighbors to collect funds for a cause. It seems so much easier to raise funds for a cause when the individual would purchase the clothing anyway, but might choose to buy sooner for the cause. What do you think about promoting a cause with your wares
One might say that Tom’s is a large operation and “my little shop needs to be known as the ‘best kept secret.’ I could never handle it.” Well, it is all relative. If you did just a little to increase your linkage and presence, a little shop that sells 3 items a month could sell even 10 items a month…you never know!
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