4. My Shoe Design Journey
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Steel Cyclone Studios
at
8:49 AM
SpreadShoes
There were a variety of online platforms which provided a marketplace to allow artist to upload their designs and place them on sneakers. SpreadShoes was the first platform I utilized. Unfortunately their designer program was completely closed, however they are working on a better option for it. If you are an artist interested in designing shoes, SpreadShoes does have a white label option. This option gives you a discount on the shoes so you can add any markup you'd like. Then you can place the order through them when your customer orders and they would include none of their own branding.
RageOn!
Designing shoes has been a dream come true. Launching a shoe line has expanded my business and provides you with more options to express yourself. I am an artist at my core and felt a strong desire to see and express my work on shoes. The exploration for new methods and avenues to display my art excites me! We live in the custom movement, aimed to make sneakers and apparel more accessible while supporting independent artists by building out a marketplace where artists can sell their work for fair prices thanks to the internet.
We are fortunate to live in a time where it is possible for every artist and creative being to join this medium to manifest their visions and ideas with shoes as their canvas.
SpreadShoes
There were a variety of online platforms which provided a marketplace to allow artist to upload their designs and place them on sneakers. SpreadShoes was the first platform I utilized. Unfortunately their designer program was completely closed, however they are working on a better option for it. If you are an artist interested in designing shoes, SpreadShoes does have a white label option. This option gives you a discount on the shoes so you can add any markup you'd like. Then you can place the order through them when your customer orders and they would include none of their own branding.
One major feature I liked about SpreadShoes is that they allow you to place text on your shoes. It's a personal preference but not all text displays well on shoes. Text or words are not recommended on shoes with some online shoe creation platforms. Once you place text on one side of the shoe, it will mirror the text on the opposite side and the other pair. This will display the text backwards as a result. SpreadShoes fixed this with their optional text feature so that it doesn't display the text backwards on the other side.
RageOn, a company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Cleveland was the next website platform I tried. I thoroughly enjoy it so far. RageOn offers a variety of software and services to help launch artists, expand the reach of brands, diversify eCommerce catalogs and monetize the rights of IP owners. A major feature I love RageOn offers is all-over-printing, which enables print and design of any colors across the entirety of a product; essentially limitless! RageOn is also doing something that has never been done in e-commerce! They enable every single user on their platform to make money - with Super Likes.
AliveShoes
One day I decided I wanted to make a shoe that stood out from the rest I had created. One shoe that sent a positive message while also being classy. AliveShoes does just that! They have a unique fashion-tech platform in which individuals and small companies can easily start shoe lines for free, online, and in little time. This eliminates the need for understanding supply chain and e-commerce, knowing a reputable network of producers, and spending six-figure start-up amounts. AliveShoes allows you to design and sell your own shoes with little risk but plenty of profits and rewards. The journey starting out with AliveShoes was my design was approved was difficult when I began marketing. I faced a tremendous amount of adversity and rejection with people starting out because they thought I was scamming them while handing out flyers. I had many who literally laughed at me but instead of getting upset, I just used it as fuel and motivation. However I persevered, started small and branched out by marketing my shoes on Facebook and Instagram.
One day I decided I wanted to make a shoe that stood out from the rest I had created. One shoe that sent a positive message while also being classy. AliveShoes does just that! They have a unique fashion-tech platform in which individuals and small companies can easily start shoe lines for free, online, and in little time. This eliminates the need for understanding supply chain and e-commerce, knowing a reputable network of producers, and spending six-figure start-up amounts. AliveShoes allows you to design and sell your own shoes with little risk but plenty of profits and rewards. The journey starting out with AliveShoes was my design was approved was difficult when I began marketing. I faced a tremendous amount of adversity and rejection with people starting out because they thought I was scamming them while handing out flyers. I had many who literally laughed at me but instead of getting upset, I just used it as fuel and motivation. However I persevered, started small and branched out by marketing my shoes on Facebook and Instagram.
By staying consistent and committed, I eventually hit my sales goal after reaching 7 total pre-orders to launch my shoes into production. AliveShoes was kind enough to send me an official designer certificate.
Looking back on my journey thus far, there is so much irony. I worked as a Resident Assistant in the past while in college at EKU and would preach to my residents about investing in themselves. Even till this day, I would rather spend more money on self development rather than clothes, shoes and partying and my life changed for the better. I woke up one morning and couldn't figure out what to wear. I had the same clothes and shoes for years and I am a little embarrassed to say that the majority of them didn't fit me anymore. This was a problem, but then I had a thought. What if people wore their ambitions? What if I could combine the two and promote positive self-development and inspiration through my fashion so that it didn't feel like a waste? Now that's something I would wear! This inspired me to create STEEL WEAR and later, my own shoe brand called 5P's. Money is a tool, so use it wisely. This is only the beginning; I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. Thanks for reading and until next time.