DRESS SNEAKER: Continuing Pre-Sales
Donation protected
After SUCCESSFULLY raising more than the $60,000 target goal needed to open our initial round of production on Kickstarter, we would like to continue offering pre-salesf to all those who missed out!
All funds raised here on GO FUND ME will go directly towards furthering our production quantities and starting the 2nd season of development!
DRESS SNEAKER by InSoul Footwear:
When you combine sneakers with dress shoes, you get DRESS SNEAKERS. Hand made by the finest craftsman.
What is a DRESS SNEAKER? Shoes with a sneaker styled upper but on a dress shoe chassis (Outsole/construction)
What makes a Dress Sneaker better than a sneaker? A Dress Sneaker gets better with time by softening and conforming to the shape of your foot, similar to a nice quality dress shoe. A sneaker gets worse the more you wear them. The comfort component of a sneaker compresses and eventually becomes hard and bad for the foot.
How is a Dress Sneaker made differently? A sneaker is made in a large manufacturing plant that mass produces million of shoes. The sneaker gets passed down an assembly line so no one person ever has ownership of it throughout the process wording more about the quantity than the quality. A Dress Sneaker/dress shoe is made in a small artisan's shop where one cobbler/craftsman takes full ownership of each and ever shoe. They have passion for their craft as a art form and pride in what their shop delivers to the public.
About the Project:
Over 5 years ago I reached out to a friend who worked at an expensive dress shoe factory and asked them to make me a sneaker using all of the quality and craftsmanship they used on the dress shoes. I wanted the shoes to appear like a sneaker at the first glance, but at a second look see the details were actually hand made by an authentic quality shoe maker.
InSoul is a brand that celebrates the evolution of shoes/sneakers. The brand's core stems from American Sports styling but aspires to compete with the detailing of a wealthy italian brand. The line is all about details (leathers, linings, laces, eyelets, stitching, etc...). The shoe shapes are understandable.
The name InSoul is an obvious play on the word "insole" but spelled "soul" to embrace the tie between music culture and the sneaker culture. Hip Hop music is currently associated with sneaker culture but InSoul seeks to celebrate the "soul music" that many artists take their inspiration from (samples). Using this foundation will hopefully give kids and their parents common ground to enjoy the brand's product and lifestyle.
The colors and material inspiration are drawn from the evolution of photography and television. The base colors reflect on sepia tones (browns, oranges, cremes) and the grey spectrum referencing black and white timeless imagery.
Product Creation & Manufacturing Plan:
Although complex by nature, our manufacturing plan is quite simple to execute. We have partnered with a small family owned and operated factory. They have been with us from the inception of our project, crafting our initial development prototypes and beautiful sales samples. We have negotiated pre-payment terms in order to manufacture our initial production runs. Together we have agreed to keep production order quantities smaller to ensure quality craftsmanship standards and traditional shoemaking techniques are used to assemble each and every pair of InSoul dress sneakers.
Design Phase (sketching, materials, and colors)
1st Round Prototypes
A huge milestone to reach, 1st round prototypes were our first opportunity to see our beautifully illustrated 2-dimentional concept become a product in hand. We had already made the decision to execute development with a small dress shoe factory because their thorough understanding of the subtleties needed to make these samples more than just another pair of sneakers. Our 1st round wasn't far from our mark. Upon review we made a few major changes and several detailed revisions, ultimately investing in another development round.
2nd Round Prototypes
The completion of our 2nd round prototypes was a huge success. Our initial requested revisions were executed without flaw. Pattern proportions were corrected, details precisely executed, general esthetics were achieved, and the overall fit and comfort were completed. We felt confident moving forward with our desired 3 color ways.
Production
If all crowdfunding goes well this will help us raise enough money to order the minimum first round of production (1000 pairs total). We will pre-pay the factory for the raw materials, labor, packaging, and shipping. The factory will then proceed to order the raw materials. This could take up to 12 weeks before all parts are received. Once in hand the project managers will schedule production space in the factory. We plan to meet with the team to view pre-production samples for final approval.
Production of the 1000 pairs can take up to 30 days to complete due to the smaller factory size and the nature of hand made shoes. Next we will be in the shipping phase. The shoes will arrive in the United States approximately 45-60 day later. Upon arrival we will have to ensure that our product can clear customs.
Our team will personally pick and process each pair of shoes purchased. We will ship each customer their order via USPS, Fed Ex or DHL and will email everyone specific tracking numbers for their records. The process maybe labor intensive but will be the most exciting part for our team.
We ask everyone to please make a pledge so we can afford to get production started which will ultimately give our brand a chance to get off the ground. We will then be able to further pursue building this brand from the bottom up and push to provide the footwear industry with a diverse product that speaks to US, the consumer, for all occasions in our lives. Thank You for Your Support!
T-Shirt Reward Options:
FAQ:
All funds raised here on GO FUND ME will go directly towards furthering our production quantities and starting the 2nd season of development!
DRESS SNEAKER by InSoul Footwear:
When you combine sneakers with dress shoes, you get DRESS SNEAKERS. Hand made by the finest craftsman.
What is a DRESS SNEAKER? Shoes with a sneaker styled upper but on a dress shoe chassis (Outsole/construction)
What makes a Dress Sneaker better than a sneaker? A Dress Sneaker gets better with time by softening and conforming to the shape of your foot, similar to a nice quality dress shoe. A sneaker gets worse the more you wear them. The comfort component of a sneaker compresses and eventually becomes hard and bad for the foot.
How is a Dress Sneaker made differently? A sneaker is made in a large manufacturing plant that mass produces million of shoes. The sneaker gets passed down an assembly line so no one person ever has ownership of it throughout the process wording more about the quantity than the quality. A Dress Sneaker/dress shoe is made in a small artisan's shop where one cobbler/craftsman takes full ownership of each and ever shoe. They have passion for their craft as a art form and pride in what their shop delivers to the public.
About the Project:
Over 5 years ago I reached out to a friend who worked at an expensive dress shoe factory and asked them to make me a sneaker using all of the quality and craftsmanship they used on the dress shoes. I wanted the shoes to appear like a sneaker at the first glance, but at a second look see the details were actually hand made by an authentic quality shoe maker.
InSoul is a brand that celebrates the evolution of shoes/sneakers. The brand's core stems from American Sports styling but aspires to compete with the detailing of a wealthy italian brand. The line is all about details (leathers, linings, laces, eyelets, stitching, etc...). The shoe shapes are understandable.
The name InSoul is an obvious play on the word "insole" but spelled "soul" to embrace the tie between music culture and the sneaker culture. Hip Hop music is currently associated with sneaker culture but InSoul seeks to celebrate the "soul music" that many artists take their inspiration from (samples). Using this foundation will hopefully give kids and their parents common ground to enjoy the brand's product and lifestyle.
The colors and material inspiration are drawn from the evolution of photography and television. The base colors reflect on sepia tones (browns, oranges, cremes) and the grey spectrum referencing black and white timeless imagery.
Product Creation & Manufacturing Plan:
Although complex by nature, our manufacturing plan is quite simple to execute. We have partnered with a small family owned and operated factory. They have been with us from the inception of our project, crafting our initial development prototypes and beautiful sales samples. We have negotiated pre-payment terms in order to manufacture our initial production runs. Together we have agreed to keep production order quantities smaller to ensure quality craftsmanship standards and traditional shoemaking techniques are used to assemble each and every pair of InSoul dress sneakers.
Design Phase (sketching, materials, and colors)
1st Round Prototypes
A huge milestone to reach, 1st round prototypes were our first opportunity to see our beautifully illustrated 2-dimentional concept become a product in hand. We had already made the decision to execute development with a small dress shoe factory because their thorough understanding of the subtleties needed to make these samples more than just another pair of sneakers. Our 1st round wasn't far from our mark. Upon review we made a few major changes and several detailed revisions, ultimately investing in another development round.
2nd Round Prototypes
The completion of our 2nd round prototypes was a huge success. Our initial requested revisions were executed without flaw. Pattern proportions were corrected, details precisely executed, general esthetics were achieved, and the overall fit and comfort were completed. We felt confident moving forward with our desired 3 color ways.
Production
If all crowdfunding goes well this will help us raise enough money to order the minimum first round of production (1000 pairs total). We will pre-pay the factory for the raw materials, labor, packaging, and shipping. The factory will then proceed to order the raw materials. This could take up to 12 weeks before all parts are received. Once in hand the project managers will schedule production space in the factory. We plan to meet with the team to view pre-production samples for final approval.
Production of the 1000 pairs can take up to 30 days to complete due to the smaller factory size and the nature of hand made shoes. Next we will be in the shipping phase. The shoes will arrive in the United States approximately 45-60 day later. Upon arrival we will have to ensure that our product can clear customs.
Our team will personally pick and process each pair of shoes purchased. We will ship each customer their order via USPS, Fed Ex or DHL and will email everyone specific tracking numbers for their records. The process maybe labor intensive but will be the most exciting part for our team.
We ask everyone to please make a pledge so we can afford to get production started which will ultimately give our brand a chance to get off the ground. We will then be able to further pursue building this brand from the bottom up and push to provide the footwear industry with a diverse product that speaks to US, the consumer, for all occasions in our lives. Thank You for Your Support!
T-Shirt Reward Options:
FAQ:
Q: When will I get my shoes?
A: All orders will be processed & shipped in October.
Q: How do I choose my sizes?
A: Please measure your feet using a standardized Brannock Tool measurement chart (see below). You can also go to most shoe departments/stores and have the employee help you use the standard measuring tool (Brannock Device).
Our shoes will be sized according to standard footwear measurements, we will be scaling true to size and the width will be "standard - D".
A: All orders will be processed & shipped in October.
Q: How do I choose my sizes?
A: Please measure your feet using a standardized Brannock Tool measurement chart (see below). You can also go to most shoe departments/stores and have the employee help you use the standard measuring tool (Brannock Device).
Our shoes will be sized according to standard footwear measurements, we will be scaling true to size and the width will be "standard - D".
Organizer
InSoul Footwear
Organizer
Hermosa Beach, CA
