In today's fashion world, footwear has become more versatile than ever. Even when someone has to stay at home all the time, it is more likely for them to buy shoes, sandals, or any footwear that aligns well with their mood, comfort, and fashion sense. For many years, designers too have responded well to satisfy their customers' needs with their innovative styles and collection lines. But the appetite to want more doesn't stop in the fashion industry, and to keep everyone happy is an impossible job, hence the emergence of DIY (Design It Yourself). This new concept of letting people design their products saves a lot of time and energy for brands and retailers and allow them to focus on other significant aspects of the business. Likewise, the shoe designer software, a customization solution, offers business-to-business solutions to manufacturers and retailers and empowers their clients to create a comfortable pair of funky shoes and displays their personalities and fashion sense. The tool has a built-in digital feature that allows buyers to preview the product in 3d before heading for the final payment.
Custom Design Shoes Offering Solutions to Make an Impact in the Footwear Industry
These days people have such dynamic life, they have to attend several events and functions that require them to dress up accordingly. Footwears are an integral part of people's wardrobe, as they are the first thing that a person observes. People can't afford to go wrong with it. They are looking for footwear that goes well with the outfit or changing them to complement the occasion and the clothes. In any way, this puts a lot of pressure on the environment as the footwear industry churns out 23.4 billion pairs of shoes annually in a global supply chain that is responsible for 1.4 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Brands are thus, forced to look for solutions that allow them to keep their production processes in check to safeguard the planet while also meeting the demands of their customers.
And in the past one year, nature has taught us a significant lesson to respect it, and thus, we shall witness more people lean towards sustainability in the days to come. Many are looking for zero-waste options for daily chores; consequently, fashion and luxury brands should also navigate a seismic transformation as customers realign their sartorial choices and move towards re-wearing, re-styling or upcycling clothes and accessories. Repurposing is gradually making its way into many closets and adding a fun flair to footwear; in fact, many fashion enthusiasts are eyeing repurposed footwear to make a bolder statement and revamp their old shoes.
Let us look at the various case studies to understand how the several brands in the footwear industry are capitalizing on the repurposing and DIY trends:
· Reproducing Shoes from Upcycled Fabrics
While most of the DIY fashion projects lead to the creation of products that are not aesthetically pleasing, as a result, sometimes people refrain from using anything that has been created from used or recycled products. Now, this is where the designer's role comes into play. They can help buyers design footwear made of reused products with fashionable, trendy, and comfortable designs. Consider the case of a Polish Designer Iga Węglińska who wants to equip people with the tools to make fashionable products at home using everyday materials and simple techniques. The designer has created a simple sneaker silhouette with a modern aesthetic and looks classic and timeless enough to wear for years, even as trends come and go.
Węglińska went back to basics while designing shoes. She believes that footwear is made up of two major components: a sole made from EVA foam and an upper design that is historically made of leather but can be made from other eco-friendly products. The designer feels that one doesn't need to use new fabrics; they can upcycle any of the materials lying around at home. Her project combines industrial design with the world of apparel design, art with craft, tradition with modernity. Manufacturing shoes is surprisingly simple if one goes by the instructions given on the website in English and Polish. The designer suggests that her clients should print out the designs they wish for the footwear. Though she has created designs for a size 38, it is easier to increase the proportions on the printer DIY with imagination and creativity. However, if her buyers happen to have access to a 3D printer, these instructions can be used to print the pieces directly out of the materials.
· Rising Trend of Knit Shoes
Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, shoes have been made in extremely monotonous ways, and despite the increased use of machines in the footwear industry, much of the work, such as putting the shoes together, has been done by hands with skilled workers. Materials are often sourced from different places, with shoes shipped back and forth several times before they are finally shipped to the online storefronts or brick-and-mortar stores. However, some years ago, in the lead-up to the London Olympics, brands including Adidas released its first knitted running shoes under the collection "Primeknit". Each sneaker upper is machine-woven from a single piece of fused yarn. Less waste, less labor, and a cool new look.
The leading sportswear giant, Adidas, released its first knitted soccer cleat, followed by a knitted cleat-and-sock hybrid. Though many sportswear brands have fought over the patent and designs, knit technology has transformed the entire traditional shoemaking process. Athletic shoes make up 30 per cent of all football sales, with Adidas dominate the sector with $9.5 billion in sales in the last couple of years. The widespread use of knitting technology boosts the industry's efficiency but helping brands to cut down on materials, labor, shipping, and time. This technology allows brands to produce products in one place from start to finish. Considering the fact that Americans buy an average of seven pairs of footwear in a year, which makes up for more than two billion new pairs annually. The inception of knit technology has marked the beginning of new production ways, and the stakeholders shouldn't be surprised by what they see in the coming years.
The online shoe designer software, a customization solution with digital features, allows brands to let their customers design shoes and allow them to take orders in real-time. Similar to the knit technology, the custom-made tool enables brands to cut down on excessive labor, manufacture the product in one place, save time and effort, and balance nature and production. The tool works with O-singuliers, an Italian shoe designer company that offers a variety of shoes for men. the tool allows the customers to customize their footwear at various predefined positions. The user can select the fabric and accordingly choose the available color for customization. They can customize various parts of the shoes like the side upper, back strip. The user can give a finishing look to their shoes by selecting the lace type, stitching material, and soles of shoes. Last but not least, can set the initial/ text/ drawing on the shoe by selecting the size of the shoe. O-singuliers.com is a bi-lingual platform in English and French.
· Leading the Way for Technology are Influencers
Supermodels and influencers are the best targets for popularising any trend, especially in the fashion industry. They are all over social media; people look up to them and follow anything they do. Likewise, they can also be tapped to promote DIY for shoe brands and lure in more customers through them. The more customers see their favorite celebrity in a particular style, the more likely they will follow the trend. For example, Karlie Kloss, the supermodel, is set to upsurge footwear trends with fashionable eco-friendly measures. She took to her Instagram in style wearing a Christopher John Rogers design from Collection 007 featuring blocks of colors and a checkerboard pattern. The former Victoria's Secret Angel accompanied the look with jewelry designs from Stephen Russell and David Michael Jewels.
Though the outfit worn by Kloss had already created a lot of buzzes, her most noticeable accessory has been her pair of Ancuta Sarca shoes. The London-based designer blended athletic shoes with mule heels for a truly eclectic design; it's an upcycled trainer heel made with old running shoes. Sarca has gained popularity among sneakerheads and fashion pundits, all thanks to its modern approach to sneakers. The popular hybrid design uses recycled fabrics and sustainable measures and turns the vintage or older stylish footwear into retro heels. The Romanian-born designer is rapidly gaining popularity among celebrities, and her avant-garde designs have been worn even by Cher. In a DIY culture, where reconstructing garments seem to be the new norm, Sarca is driven by her passion for reusing and minimizing overconsumption.
· Emerging Brands Refuses to Stand Behind
The DIY trend is exponentially gaining momentum in the footwear industry, and therefore, many leading and emerging brands are testing waters and introducing new collections lines enabled with DIY to connect immediately with audiences. The recent label to join this stream is Bulawayo, a Zimbabwean label that is all set to introduce its new sneaker collections latest by December this year. The sneaker culture has taken the world by storm and pays homage at the altar of fashion. The trend for donning DIY-style shoes have attracted so many buyers that even the celebrities suffer from FOMO "Fear Of Missing Out". And as fashion becomes more subjective and inclusive, the trend to designing products by self and wearing or owning products that speaks volume of ones' personality will continue to upsurge in the market.
Though some customers may be happy with what designers and brands have stored things for them, several buyers are ready to walk an extra mile to buy a product that reflects their emotions, creativity, and style. The trend to wear simple colored shoes is outdated now. Availability of patterns ranging from cartoons to logos, sneakers now provide ample designs to experiment with. Shoes have been perennial yardsticks to measure someone's social status, and with the rise of customized shoes, more people are able to say it and flaunt it with their fashion sense than any other medium.
Closing Comment-
This is the only beginning of the DIY movement for the fashion industry, and as technology advances, we are moving closer to an automated world. The simple hacks, such as mending tears and replacing missing buttons, we are able to reconnect with our wardrobes and hold onto our clothes for longer, challenging the notion cooked up by fast fashion that clothing is a disposable good. This rewarding feeling can and should be a part of our fashion lifestyle too. However, producing too many products without considering their harmful effects on nature. The world is already beginning to see the devastating impacts of climate change, and if we were to avert even further disaster, we need to rethink our conspicuous consumption radically, and this means coming up with creative new alternatives to the status quo. While not everyone will be up for building their own shoes from scratch, the factors mentioned above inspire others to reconsider their shoes altogether. Similarly, the shoe designer software by iDesigniBuy allows brands to think about the consequences of their over-production issues and adhere to customization solutions that will enable them to balance their production and environment.
Comments
Post a Comment