mildly commercial - ultraheels

[GrayLion]

Hi folks

I am currently talking to a cobbler about making shoes to this principle: http://www.newagequest.com/HH/BIZshoedesign.GIF. We'd do a few basic styles and offer an assortment of different straps, platforms, heel shapes, toe forms. I am currently looking at prices around 250 EUR. Please give me feedback whether this would be cool, too expensive, whatever. They'd all be made to order and in EU sizes.

thanks

Bernhard

[J-Nation]

cool(ish), but too expensive for me! Emma

[Firefox]

I think at 250 EUR you are pushing into the made to measure price range for "non-designer" wear. Unless you are doing custom lasts then it may be too much for regular 6" type heels with bolt on additions. If you are taking customer arch measurements and feet measurements then I think it would be good value. I'm not interested in fetish type heels myself so that's a fairly objective view based on my surfing around. Other members of the board such as Dr Shoe and Xaphod will be able to give you good opinions on this. You could always ask them by private message if they don't see the thread.

[GrayLion]

interesting point. La Piazza is more expensive and offers less variety (no variation in toes and only little variation in heels. Also these would be the unique fetish style as shown in Bizarre magazine and in comic books such as "Sweet Gwendoline", with the balls of the foot of the ground. I am including a photo here as well. I will have to see about custom widhts - these would be desireable anyway. Thanks for your input!

http://www.newagequest.com/HH/BPtrainedfeet.GIF

[mk4625]

LaPiazza have 7 inch heeled laced boots, unfortunately the available sizes are too big for Kathy. They claim that it is impossible to make them any smaller than UK 7.

interesting point. La Piazza is more expensive and offers less variety (no variation in toes and only little variation in heels. Also these would be the unique fetish style as shown in Bizarre magazine and in comic books such as "Sweet Gwendoline", with the balls of the foot of the ground. I am including a photo here as well. I will have to see about custom widhts - these would be desireable anyway. Thanks for your input!

http://www.newagequest.com/HH/BPtrainedfeet.GIF

[GrayLion]

Well, if you look at the drawing I linked on my first posting that shows the reason for that. The design I am planning on using will allow higher heels, since the ball of the foot is off the ground as well, while still being supported. Heel height therefore will come closer to Ballet heels than is otherwise possible. See also the photo I posted. Can i look at you as a potential customer? *g* The other thing I am aiming for is a constant angle of all shoes through the sizes, ie the heel height a fixed percentage of the length of the foot. I am planning on standardising the heel height on Size 38 or 39 EU and ajusting accordingly. All heels will be individually built. This will on the one hand give us the flexibility, on the other hand it will account for part of the price. thanks Bernhard

[Bubba136]

way to expensive and not to my interest. However, I wish you the best in your endeavor. I'm sure there's people out here that are interested. Especially in the larger sizes.

[Trolldeg]

I would be interested if you could make shoes with highly defined arches, like the superarch shoes sold by arch enemys, (http://www.archenemys.com) with the ball of the foot resting on the ground. I'd really love that kind of arch in a boot.

[GrayLion]

I am looking at that as well. Eventually I want to carry: - Ultraheels as shown - a full set of classical HH with high arches - a full set of comfy high heels which are wider, have wide round or square toes and chunky heels and are also available frame-sewn. I just think that those ultraheels might be the best start. the second group is rather well covered by companies like Bananashoes, which I really quite admire. In all cases the modularity would be there. BTW: re prices, what do you think would be ok? The Archenemys "boat shoes" cost USD 224 so i am not too far away. Bernhard

[Bubba136]

"Sasha" from Adelaide, AUS, used to sell shoes on the net. She handled shoes made by LSB. While her business got off to a fast start, she soon began having problems with her "supplier." Special orders arrived in wrong sizes and styles and, after a few months, the time between ordering and delivery got longer and longer. I believe she finally sold her business to another on line retail merchant. While I would expect any new business would experience the trials and adjustments of startup, Sasha's experience underlines the fact that a good, reliable supplier is of paramount importance. Without a good supplier, your ability to service your customers is imperiled. And, service is the name of the game. Anyone can advertise anything for sale. It's availability, quality, rapid response and reliability that are the cornerstones of "Service." I wish you good fortune.

[GrayLion]

Thanks :-) LSB sadly have a name for that kind of thing. still, the advice is very much appreciated. Bernhard

[Waisted_Giraffe]

GrayLion

As you might have seen in my postings, I am very interested in ultra heels such as you have shown, especially in the second photo. I have found some further photos of these, some can be found on Hikes site and some on a site by TinaMarie. I would provide the link to Tinmarie but I have lost the address, however I will contact her to find out what it is, then add it to this message. I know she is also very interested in Ultra Heels and has already tried to get a pair made herself but they got lost!!!!!! and she could not afford to try again at the time.

All the best in the venture, hopefully will be purchasing from you

Big D

Further to above, I have contacted Tinamarie, her web site adress is a s follows

http://64.4.16.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=0db630b69666cd47fa813fe4d7df8dc3&lat=1063128071&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2egeocities%2ecom%2ftinamarie022%2f

Click onto "old photos I like" and you will find a series of pictures you might or might not have seen already.

My particular favorites are on page 5, second line, two photos of the same lady, boy would I love to be able to weara pair of those...nevermind maybe a pair of something else

Big D

[Firefox]

Jean-Gaborit are doing made to measure boots for between $200 and $300 which is roughly equivelant to the euro price. The question is, and as you rightly ask, what would people pay for a fetish heel of special design. It's difficult to say as crtain individuals who are struck with the look may pay up to 400 for the right shoe. To attract a greater part of the market you may have to offer more MTM features. Different arch shapes and toe box widths would be good start.

[Bubba136]

Firefox wrote:

To attract a greater part of the market you may have to offer more MTM features. Different arch shapes and toe box widths would be good start.

Phew! stocking unusual items is expensive. And, if as Firefox alludes, the service is "offered," price will become the limiting factor and the small number of pairs made won't do anything to reduce the price to "reasonable" cost

[Firefox]

I'm glad I wear regular street type heels. The mass production that enables us to buy these for $50 or less is far removed from this fetish type of market. Another way of looking at it would be to ask what pemium the majority of interested parties would pay. At $250 you are asking over 5 times the price of the regular article. I think that's around a practical limit for commercial viability. If you can do it for 3-4 times the price you're going to do a lot more business, though whether the margins exist at those prices, only you can say.

[Bubba136]

Locating and contracting with a manufacturer in China might be the way to go. While the quality isn't nearly as fine as it is for footwear handcrafted in Europe, the price per unit would be more affordable.

[GrayLion]

ok, for China I'd need volume and capital. both I don't have. a craftsman will bemore expensive - I'll see where I can push the price. different arches: don't think so. different toes and foot widths should be doable (I don't like my pinkie to fall asleep myself). Different shapes of the toe should not be a prob, moderns lasts come with different toes and are adjustable for all sorts of things. The heel height will be a proportion of the footlength, standard will be EU 39 or 38. larger feet proportionally higher. that means that 6" at 39 are 7" at 45! thanks all for your input. Bernhard

[GrayLion]

My particular favorites are on page 5, second line, two photos of the same lady, boy would I love to be able to weara pair of those...nevermind maybe a pair of something else

OK, these are exactly what I am shooting for. Watch this place, I'll tell you when they will be available. I also will go for the 50's look.

Bernhard

[GrayLion]

OK, looking at those pics again:

http://www.geocities.com/tinamarie022/OldHeels5.html

the top one and the row beneath it have the same inclination and heel height, just the 2nd row uses the fake the drawing that I posted originally describes. Which style do you prefer folks? Me, I like the first row better.

If we can do both on the same last, we will, but I doubt it very much. So which one to go for?

Row1 or Row2?

Thanks

Bernhard

Oh, and Big D? if you are in regular contact with Tina Marie, could you ask her to make hi res scans of those piccies (shoes only if need be) so we have some more info to work from?

thanks muchly

[confession]

Found on Aucland...

size 13 US, heel 17,5 cm

Enjoy...