Similar to Kickstarter we will be looking to take a hybrid approach to product development. The goal of this approach of shoe design, development, and delivery has the goal of reducing waste and excess product on shelves, while still delivering a high quality product. This approach will also reduce the amount of transportation and energy used for shipping by only delivering what's ordered. We hope this psuedo on-demand approach will change the way people purchase and expect boutique shoe purveyors to operate.
Smith'd will design a few pair of shoes and post on the web sites and social networks we have. The expectation then is that customers will pre-order the shoes for a discounted (20-30%) price which will fund the initial production run of the product. The first order and discount will only apply to 100-200 pairs. After the initial size-run is sold out we will move to a more traditional model of development and will charge full-price for the footwear from that point forward.
We understand that the shoe buying process can be difficult to do online and our hopes are to create enough consistency in our products that you'll be able to count on a great fit every time.
Thanks for you support.