Warning: This blog post is in English and it does contain unpaid advertising.
Truth be told: I’m having quite some trouble writing this blog post. Two reasons for that: 1. It is about something as trivial as shoes. 2. It is in English. And I feel the need to justify myself for both of those aspects. Actually, I did just that and used up a whole page in beautiful german writing to explain myself. That I am fully aware that materialistic purchases are bad, don’t make you happy in the long run, why I would choose expensive shoes over buying less expensive ones, why I’m writing about brands at all and why all of a sudden, I felt the need to switch to English for this text.
Well, too bad. This took up so much of my energy that I just decided to scratch all that and go for it. To write about my beautiful shoes. Even if its trivial. Even if there are so many more important topics in the world. The only reason for this blog is for me to write about what I love. What gives me energy. And moments of joy. And damn straight: These shoes do all of the above.
Changing my strategy to good, long lasting shoes
Sometime in the past year I realized that my strategy for shoes just didn’t work anymore. Or, never has in the first place. Usually it goes like this: I buy myself a pair of shoes I really like at the beginning of a new season. I wear them all season. I need to throw them away because they are all worn out. So, why not have two-three different pairs of shoes for each season I can wear interchangeably and keep them in good shape for more seasons to come? And: be really picky about which ones to buy.
If this strategy should work, those shoes have to be really good ones. Now what do I define as really good ones? First of all, I must really really like them – not just this year, but for seasons to come. The quality has to be great, so that they last for seasons to come. They have got to fit perfectly and don’t hurt, so I will actually end up wearing them for seasons to come. And I told myself that meeting all these criteria will justify the price – at least for me.
Hey there, Ruby.
At the end of last year, I bought myself a pair of ankle boots that were a tick in the box on all of those aspects. Now, they are not your everyday boots to throw on at every occasion, but elegant, sleek, minimalistic, with a touch of cowboy. Their name is Ruby. I got them in dark green, or as the manufacturer calls it, camo python, which yes, is a trendy color this year (wondering whether this all started with the dark green iPhone), but I believe will be a great match for this fall and the next one again. The heel is high enough to give you the feeling of an elegant shoe, but is at the same time good to walk in without trouble.
Just can’t resist a good branding
The manufacturer is a berlin-based business called Aeydé, which produces its shoes in Italy. Their ambition is to create high quality shoes without compromising on design. I find their portfolio both distinctive and timeless and am more than convinced of the high quality, craftsmanship and handling of each purchase. Plus: I just cannot resist a good branding.
Working for a brand manufacturer, I can’t help myself but admire and reward good marketing. Aeydé is a digital first, direct-to-consumer brand, which means that it is promoting its products exclusively online and through digital media and sells directly to the end consumer. My first touchpoint with Aeydé was on Social Media – of course it was! But this is just how it works today. You notice a product on Instagram, you find out what the brand is, you might google it (because you want to find out if you can possibly afford it), you start to receive ads by that brand, the product comes up more and more often in your feed and suddenly you find yourself recognizing the brand in your local boutique. No catalogue, no billboard, no direct mailing in your post box. Just Digital Marketing.
Another aspect that I do appreciate in these kind of brands is the pricing. Yes, you might find a discount at the end of a season, but other than that, the price stays the same. No need to wonder whether you might get them cheaper during the next shopping week, or retailer discount. The price stays the same. That’s the benefit of going direct-to-consumer first. And it builds trust.
Let me wrap up by saying that I enjoy my Rubys. Genuinely gives me joy just to take them out of their bag and put them on. It’s also fun to write about. Share my experience. And maybe this gives you the confidence to enjoy something that you might have been feeling self-conscious about. Let’s be nice to each other. And let’s enjoy a good thing every once in a while.
