Most women have definitely caught themselves in one or more of the following scenarios:
1) Suffering from aching feet after hours of shopping or clubbing in heels
2) Getting nasty blisters from wearing a new pair of shoes
3) Having an old pair of shoes take its last step whilst going about your errands
4) Wishing for a pair of comfy (but still chic) shoes for driving or walking about the office
Gal pals, Val and Ida, found themselves stuck in above said predicaments one time too many. Moreover they also realized that women around them were facing the same predicaments and shoes stocked in shoe shops across Singapore did not provide any solution for them. As such, teaming up with 3 others friends from diverse backgrounds, they thus began their mission to become Sole Saviours to women in Singapore.
Finding Sole-lutions
Their solution? Rollies– super sleek ballet flats which can bring you instant comfort on – the go. Their concept is simple yet innovative: Slip on your Rollies in an emergency, stow your killer heels in the bag and rock on! Launched in December 2009 at a huge party at Zouk, Rollies has since been slowly gaining popularity in the online sphere as well as amongst local clubbers with more women reaching out to buy a pair of Rollies despite the team not launching any advertising campaign.
The shoes are made of soft, light and durable material polyurethane. Weighing less than 50g, each pair rolls up compactly into a box no taller than your lipstick – simply perfect for bringing them everywhere in case you meet with a shoe emergency.
The sole of the shoe, which is extremely flexible, is made from special foam used in sports shoes and sandals. This material was choosen after the team tested hundreds of materials from a range of manufacturers. Additionally, the team is also very involved in the entire manufacturing process, working closely with their regional maufacturers from start to finish.
Reaching Out To Customers with ZERO Advertising Budget
Barely a year old, the team has met with considerable success in terms of attracting its target audience. Since its launch, Rollies has been featured on numerous local print publications and even made it to Her World’s Editor’s Pick in March 2010. This has enabled them to reach out to a wide range of women across demographic groups. Moreover, since its inception, the Rollies team has made a conscientious effort to tap onto channels that reach out to their tech savvy customers. This includes their website and Facebook page, which are regularly updated with events and features. Their online shop via the Rollies website is also a key customer touch point and it accounts for a large proportion of their sales.
Women Heart Their Rollies
The image of Rollies is most commonly associated with heel lovers who want to give their foot respite after being in heels for long periods of time. Amongst this target group, Rollies key customers include the female clubber who is prepared to whip out her pair of Rollies when her feet scream in pain after a night out; office workers who brave the early morning rush hour in their Rollies or slip into their Rollies if not meeting clients and even brides and bridesmaids who seek comfort in their Rollies after a long day of standing tall in heels.
However, the team is also quick to point out that Rollies has also found fans amongst women whose profession require them to stand for long hours i.e. nurses, teachers and sales personnel for whom comfortable footwear is a must. Also, interestingly enough, there has been an increasing number of female travellers who swear by their Rollies when going on their travels. The small and compact nature of Rollies suits frequent travellers and they can simply slip into their Rollies on the plane or in their hotels.
Thin Soles = Bad. Fact or Myth?
Whilst it is apparent that the purpose of Rollies is to provide relief for women on the go, the team in fact have a deeper mission in mind – that is, to educate women about the usage of Rollies as an “everyday” shoe. Conversations with many women revealed the fact that many people still hold the misconception about shoes with thin shoes. Thin soles are equated with very little foot support and protection. However, the truth could not be further than this. Contrary to popular belief, one of the ways to developing strong feet is to go barefoot! Recent studies have found that heavily cushioned shoes do very little to protect our feet in the long run. Case in point: World class Kenyan runners who develop amazing elasticity in their feet as result of running long distances barefoot up to the age of 17. In fact, this has spawned a barefoot movement across the globe with even industry leader Nike, ‘founder’ of the modern athletic shoe, jumping on the bandwagon. In recent years, Nike has been aggressively marketing its Nike Free Run, which offers next to barefoot running.
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