Well hi friends!
Here’s a little update on the shoe making progress. The LegsLikeMine team has been working for two years now to build up to this point. Some of the big activities we’ve done over these two years:
- survey lipedema patients on their footwear challenges
- identify key requirements for our footwear: stability, comfort, support, non-slip, double depth, able to handle heavy weight, attractive, colorful, fun!
- designed several styles to build up a collection of footwear for multiple occasions
- worked with several manufacturers and suppliers to find the perfect ones who are willing to try serving a new market
- five rounds of sampling, fit testing, and redesign to get the fit perfect
- trademarking the LegsLikeMine logo for use in footwear
We are nearing final production on our first order, and now I get to do the fun part, try out adornments that we will be able to sell as add ons to our loafer style so that the loafer can be more adaptable for multiple occasions. Just swap out the adornment and now you’re ready for a wedding, or work! It’s a fun idea that can expand the use of a single investment shoe.
The other thing I’ve been doing is now testing future styles that can be 3d printed based on measurements taken from an iphone app – for shoes that fit like a glove. We are working with a manufacturer and are hoping to set up partnership agreements so footwear can be custom fit, on demand for you, in many styles. I’m really happy with the fit of the test shoes I’ve been given and the process to grab my measurements just from using my camera on my phone. I think there are a lot of possibilities with this, as many people with lipedema have very unique footwear needs that are challenging to meet with a one size fits all approach.
Stay tuned with me here as we dross the finish line on our first pairs of shoes. It’s a very exciting time to have unique needs in footwear that have never been met properly before. This is the beginning of something amazing, both for me, my physical community, and for the lipedema community. All it takes is breaking the ice and we will very soon be experiencing a fashion breakthrough.
I hope this post inspires just one person to think of creative ways to make the world fit us like it should. If you do something like that, drop me a line and I’ll share your progress too!
Take care!
Susan
