Have you ever bought a pair of shoes that weren’t quite right? Maybe the heel was just a little bit too high, or the strap too thin. Like many women, Jodie Fox faced the same problem, and it was this vexation that inspired Jodie to start her brand, Shoes of Prey. The online platform allows you to fully customise your shoes, down to the pointed toe, and even choice of colour. We certainly think that Jodie has found the right fit (yes, we’re punny) in the market place. After all, the perfect pair of shoes can change your life, just ask Cinderella.
We chatted with Jodie about learning how to fail fast, being the creative girl boss behind Shoes of Prey and all things shoes, of course (gosh our job is hard sometimes)!
So Jodie, how did you come up with the genius idea to allow women to completely customise their shoes?
Shoes of Prey started because I was solving my own personal problem. I had always liked shoes but I didn’t truly love them until I could design them myself. I loved being able to pick every aspect of the shoe and when they arrived, they were unique and there wasn’t anything else like it out there there — they were a true expression of me. My girlfriends started asking me about my shoes and if I could commission designs for them.
I wouldn’t have thought of turning it into a business had it not been for my two co-founders Mike Knapp and Michael Fox. They were both working at Google at the time and really interested in, and excited about, online retail. All they needed was a really good idea, and customisable shoes was it! That was how Shoes of Prey was born.
Jodie Fox, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Shoes of Prey.
We love to see women empowered in business, what is it like being the Chief Creative Officer at Shoes of Prey?
I love immersing in the process of exploring the world for ideas and narrowing down something that is so Shoes of Prey. I love discovering themes in an array of collected images, and then seeing our incredible team turn this into something real and wonderful. When I am fully focussed on creative work, I will often come up for a break late at night and think ‘oh I got nothing done today’ then I realise I got so much done… It’s just that I had the best time doing it.
It easy for people to dismiss fashion as a frivolous and ‘fluffy’ industry, but what impact do you think your shoes have on women?
I think our shoes and the whole design process really gives women creative license and inspires them to be free and feel confident in their own creation. By offering women the ability to customise and personalise their own shoes, we’ve given them the power and inspiration to truly express themselves, and to discover and develop their own personal style.
More than just impacting women, in a wider sense, we are also helping to create a more sustainable form of shopping. The way that people shop is changing and shoppers know exactly what they want; in terms of style and comfort. Often, they can’t find these on a shelf. Customisation is ever important today and provides shoppers with a world of options and pulls them straight into that creative process.
Customisation is also a more sustainable way of shopping, as the product is created for the individual, instead of mass produced without the guarantee they will be bought. It’s a far more sustainable practice and I think something that is taking hold as shoppers become more aware and conscious of how things are made.
Shoes of Prey has both an online and offline presence with your physical stores, what do you prefer: the comfort of online shopping or the tangibility of in-store shopping?
There’s value in both experiences. Our technology puts the customer in the design seat and allows them to really become an integral part of the creative process. Being online, it means we are able to offer what we do to more women around the world.
However, although the platform is easy to use, not everyone is confident creating and placing their orders online. We have five physical design studios across the United States in partnership with retail giant Nordstrom, and another in David Jones’ flagship Elizabeth Street store in Australia. When our shoppers visit our boutiques, they are really able to immerse themselves in the entire process and have that more tactile experience. They are able to touch and feel the different fabrics, see first-hand the different colours, designs and embellishments we offer, as well as try on sizing to find their perfect fit.
Jodie Fox; Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Shoes of Prey.
Based on the success Shoes of Prey has experienced, what do you think effective marketing can do for a brand?
Being an international brand, we don’t have just one voice for Shoes of Prey. After all, we are all about everyone having the ability to express their individual style and needs.
It was a matter of listening to what women wanted in different regions. It was surprising for us to see that even within the United States, styles varied from state to state. Effective marketing means listening to what your customers are saying, putting them first and identifying what it really is that they need. Understanding your customer’s needs means that you’ll be able to provide them with exactly what they want.
How do you remain relevant in the world of social media and keep ahead of your competition?
Shoes of Prey is not tied down by trends. The designs that people might create might tie into current trends but ultimately, the base shoe styles that we offer are fully customisable. Drawing from an extensive range of fabrics and colours, and with trillions of design combinations, our shoes continue to evolve with the different styles and trends that are taking the fashion world by storm.
We also pay very close attention to our shoppers and listen to their needs. We want to ensure that we continue to strike the right balance between providing our shoppers with the shoe that they want, all while maintaining quality and affordability. We listen to our customers and ensure that we are constantly evaluating.
Jodie Fox, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Shoes of Prey.
Business is never easy, what has been the biggest career obstacle you have had to overcome?
One of the mantras that I live by, and you’ll hear me repeat quite often, is ‘Do everything before you’re ready.’
When we first started, no one else was doing what we were setting out to do, providing customisable shoes for women in an online retail space. In terms of guidance, there was very little for us to go by. It would have been very easy to try and make sure that everything was perfect before we went ahead, but I’m not sure that there really is a point that you feel everything is totally ready.
The challenge that I had to face was to go against that natural instinct, and just jump straight in. You learn so much more by just doing – even when faced with something that you feel is totally out of your depth.
What about the advice that has helped you most on your journey?
“Fail fast.”
This one came from my co-founder Mike Knapp. He taught me this important lesson when we started the business. When you’re faced with something that you’ve never done before, the best thing is to just dive straight in. Don’t let your expertise get in the way. By actually doing things, you find out very quickly what your strengths are, and what you need to focus on to improve. It’s the approach that we took when we first set out establishing Shoes of Prey and one that I continue to use in my day to day life.
Where can you see Shoes of Prey in the future?
While we’re incredibly proud of our successes so far, I’m excited to keep growing the Shoes of Prey brand. We recently announced a partnership with Nordstrom in the United States, so I’m looking forward to seeing what that will look like as we continue to establish our base here in the United States. It’s a truly exciting new chapter for us!
We’re also continuing to expand our manufacturing capability. We have a talented team on board for this project and it’s an important part of the future of customisation.
Now, how about a little bit more about you. You clearly have a great grasp of your own personal style, how would you describe it?
In a nutshell – classic with a hint of edge. I love interesting silhouettes and playing with different textures. Day to day, I tend to go for a monochrome palette, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy the occasional (ok, very occasional) pop of colour! I don’t really have a hard and fast rule when it comes to style, as long as the items are beautifully made and fit with the way I feel that day.
If you could trade wardrobes with anyone it would be:
Iris Apfel!! That would be so much fun.
Agreed! What are your three go-to items at the moment?
- My pointed toe stiletto heels – they add a touch of sophistication and elevate any outfit, whether I’m wearing a dress or casual t-shirt and jeans combo.
- Boyfriend jeans.
- Black Burberry biker jacket.
We’re tech heads here at Australian Style Institute, so what’s an app you can’t live without?
Slack — As we’ve grown internationally and have a global team spread out across several different timezones, Slack has become such an indispensable tool, helping everyone stay in touch in the business and keeping everyone across all the different components.
And finally, we’re always curious about how our favourite girl bosses spend their days, what’s a normal week day like for you?
Although no two days are ever really the same, a general day (when I’m not flying around from city to city) usually looks like this:
- Work out first thing in the morning — no excuses! (Mostly)
- Review current fashion trends, news and send out relevant inspiration and ideas
- Most weeks I’ll speak at an event, have a photoshoot or do a media interview
- Write a script, film, edit and post a daily vlog on my YouTube channel
- Answer emails
- Meetings, meetings, meetings
- Work on business development ideas and partnership outreach
Keep up to date with all the happenings at Shoes of Prey:
Instagram: @shoesofprey
Facebook: /shoesofprey
Interview conducted by Edward Daetwyler.