If you like products that have a story behind them, you need to get a pair of canvas shoes from BucketFeet. The company has found a new innovative way to connects artists with consumers. They take a pair of ordinary canvas and create pieces of original art. Each graphic imprinted on the canvas is created by a different artist from around the world. Think khakis and stripes from Guatemala, elephants from Turkey, peachy melons from Atlanta, medicine hearts from LA – whatever country or artist you fancy!
BucketFeet’s two American cofounders met six years ago while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Raaja Nemani had quit his finance job in 2008 to backpack around the world, and he was tutoring children in Argentina. There he met Aaron Firestein, who had started his own company in college by decorating canvas shoes and selling them to his dormmates. He had gotten so successful that by the time he moved to Argentina, he was shipping his decorated duds around the world.
With $7.5 million in investments from venture capitalists, this February, BucketFeet leaped to the next level. In addition to its existing storefronts in New York City and Chicago, the company says there will be at least six retail studios in 2015, including three international locations in Asia. The e-commerce site still remains the biggest source of their revenues.
When you purchase a pair of BucketFeet, it comes with information about the artist who created its design. Its gives artists from around the world an opportunity to showcase their work in a product form. The reach is global and you can even follow the artist on the blog. Additionally, the company gives $1 royalty a pair to the artist and donates a percentage of sales to community programs. “Art is one of those platforms that everyone can understand; it’s a universal language, and it can bring people together,” Nemani speaks the language of Go Eat Give.
I got a pair of the lace up Encres, a red and violet modern art pattern designed by Paris based, Bernice Golmann. Berenice is a French artist who started to paint on walls while a teenager, then graduated with a Masters in Architectural History, and a traditional Fine Art course of study at Beaux Arts school in France. Every time I wear the shoes, they remind me of Paris – chic, summery and making a statement.
Get your own pair at BucketFeet web site or if you feel inspired, submit your own designs. The comfortable canvas shoes cost between $68-$84 and are available or men and women.
