This editorial was featured on Ajanaku.com
ALIVESHOES
Since I visited the ALIVESHOES Store I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities that this new concept brings. Sneakers x Social Media x Creativity x Competition equals endless possibilities. Let me enlighten you.
In 2010 Luca Botticelli (28) launched ALIVESHOES. A new Sneakerbrand that focuses on a sustainable product, communication and entertainment. ALIVESHOES are crafted with eco-friendly materials and delivered in 11 different colors. Every shoe is created through the remarkable production skills of Le Marche, also known as the Shoe Valley region in Italy, where many shoes are made. They follow the Italian tradition of shoemaking, paying much attention to the material, detail, quality and aesthetics. As being the son of famous shoe designer, Roberto Bottecelli Luca made his entrance into his fathers company in 2004 and was taught the craft. After having gained experience in the fashion world he decided it was time to do it on his one. He wanted to combine selling shoes with an online community, and from that point on the project evolved.
The basic concept is like this. You buy a pair of ALIVESHOES, register yourself at the ALIVESHOES website, make a profile and be a participant in the game. By uploading a foto or video you will be rewarded with points. With these points you can win pairs of shoes, a laptop, trips to the factory and even an internship with the company. An idea that could have been anyones and I wonder why none of the bigger sneaker brands haven’t focused on a thing like this yet. The idea was obvious and therefore a winner in my eyes.
The sneaker doesn’t look that special at first, but that doesn’t matter. It reminds me of a Reebok Freestyle or more resent the Nike Macaron. The hand dyed leather is like butter, feels and smells like a pair of Italian hand made shoes and are surprisingly comfortable to walk on. The bright colors are a smart pick and can be combined endlessly with any wardrobe. You might think they are bit to simple but when worn they look nice, smooth and can give you that classic look, but also combined well with a modern outfit. The materials are eco-friendly and degradable. So you can be fashionable and good to the environment at the same time. Not an aspect which would make me buy a pair of sneakers, but helping the environment is always a good thing and it can be a healthy reason for someone to buy these shoes.
After you understand what a kind of nice crafted shoe you just purchased you can join the community and play the game. This is the brands mission. Build an (inter)active social game community, both online and in the real world. You can compare it with a game like foursquare. You now just tag your ALIVESHOES everywhere you go, take pictures/make videos and up-load them to the website. Share, vote, win… To people who have a soft spot for Social Media type games this can get mighty addictive. You become the nr. 1 ALIVESHOES supporter in the world just by showing of you kicks and get rewarded for it. That’s exciting.
So will this project succeed? Well, there are a couple of reasons to buy or not to buy a pair of ALIVESHOES. You can buy them for the ecological aspect, to get creative & play the game or just because you think they look nice. If you don’t want to participate in the game or just think these shoe suck don’t buy them. But if you are looking for something new and want to get a glimpse of the future, buy a pair and join this community. It is up to Luca and his team to keep all the players happy, the rewards mighty and hold on to a fair game. If they manage to keep that up, this game will last quit a while.
As the website is still in Beta version, a lot and I do mean a lot of options aren’t ready yet. The way the website works, lay-out, functions and the whole rating system are still on debate if you would ask me. Still I love this project. It is completely new and as the iPhone App is being developed my urge to become nr. 1 on the ALIVESHOES ranking list has grown. I enjoy contributing to this platform and looking forward to what this will bring in the future.
For those who want to join the game, the store in Amsterdam will be open until the 6th of march. From there on ALIVESHOES will visit Berlin and do an European tour. The shoes can also be purchased online, but you can also expect a give away via our facebook page soon.
________________
ALIVESHOES POP-UP STORE
Heiligeweg 7, Amsterdam
Open until March 6th
More info visit: http://www.aliveshoes.com
D on Things 