Here comes a new shoe option that helps make eco-footwear fashionable and popular — but also leaves me a tad puzzled: Keds, Loomstate, and Barneys New York are teaming up to create and sell Keds made with organic cotton uppers and a recycled insole board.
No, my befuddlement doesn’t come from the juxtaposition of high and low fashion; Barneys and Loomstate have both teamed up with Target before. For this project, Loomstate’s designing the shoes, Keds is making them, and Barneys is selling them for a win-win-win.
I’m bewildered, instead, because Keds actually launched a green line back in March, also made with organic cotton. The cost of those (below): $55 a pair. The cost of this Keds-Loomstate-Barneys shoes (above): $75 a pair.
There may be a percentage difference in the recycled content in the insoles and outsoles, but from what I can tell, the shoes are pretty much the same except for the colors in the uppers: The $55 pairs come in just 3 solid hues, while the $75 pairs come in 5 multicolored designs — which granted, do seem somewhat prettier.
On a philanthropic level, the $75 shoes will send 1% of sales to The Organic Exchange, while the $55 shoes will plant a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation.
Other than that, the difference in the shoes simply has to do with the brand-cache of Loomstate and Barneys. Like the multicolored designs enough to pay $20 extra a pair? Pick them up at Barneys New York stores later this week.
It’s probably a mix of production cost and (unfortunately) marketing.
Comment by Bill Byrne — June 17, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
I’m sure there’s also the cost of design, which I’m not putting down at all — Loomstate makes some pretty stuff. It’s just odd because the shoes are so similar….
Comment by Siel — June 17, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
I really dig the Loomstate patterns buuut, I think I’d save myself the $20 and go with the plain kicks.
Rosemary’s last blog post..The Good Books
Comment by Rosemary — June 17, 2009 @ 10:04 pm
Just heard back from the Keds PR person. There’s basically no difference between the actual shoes besides the patterns. However, the Keds at Barneys come “in repurposed boxes without tissue paper.”
Comment by Siel — June 19, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
With a little bit of tape and some markers, you could make your own pattern ;-).
Comment by Bill Byrne — June 19, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
these are cute! ihave a thing for high-tops, so til then, good thing theres not many choices out there, otherwise id be goin crazy (dont show me, Ill buy!! LOL)
xo /m
meligrosa’s last blog post..Happy Friday!
Comment by meligrosa — June 19, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
I’d actually prefer the plain ones just because I think they’d go with more stuff — or as Bill pointed out, could be redecorated easily :)
Comment by Siel — June 24, 2009 @ 5:53 pm