A Tale of Two Sandals

As a marketing consultant by day and blogger by.. whenever-free, it is as natural as strawberry on cheesecake for me to observe the fascinating behaviours of brands around me.

Recently, Artificial Intelligence started working its magic in my life, as has in yours I’m sure, causing a flow of footwear brands to pop up on my Instagram feed.

Two brands, which both happen to be from Bandung, stood out.

So I thought it might be interesting to share some key observations on these two humble brands and what they did right.

Bearpath

Padding for comfort and reduce friction for long day wear

A small local Bandung brand, established in 2012 that is driving a mammoth presence on Instagram.

Bearpath, is not just stylishly fashionable, as its name reflects, it aims to offer a footwear that is aptly bear-like, resilient and long-wearing, as much as it is casual with a comfortable look and feel

Great Visuals is Half The Job Done

The shots and sensations Bearpath visually portrays urban-relaxed yet active-energy.

The ultra-light, air shots of the silo-straps immediately drives viewers to imagine a super-modern feel, elevating one’s outfit be it indoors or a short escape out of the city.

EV phylon sole for a lightweight feel.

Versatile

Another feature which I love is their modular interchangeable straps which comes in a wide range of colours - satisfying a myriad of personalities. An excellent way to be inclusive and expand its market segments.

Check out their Instagram @bearpathid

Hijacksandals

I can't say how stoked I was on discovering the Hijacksandals collection. Where do I start?

Hijacksandals is yet another Bandung brand that has now opened a store in Tokyo, in addition to their three Indonesian stores.

Distinct Turfs

The artiste spotlights, music studio backgrounds and music playlists are a stroke of genius - it forms an invisible yet robust bond between the brand and a significant under-the-radar tribe, who resonates deeply with those particular art style & music space.

The crocodile leather-look collection also places the brand uniquely in an unclaimed elite center stage, setting itself apart. Again.

Not sure how much it contributes to the revenue pool, but there is no denying it is a clever marketing move.

Who Wouldn’t Want to Look Cool Effortlessly

My personal favorite is the cosmic coloured water-proof Alley-green fern sandals. Where sloppy becomes impossible and Hide-under-hoodie-neighborhood-sandal stroll look is now appropriately trendy, chill, yet dressier effortlessly.

Its unrelenting new releases, that pivots from paracord to pull tab attachments, as well as newer colours from dreamy to nutmeg, from mono to duo-tone soles, all point to a forefront, cutting-edge mentality appealing to the progressive and fearless at heart.

Educating Consumers

Educational posts help consumers distinguish and decide. To do more of it would be doing brand themselves the favor. Hijacksandals have done a good job at it.

It’s All About You

Finally, I love how they transform DIY option into their own SHUFFLE collection where anyone can express their own freedom, style, uniqueness & individuality through choosing their own sandal elements.

Key Takeaways

Powerful visuals on suitable platforms are key to success. Visuals on Instagram are particularly apt, while let’s say content that is fun-loving and entertaining on TikTok can gain accounts good reach.

The global community is not that far.

If I had to add anything to their already awesome strategy, it would be to leverage on their specialist partners’ reputation, at more contact points. For instance, to be reminded at the middle and end funnel of the buyer journey, where buyers are considering more aspects of the product to justify their purchase, would help tip the scale.

So, all in all, I am immensely proud of these local, regional-yet-rightly-global-at-every-level brands standing tall.

They have put in the work and pushed boundaries. I hope that as they grow, they boldly and continually look for ways to be process and cost efficient. For in the business world, we know how rough it could get if one only looks smart, without being actually street-smart.

Although there is a slight deduction in PR-brownie points for the both of them for not responding to my outreach on a few questions as basis for writing this blog. 😛 This write up was and never intended/approached for any endorsement fees.

In any case, they’ve got the goods, they've got the looks and they’ve got the grooves.

From Bandung to the world, I see bright days ahead.