VERSATILITY EQUALS LESS CONSUMPTION
Day-to-night shoe is designed for the ‘future builders’
Shoes are shoes, right?
Well, if you ask Braden Parker and Kevin Reid, that simplified sartorial statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
In a world overrun with the likes of Nike and Adidas, the Vancouver-based entrepreneurs say they struggled to find an option that could easily go from the office to their after hours.
“We were frustrated by the lack of shoe options on the market,” Reid says. And, apparently, they weren’t alone in their footwear frustration.
“The more we talked about it with peers, the more we recognized a need for functional, versatile everyday footwear,” Reid says. “Increasingly, our community wants smarter, more adaptable products so that they can consume less.” So, they decided to create them. While they were undoubtedly influenced by a desire to create esthetically appealing sneakers that worked day to night, it was the increased consciousness of retail consumption that, ultimately, fuelled Reid and Parker to start their own footwear brand. One shoe that worked in most situations meant buying fewer shoes.
Called Casca — a shortened monikermeanttobeanodtotheCascadia bioregion where the footwear was first imagined — the brand aims to create “all-day performance” shoes for customers they call “future builders” who are “changing the world” and are driven to “a brighter future,” according to Parker.
“We did a ton of customer development to start, and determined that we needed something supportive, durable and versatile enough for the vast array of settings and environments we find ourselves in daily,” he explains of the fashionable-yet-functional designs.
But with so many other footwear options already available to shoppers on the market, they wanted to make sure they weren’t just creating more of the same.
“We’re determined to be innovative and bring something truly unique and useful to market,” says Reid, who is a trained industrial designer with past experience at brands including Native Shoes, New Balance and Norse Projects. The results are sleek unisex sneakers (albeit slightly reminiscent of some other minimalist styles from brands such as Common Projects) in leather and knit that feature orthotic properties that go far beyond mere arch support.
“After we created the initial concept, we started working with orthotic technician Marc Paris to design an orthotically correct footbed,” says Parker, whose business background includes real estate investment, startups and brand building. “We took this building block to China, where we combined it with some of the most advanced materials and processes from the athletic and mountaineering industries.”
Technical elements featured on the footwear include a contoured foam footbed insole; a semi-rigid internal brace to provide additional support to the heel and mid-foot (said to be a first for a rubber cupsole sneaker); and mountaineergrade rubber “rigorously” tested for 365 days via hikes, tennis courts and more.
At an average of $200 per pair ($228 for the leather Avro style and $198 for the Avro knit), Casca designs skew more toward the premium end of the footwear market, alongside brands such as Allbirds, Koio and Greats. But the founders believe the built-in technology will make them worth every penny to their target millennial customer.
“The technology we developed is a huge point of pride, but most importantly, we wanted to support a community of future builders with more effective products,” he says.
“Holistic solutions that looked great, performed better and reduced fatigue.”
Forgoing the traditional approach of selling their footwear through retail partners, or going direct to bricks-and-mortar retail, the duo has opted to sell their wares online only, directly to their customer. It’s a decision they say was easy to make, given the relative ease of setting up an online retail environment and digital marketing for young brands.
“We are at an amazing point in time with all of the e-commerce and marketing tools that are available,” Parker says of the strategy. “Combining that with the contacts we had built over the years, we were capable of creating amazing products and bringing them to market without needing a ton of initial capital.”
In addition to lowering potential overhead costs, Reid says operating with the lower-cost business model allows them to price their products at a level that’s more attainable for a wider range of shoppers.
“Our direct-to-consumer approach allows us to offer premium products at a fraction of the cost,” he says. “Almost all of our competitors in the performance market are locked into a traditional retail pricing structure that would put our design well over $300. Our growth will be more organic and streamlined, but we loved that we can offer more for less.”
While Casca launched officially only last month, Parker and Reid say the feedback to their new footwear line has been positive. The hardest part, they say, is getting people to try them on. Because, after that, it’s an easy sell.
“You put them on, they feel great,” Reid says. “And then, you go back to your old shoes — and immediately notice something missing.”
We are at an amazing point in time with all of the e-commerce and marketing tools that are available.