The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.

This innovation initially came to life when…

This innovation initially came to life when two of the founders, Mike and Michael, were looking for a new, innovative online retail product to launch in Australia. The third founder, Jodie, had been designing her own shoes and having them made in Asia for a while. The three co-founders figured this could be done online and the idea for Shoes of Prey was born.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

The purpose of this innovation is to allow women to design their own dream shoes and have them made. It allows them to design the perfect shoes to match an outfit, or for a particular event.

It does this by…

It does this by providing women with access to our very easy to use online shoe designer. There they can select from a range of options allowing them to create one out of over 3 trillion possible shoe designs. They can then order their design which will be handmade and shipped to them within 5 weeks.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

The innovation improves on what came before because it has never before been possible for women to design their perfect shoe online and have it made for them. Previously women would either have to visit many different shoe stores to find the right shoe, or pay a local shoe maker over $1000 to have a design made.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

Its various benefits to the customer include:

- saving time shopping in multiple stores for shoes.
- not having to settle on a not quite perfect pair of shoes.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

The closest product offered previously was local shoe makers. Their product was: 1) expensive, over $1000 compared with our $195-$300; 2) time consuming, as the customer had to visit the physical store; 3) not user-friendly as the customer needed artistic skills to be able to design shoes; and 4) not scaleable, as they were limited in the number of shoes they could produce.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Local shoe makers like Andrew McDonald were the only options for people to get customised shoes previously. There was no option to order them online.

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

It is made for women with a strong sense of fashion, who know what they’re looking for in a pair of shoes and appreciate the quality that comes with custom design and individually handmade shoes. This woman is between the ages of 25 and 60 and works professionally.

The product is also suitable for:

- Women requiring shoes for a specific event such as weddings
- Women with small or large feet who have difficulty finding shoes in their size.
- Men who like to dress as women and can’t find women’s shoes in their size.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

The product is available at www.shoesofprey.com. We also attend local fashion markets and events like the Bondi Markets and Sydney Fashion Weekend where customers can design their own shoes on the computers we have available there.

Our marketing strategy is to…

We specifically selected an innovative product to take advantage of PR opportunities and the social networking tools people have available to them. We have a strong focus on PR and a very active presence on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Word of mouth marketing through those tools is key for us.

SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION

While the judging is now officially over, you can still show your support for this innovation in one of the following three ways:

1. Hit the VOTE UP button: Top left of each page (Not available for IE users)
2. Trigger a Reaction: Re-Tweet, Like on Facebook, etc.
3. Leave a Comment: Share the love!

To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.