December 23, 2008 59 Comments

The Future Importance of Custom

MyJoy Custom Shoes The company FootJoy has a custom shoe division called MyJoys, where they can make various color and logo combinations on shoes that you order. These variations amount to something like 250,000 custom shoes you could potentially order. (Yes, I know that Nike is doing that, too. That’s interesting-ish, too.)

I just think it’s incredible. 250,000 possible combos. Now, I also know (because I spoke with Mike Lowe, Sr. Interactive Manager of Footjoy and he was kind enough to fill me in) that they do custom logos as well as major league baseball and National Football League and those kinds of things. Mike was contributing to a strategy meeting about the larger company’s projects overall, but when we were all done, he walked with me by a table covered with special custom shoes (see the above picture).

Quick geek moment: how cool would it be to have a pair of shoes with my logo? Cool.

I think that custom projects like MyJoys are really where the action is. Like Seth said so well, “Small is the New Big.”

What’s your take? If something like shoes can be made into a customizable product, why are you still leaving your marketing to the mass level?

Related posts:

  1. The Importance of Seeds
  2. The Future of Sports is Boobies
  3. Trying On New Shoes
  4. The Vital Importance of Your Network
  5. The Importance of Being Funny

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  • http://www.cutandsewn.com/word Lee Frank

    I like my Nike IDs so much. It sucks that they’re getting beaten up though now. I work in the customized clothing industry also at http://www.cutandsewn.com. We like the threadless idea, but it sucks for the people who are below the line of top 3 designs. Everyone’s design deserves to be made.

  • http://www.cutandsewn.com/word Lee Frank

    I like my Nike IDs so much. It sucks that they’re getting beaten up though now. I work in the customized clothing industry also at http://www.cutandsewn.com. We like the threadless idea, but it sucks for the people who are below the line of top 3 designs. Everyone’s design deserves to be made.

  • http://mikons.com Mark Smith

    The hurdle of customization is getting the customer involved the process.

    That is, designing something that they think is worthy to put on something. I have been working Mikons.com for two years now http://mikons.com and http://mikonmixers.com A mikon is a symbol about you – like my icon. Users can design their own image and put them on stuff, or connect with others at parties with iconic stickers (mikonmixers).

    It is easy to imagine that everyone wants to be unique and express themselves in a custom way. But difficult to facilitate that.

    Co-branding with the larger companies is one way. However, the entrenched big guys are presently afraid of the implications and the threat to their own manufacturing processes.

  • http://mikons.com Mark Smith

    The hurdle of customization is getting the customer involved the process.

    That is, designing something that they think is worthy to put on something. I have been working Mikons.com for two years now http://mikons.com and http://mikonmixers.com A mikon is a symbol about you – like my icon. Users can design their own image and put them on stuff, or connect with others at parties with iconic stickers (mikonmixers).

    It is easy to imagine that everyone wants to be unique and express themselves in a custom way. But difficult to facilitate that.

    Co-branding with the larger companies is one way. However, the entrenched big guys are presently afraid of the implications and the threat to their own manufacturing processes.

  • http://www.myjoys.com Mike Lowe

    Jeremy –

    Great question. MyJoys began development in late 2002 and was launched in September 2003. The directive for the development of a mass customization program came from our company president, so his support cleared the way to get the process rolling.

    Development went very well, but was not without its speed bumps. MyJoys was built with a trade and consumer-direct component, so this addressed any Sales concerns. Our reps see this program as an incremental opportunity and have passed this enthusiasm down to their accounts.

    For the rest of the organization, we got them involved, developing a feeling of ownership across all departments (customer service, finance, credit, etc..). This approach worked very well for us and continues to bolster the program today.

    Regards,
    Mike Lowe
    FootJoy

  • http://www.myjoys.com Mike Lowe

    Jeremy –

    Great question. MyJoys began development in late 2002 and was launched in September 2003. The directive for the development of a mass customization program came from our company president, so his support cleared the way to get the process rolling.

    Development went very well, but was not without its speed bumps. MyJoys was built with a trade and consumer-direct component, so this addressed any Sales concerns. Our reps see this program as an incremental opportunity and have passed this enthusiasm down to their accounts.

    For the rest of the organization, we got them involved, developing a feeling of ownership across all departments (customer service, finance, credit, etc..). This approach worked very well for us and continues to bolster the program today.

    Regards,
    Mike Lowe
    FootJoy

  • nikedunkhigh

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  • http://www.yuregininsesi.com sesli chat

    For that price, I'd make a sticker and slap it on something that wasn't so fugly. What demographic looks and comments on another's shoes though? You'd get more by paying some kid to walk up and down the boardwalks in the summer in a custom tee.

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