Category: Apparel

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Apparel

ZIPPED braces your laces, makes tying less trying

The Premise. Lace-up sneakers can take awhile to get on and off. Some people are too lazy to untie their shoes and opt to slip their shoes on and off, but this creates friction at the back of the sneaker. Because of this, their shoes end up wearing out quickly.

The Product. ZIPPED offers custom-made zippers that attach easily onto lace-up sneakers. The product resembles a narrow piece of cloth with eyelets on the side and a zipper in the middle. Instead of having the laces cross as they do normally, they stay on one side and ascend up the eyelets of the ZIPPED. ZIPPED com, ultimately being knotted solo. The product comes in different styles, shapes, patterns and colors.

The Pitch. ZIPPED’s Indiegogo campaign is rather sparse, but shows the different styles that ZIPPED can be ordered in, along with a guide for how to get the proper measurements for a custom ZIPPED that will fit. The video compares take shoes on and off with and without the ZIPPED and shows how much time using ZIPPED saves. ZIPPED has  low goal of $2,500 for their 60 day campaign. More information can be found on the company’s Web site.

The Perks. Early-bird backers can enjoy a pair of ZIPPED in their choice of color and style for only $10. At a regular rate, ZIPPED costs $16. Reward tiers go all the way up to $250. Current availability is set at June 2014.

The Potential. Any product that appeals to the most basic of human instincts, laziness, is always welcome on the market. A similar product called Hickies had huge success on Kickstarter a year and a half ago, raising six times its intended goal. Hickies uses stretchy connectors in lieu of shoelaces, making putting shoes on and off that much easier. Lock Laces are another product aimed at battling the evil shoelace and are less expensive than ZIPPED. It’s easy to see how the ZIPPEDs might not look so pretty with age, but , once you’re done threading it, it presents an intuitive and colorful option for the lace-averse.

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Apparel

RoPix sneakers designed for jump rope, won’t skip past your pledge

The Premise. Almost every sport has a dedicated shoe that helps improve performance and makes the experience of playing the sport better. But what about jumping rope? Many athletes jump rope extensively as part of their training, and their is also a whole world of competitive jump roping. Well, now, they have a specialized shoe.

The Product. The RoPix Jump Rope Shoe is designed to help jump ropers jump higher, work out longer, decrease pain and increase their overall fitness level. The shoes have extra internal padding that cushions and helps with rebound. In addition, they are lightweight and don’t have long laces that might get caught in the jumprope.

The Pitch. The video goes into great detail about the shoe itself, as well as the reasons for using Kickstarter. The text provides lots of diagrams and the evolution of the different shoes, as well as showing the user that RoPix is the official shoe of USA Jump Rope. The video also states alternate uses for the shoes, like yoga or martial arts.

The Perks. Aside from providing a great all-around shoe, this shoe really delivers for anyone who spends a lot of time jumping rope. Early birds will get a pair of the shoes for $55 – which is practically a steal for any type of sporting shoe! The shoes are available in multiple sizes and colors and are slated for delivery in May 2014.

The Potential. These lightweight, breathable shoes offer a lot of versatility and could soon be a staple in every athlete’s closet. Shoes like this are great because people are cutting back on their gym memberships and doing more workouts at home. Jumping rope is one of the most simple and effective exercises a person can do, and these shoes will help an athlete jumping longer, faster, and with less pain. That’s absolutely a win.

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Apparel Aquatics

Ripflip bridges fin-to-foot evolution in one piece of footwear

The Premise. For avid outdoorsy types and those who work in nature environments, the transition between land and water can be cumbersome. Very few products actually allow a person to transition between streamlined movement in a land environment to a water environment, and footwear choices are even more limited.

The Product. The Ripflip seeks to foil flipper floundering by providing a comfortable, functional shoe and flipper combination. It is essentially a neoprene shoe with some tread and a short flipper attached to it. It has a heel strap for easily putting it on or taking it off,, a midsole for comfort and a sole that provides traction on a variety of surfaces.

The Pitch. The video was obviously shot by a professional and has a really comprehensive view of the product. It’s filled with shots of the product, including close-ups of the tread (designed by a large tread-making company), and shots of the RipFlip in aspirational action that may tip off some of the product’s compromises. For example, the video shows people rock climbing, but how do they know where they’re climbing with three or so inches of flipper hitting the rock before their foot? And how does such a small fin really increase a swimmer’s propulsion?

The Perks. This product offers a sort of hybrid shoe that would definitely protect your feet in a variety of environments and might help you swim around a bit. The tread on the shoe would help the user walk in water, for sure.  In terms of the campaign, you need to donate $90 before you get a prototype of the product.

The Potential. This product seems cool at first, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. How well can you really walk in these? Even the models seem to be moving their feet unnaturally.  If you wear these outside, but not in the water, what happens when your feet sweat? How would this product function from cold water to cold air? The Rip Flip may leave many unanswered questions, but would be good fit for scenarios such as beach lifeguarding or camping near a lake.

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Apparel

Cartesian scarf stays rigid in the frigid

The Premise. Classic neck scarves are versatile and attractive fashion accessories that help keep us warm in the chill. There are a few classic ways to wear them, but they can have a tendency to loosen up.

The Product. The Cartesian Scarf serves as a neck scarf and/or head wrap that can bend and hold its shape. It uses various knit tensions instead of wires in order to be malleable. The scarf is made of 100% Italian merino wool and currently comes in charcoal gray and classic red. Optimally wearing the accessory is facilitated by propping it up vertically against the back of the neck and then guiding it into the desired contortion. The project creators assure that, while the scarf may retain its shape, it’s soft.

The Pitch. Cartesian’s Indiegogo campaign opens with a woman named Marja introducing the scarf and transitions to a number of scenes showing us the various ways it can be worn. Some may wrap their heads around the idea that a shape-retaining scarf that looks a bit futuristic yet otherworldly resting around the neck and chest might be a good idea to copy. But the campaign page isn’t shy about reminding that the product is covered by two U.S. patents and is unusual in that it was an article of clothing designed by an architect. This is the second crowdfunding go-round for Cartesian, which already had a successful 40-day campaign that ran on Kickstarter where the creators beat their $6,500 goal. For all the creators’ talk of the scarf staying put, there’s no video or other evidence of it doing so outside where it would be subject to the same wind and jostling as other scarves.

The Perks. Cartesian’s reward tiers feature a $65 early bird special that will ship by Valentine’s Day (assuming that people would want to give this as a Valentine’s gift). In addition, a donation of $78 will get you a scarf and a donation of $125 or more will get you two scarves, but currently you can only choose from charcoal gray or classic red.

The Potential. The Cartesian scarf is certainly cleverly designed, although may not revolutionize the scarf market as is promised by its creators. The real question becomes how well the scarf’s tenacity holds up to others in the real world; the fold-and-through-the-loop method works pretty well. For nearly $80, it will be tough for the Cartesian to beat more malleable apparel from better-known designers.

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Apparel

Rhino Laces keep your boots kicking butt through blades and fire

Rhino LacesThere have been Kickstarter projects that have sought to replace the lace, but Rhino Laces certainly is not for those too lazy to run that rabbit around the tree in order to make a proper knot. These laces are designed for people who depend on their boots for survival in extreme situations, not looking cool. As the campaign description makes clear, they’re resistant to every danger from fire to zombies to (no, please, anything but) hipsters and their tips are rugged enough to arouse suspicion by the TSA. For those needing the toughest rope this side of paracord keeping their boots on, early bird pricing starts at $17 and delivery is expected in April 2014.

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Apparel

Rip Clips spare the tear on the thoroughfare

The Premise. If you’re not up for cuffing or hemming your jeans and alternate between heel lengths, your pants can drag, resulting in rips that can make your spirits drag so as well. There are a number of non-surgical approaches to addressing the losing battle that pants bottoms face when taking on rough sidewalks. These include double sided tape or clips that hem pants.

The Product. Rip Clips seeks to up the ante and your pants hems. The idea is to attach a clip to your shoes and the pants that connect via powerful neodymium magnet.Alas, there are compatibility issues and the product works only with Vans and Converse shoes for now.

The Pitch. Designers Chris Hackler and Nick Durantes take us through the a montage of lifestyle shots visits to an alterations shop, and the inside of the world’s most organized drawer complete with exquisitely spaced Rip Clips in explaining that their design will save you time and trouble in addition to tearing. Trips to the alternation shop, they note, can cost up to $26 and take up to five days. Invoking the classic infomercial refrain, they note, “There’s gotta be a better way!”

The Perks. Rip Clips depend on the attachments being on both the shoes and pants, but that may require some mixing and matching. As such, you may need to buy different parts separately. The project owners offer pants plates starting at $7 but a full set comes in at $13. That’s half of what they claim hemming can cost and the price might drop if the designers can scale up production.

The Potential. Rip Clips addresses an everyday issue. but many teens and young adults likely aren’t too concerned with ripping their jeans. It may be more tempting to market to those who would make the investment for work clothes, but these are the folks for whom alterations may not represent a lot of time and effort.