Introducing Dandy Puppeteer's first shoe design: Valentine Wooden Platforms! An iconic style made of genuine cowhide leather with a real wooden platform sole. These shoes are designed with cuteness and durability in mind! With 4 removable bows, there's many different coordination possibilities!
The Valentine Wooden Platforms are made of custom painted genuine cowhide leather with a custom stained real wooden platform. The wooden platform measures 6.5cm in height with a rubber sole. The insole is cushioned and a neutral "coffee" color to avoid color transfer on legwear. The buckles are silver tone and in the shape of hearts. Hidden under the buckles of the main body are elastic so the cross straps have additional give for higher range of comfort. Each pair comes with 4 bow shaped shoe clips that can be added or removed to wear the shoe in different stylings.
Material composition: Outer: Cowhide Inner: Sheepskin Platform: Wood
There are 14 Color options available for this crowdfunding campaign. The shoes are custom painted and we will try to make as close to a color match as possible but please note, the final color may vary than expected due to differences in electronic displays and paint pigment.
Black - Pantone Black C
White - Pantone 11-0602 TCX
Pink - Pantone 2036 C
Dark Pink - Pantone 2039 C
Red - Pantone 3546 C
Wine - Pantone 1815 C
Brown - Pantone 732 C
Orange - Pantone 151 C
Pastel Yellow - Pantone 601 C
Mint - Pantone 573 C
Sax - Pantone 291 C
Navy - Pantone 4142 C
Lavender - Pantone 2085 C
Purple - Pantone 7679 C
Color selection will be available during the Backerkit survey for all pledges.
To pick a size, please measure your feet. To measure your feet, please grab a piece of paper, place your foot on it, and draw around the shape with a pencil or pen. Then measure the silhouette from the longest distance both horizontally and vertically. Please do this for both feet as feet tend to vary in size. Take the LARGEST measurement of your feet and use this as reference for what size to select. Please note if you regularly wear socks with shoes to accommodate for that additional foot thickness as well.
3 people, T, C, & B tried the prototype shoes. These are their opinions of the fit while wearing socks.
T's Reviews T's feet measure 25.0cm & 25.3cm at the longest. She normally wears a US Women's 9.
25.0cm:
Way too tight, I can barely wiggle my toes, breaking these in would not be possible, they're just too small.
25.5cm:
They're okay, they fit but I feel like I could use more space. My big toe hits the front when I walk. I think with a little stretching of the leather, they could be more comfortable but they're not ideal.
26.0cm:
They're comfortable, the fit is mostly form-fitting so I don't have to lift my feet too much. I have enough extra space to flex my toes. Sometimes if I'm walking too aggressively, my toe can hit the top but otherwise I think this is enough space.
26.5cm:
They're comfortable but definitely noticeably loose. The shoe doesn't conform to the shape of my foot so I have to pay attention to lift my feet a bit more while walking. My toes never touch the front while walking but my feet do experience sliding. I can still walk around in these fine though.
C's Reviews C's feet measure 24.0cm & 24.5cm at the longest. She normally wears US Women's 7.
25.0cm:
Comfortable, this is the size I prefer. The fit is form fitting, which I prefer because I tend to drag my feet.
25.5cm:
This pair just felt too loose. I could feel my feet sliding and had to lift much more to walk.
B's Reviews B's feet measure 26.5cm and 27.0cm at the longest. He normally wears a US Men's 9.5.
27.5cm
This size ended up being perfect for me. I have enough space to move my toes while the shoe stays securely on while walking.
Shoe experts recommend a thumb's width of space between your foot and the ends of a shoe for a healthy fit. After reviewing, we recommend you pick a size minimum 0.5cm larger than your largest foot length for a more form fitting fit. You can increase to 1cm larger for more toe space but the fit will most likely be loose, making your feet slide and require more lift for the heaviness of the wooden platforms so thicker socks & additional insole assistance may be necessary.
PLEASE READ THE SIZE CHART CAREFULLY AND ACTUALLY MEASURE YOUR FEET!!
20 Sizes are available in 0.5cm increments from Size 22.5cm to 32.0cm. 20 additional sizes are available in the same range in a Wide width. Please note these measurements are the measurements of the SHOE itself. Please read the size chart carefully to understand the dimensions of the shoe and how your foot will fit into it. Due to the custom nature of the shoes and the wide size range, SIZE EXCHANGES WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE. PLEASE READ THE SIZE CHART CAREFULLY.
The funding goal of this project is $11,000 USD. This will reasonably allow me to make 100 pairs of shoes while affording the large bulk shipping costs due to the heavy weight of the shoes. This campaign is all or nothing so if this goal is not reached, this project cannot be made and all pledges will be cancelled. Please note, you'll be charged at the END of the campaign.
Each pair of Valentine Wooden Platforms is $240 USD.
An early bird option will be available for the first 48 HOURS discounted $5 at $235.
An early bird bundle of 2 pairs will be available for the first 48 HOURS discounted $10 at $470.
Extender Straps are available as an Add-On for $8!
For those who might need additional length for the ankle or cross straps, there are extender straps available during the campaign as well. Each strap will be made of matching cowhide leather with the silver tone heart buckle and measure 10cm in length adding about max 8cm of additional length. The default ankle strap goes up to max circumference of 28cm with each cross strap at a maximum closure of 15cm. Each pair of platforms has 6 default straps total and each Extender Strap pair comes with 2 straps so 3 sets are necessary to extend all straps.
PAY OVER TIME IS AVAILABLE!
For this campaign, Backerkit's Pay Over Time feature will be available. If your pledge is over $150, after you select a pledge and go to Checkout, you'll be given the option to pay 4 equal interest-free monthly installments of your pledge total over the course of 4 months.
If you select Pay Over Time, you acknowledge that:
You understand that your rewards will not qualify for shipment until you have paid in full.
You understand that any partial payments made are not eligible for a refund.
You understand that you will not be able to access the pledge manager survey until after you have paid in full.
Please note, this means that Pay Over Time pledges may not be able to answer the color selection survey until their payment plan is completed and thus might have a more limited range of color options based on the availability of inventory that's bulk ordered.
REMINDER: SHIPPING WILL BE CHARGED AFTER THE PRODUCTION IS COMPLETED!!! PLEASE NOTE THIS.
The estimated production time for these shoes is around 9 months. Factories in China will be closed for various times starting from January to early March so production will be halted for around 2 months. This will extend the estimated timeline to around August 2025.
NOVEMBER 2024 - Campaign Starts
DECEMBER - Campaign Ends / Funds Collected
JANUARY 2025 - Survey Sent / Manufacturer Closed for the Holidays
FEBRUARY - Manufacturer Closed for the Holidays
MARCH - Order Placed with Manufacturer / Production Begins
APRIL - Production
MAY - Production
JUNE - Production Completed / Shoes Shipped JULY - Receive Shoes / Inspect / Packing orders AUGUST 2025 - Shoe shipment to Backers
SHIPPING WILL BE CHARGED AFTER THE PRODUCTION IS COMPLETED!! PLEASE NOTE THIS.
SHIPPING ESTIMATES:
Shipping will be charged at a later date after the shoes are completed for most accurate shipping costs. The shoes will be packaged in a custom shoe box and then packaged within a second larger box for protection. Each pair of shoes weighs around 2.5lbs (40oz) without the shoe box and over 3lbs (48oz) with the shoe box. The current rate and shipping expenses coupled with shipping insurance in the event of missing packages, US shipping costs are estimated to START at around $25USD and International shipping costs may START at $40USD for insured tracking.
AGAIN, SHIPPING WILL BE CHARGED AT A LATER DATE AFTER PRODUCTION IS COMPLETED.
Dandy Puppeteer is a US-based indie brand that focuses on Japanese Lolita, Ouji, and Alt-Fashion. It's run by one artist, Tiffany, who designs everything. This is her first shoe design and her 6th crowdfunding campaign with a proven track record of successfully delivered crowdfunded and pre-ordered products.
