CUSP Magazine : Fall Edition 2014

COVER FEATURE
Not only was it much more economically
savvy to set up shop in Chicago, but Nemani
had contacts in the area that could help the duo
get on their feet. New York City is infamous
as the fashion capital of the United States, but
Chicago gave the young startup a competitive
edge in the footwear industry. “There’s literally
no one else in the city that is doing anything
close to what we’re doing,” beamed Firestein.
Now in 2014, Bucketfeet has made a name for
itself among this generation of 20-somethings
as a way to display artistic talent in a fun,
useful, and portable way. Giving social media
huge credit for their success, they also pride
themselves on remaining true to their vision:
connecting people through art. “Our whole
thing is that we don’t want to discriminate
people on any level,” Firestein said, “we work
with artists who work with almost all mediums.”
With graffiti artists, graphic designers,
sculptors and illustrators among their designers,
Bucketfeet aims for each collection of shoes
they release to be well rounded. When asked
how they find artists to design a pair of shoes
Firestein described their network of artists.
At first, designers were a lot of their personal
contacts. As with any start up, utilization of
friends, family, and former colleagues was a
common practice in Bucketfeet’s early days as
well as the utilization of Firestein’s own artistic
talent.
Now after incredible online growth due to
their popularity on social media, Bucketfeet
receives many inquiries daily from artists in
Chicago and around the world hoping to get
their designs on a pair of shoes. With a unique
crop of artists working with them, Bucketfeet
shoes aren’t necessarily trendy. “I think the
best way to describe it is, while we are aware
of what the trends are, we don’t make as much
of a conscious effort to follow them,” explained
Firestein.
At the end of the day, Bucketfeet shoes are
about making a statement while staying true to
the culture and ideas of the artist.
Staying true to an idea and a vision compose
the foundation of Bucketfeet. If you find
yourself to be an aspiring artist or a conflicted
entrepreneur, Firestein suggested you stick
to your guns and continue to believe in what
your skills can offer. “Art is tricky,” he said. “It’s
such a subjective thing where everyone has a
different viewpoint on every single piece of art
there is.” At the end of the day, it comes down
to whether or not you’re willing to risk falling
flat on your face. If you believe in what you’re
producing or the vision that you have, Firestein
suggested taking that risk. “Worst thing that’ll
happen if you fail is you’ll have to go back to
school or start another job and try it again.
You’ll be glad you tried it and regret it if you
didn’t.” The twenty-first century is not the time
for ‘what-ifs’.
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CUSP MAGAZINE FALL ’14 ISSUE
CUSP MAGAZINE FALL ’14 ISSUE
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