Inspiration is exciting, isn't it? It fills you with possibilities and it makes you want to throw yourself into a project. At times, it can even result in life-changing decisions and directions.
Inspiration is what compels us to keep on thinking and asking questions about what we are going to create next.
However, like many creatives around the world, our challenge at Brave Soles is not a lack of ideas...it’s the ability to hold ourselves back :)
One of the foundational parts of innovation is that you need to work within limitations - not without them.
At first glance, limitations may seem restrictive. However, we like to think of limitations as guideposts when we are designing our products. We design our items based on beauty, functionality and, most importantly, how they are going to help provide a solution rather than perpetuate a problem.
Our inspiration comes from many places and moments:
- A passing comment by a friend
- A need in our own lives for a certain tweak to something we already own or want
- A curiosity to see if something we see is actually possible
- Wondering how many ways we can possibly upcycle materials into one item
Sometimes, those questions have resulted in interesting possibilities.
For example, the Oceana slide came as an idea that we wanted to have a shoe that was a simple, beautiful example of our life in the Dominican Republic and our time spent close to the ocean. As we thought about it, we realized how grateful we were for the work that the Dream Project does on the north coast. We wanted to create something that reflected our belief in the valuable work they do with more than 7000 kids across the north coast.
And so, we played around with some ideas and voila! A new little Brave Soles shoe baby was born :)
At other times, our ideas come from recognizing that simple is better. For example, we work in a humid climate. As a result, little things like buckles and metal accents have to be limited, due to their exposure to salty, humid air. If you notice our designs, they are always simple and require very little extras. This came as a result of us realizing we needed to have items that could withstand the demands of our climate. This has been a limitation that helps us carefully consider the material and makeup of each new design.
And finally, above all, the best way we have found to design our new items is to simply ask people (like you) what they want. (I know, rocket science, right? ).
People like you and me have ideas that are worth sharing and talking about. We have life experiences that influence how we see things. And, when people with great taste in fashion also have a passion to tell better stories about their choices, we know we have hit the sweet spot.
Brave Soles is about people, planet and a prosperous future we can all share together.
Because of this, we have a simple question for you: what would you like to see us create next?
If you have any suggestions or ideas, tag us on Instagram (@bravesoles.life) or send us pics of your idea to media@bravesoles.life.