The world of footwear is characterized by a very long history in which we find revolutionary and original minds who have managed in precise historical moments to understand the needs of consumers, managing to create products that know how to meet the needs, while at the same time inserting a touch of originality that has helped many brands to diversify in such a large and important market.
Today, in the age of the internet, it is easy to have access to many services and products. It may seem more complicated to enter a market like footwear with a totally original product that has never been seen before. Let’s see how emerging brands try to create, in our case, shoes that obviously know how to meet people’s needs, but which, at the same time, can offer something more.
From this reflection, we want to tell you about the world of Baliston.
The history of the brand
In the crowded world of fashion and footwear, Baliston was born from the idea of footwear, biomechanics and design experts in 2021 and stands out with a clear and bold mission: “YOU MOVE, WE CARE“. This is not just a motto, but a promise that Baliston is committed to keeping. Founded with the goal of bringing advanced biomechanical technology to the world of footwear, Baliston is also committed to lifting sustainability to a whole new level.
The company has deep roots in research and development, always looking for the latest innovations to improve the movement and comfort of those who wear its shoes. But there’s more: Baliston is committed to doing all this with a keen eye on environmental impact. Every step you take with Baliston shoes is supported by a vision of sustainability and responsibility towards our planet.
This means creating a product that starts with an entirely sustainable design and ends its cycle with the company committed to recovering and recycling every material and component of the shoe correctly.
Precisely because of their work ethic and philosophy, the brand has its headquarters in Silicon Valley, other facilities in Kansas City, Denver and has also managed to reach an international scene with offices in France and Luxembourg.
Baliston and sustainability
How many shoes in the world will be sold in a whole year?
Surely the figure will be very high, given the usefulness of the product and the size of the world population, but what we really have to ask ourselves is where the footwear ends up when it is no longer possible to use it.
There is the possibility of repairing them or treating them with care to preserve them for as long as possible, the truth unfortunately is that most people tend to throw away shoes that are no longer used, thus filling the landfills with these products and not helping the environment in this way.
It is in this context that Baliston has managed to diversify and pay particular attention to the issue of sustainability and traceability of its products. In particular, the young brand is taking on more and more responsibility on this issue, so as to convey the message that manufacturers must be the ones responsible for their production, trying to combine technology with the materials and products used.
Baliston is trying to revolutionize the world of footwear with the idea of designing a shoe that can live a circular path by offering their customers a simple and intuitive way to return shoes so as to ensure responsible and safe recycling.
Baliston, like many other brands, uses recycled and bio-based materials to make their shoes, but their commitment doesn’t stop there. They are convinced that their impact on the planet is their responsibility until the end of the life of the products, which is why they have integrated a monitoring system regarding the deterioration of the individual components of the shoes so as to allow the brand itself to collect and recycle every single product in the best possible way.
What?
Connecting for a common purpose
By giving the option of subscribing to the brand, Baliston+ members can request a replacement pair of shoes, especially when the cushioning of the shoe drops below 20%.
In this way, the brand sends a new pair of shoes to the customer, with instructions on how to return the old pair so as to create a simple and functional path to make the desire for a totally circular work concrete.
All this takes place through the application that Baliston has decided to create with the main purpose of making the life cycle of shoes sustainable and more.
The brand is aware that its products are used and bought by people with very different needs and lifestyles, which is why it has looked for optimal solutions to meet each of them.
As we said, the motto for the launch of the app is “you walk, we care“.
With these words, Baliston wants to encourage people to stop wearing extremely worn shoes that can also cause physical pain and, precisely because people may not be able to understand when the wear and tear of footwear has reached its limit, Baliston has introduced a technology that is able to communicate, through the application, to the customer when the shoe needs to be replaced.
Specifically, Baliston+ is a $250 subscription to help people have a more active lifestyle by having the opportunity to be followed when their shoes begin to wear out. With this subscription, the user gets a limited edition pair of shoes with state-of-the-art technology, insoles that adapt perfectly to the gait of individual people, the collection and recycling of worn shoes and insoles, and the replacement of footwear at no additional cost once the sensors indicate an excessive level of wear and tear.
The real turning point and originality of the young brand lies precisely in this! Being able to get in touch with one’s consumers without having the classic sales-purchase relationship, but to create another type of bond where Baliston sells a product, but in a broader perspective sells a service that includes shoes.
Baliston wants to tell the importance of moving even by taking a simple walk without risking pain or injuries caused by poorly functional or poorly damaged shoes. In this sense, the brand wants to highlight how taking out a subscription is not inconvenient for people as well.
For example, if someone walks more than 7,000 steps a day in Baliston shoes, they may be entitled to replace their footwear in less than 6 months, while if someone walks 3,000 steps a day, they can replace them in less than 12 months, all while recycling worn-out insoles and shoes.
Baliston and the idea of the future
The world of footwear today is made up of many brands that have brought innovation and high quality products, but there is not always a methodical attention to the consumer and the entire life cycle of shoes.
Baliston has managed to make room for itself and create an increasingly important and interesting name in this panorama precisely because it emphasizes the attention to the circularity of their products.
Nowadays it is not only about knowing how to sell a product, there is a need to create a stable and lasting relationship with people and the brand born in 2021, with only 3 years of life, has managed to find its way in a short time by demonstrating that a shoe is not simply an accessory, but an element capable of connecting people and facilitating them in their daily lives.
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